Even today, Francis Ford Coppola's “Godfather” based on Mario Puzo's novel is the Bible for any aspiring film-maker. Remember the classic scene where Jack Woltz (played by John Marley) wakes up to see the severed head of his favourite horse on his bed? That scene is often discussed in workshops on filmmaking.
A number of such classic scenes from “Godfather” will be screened and discussed at a workshop on short film making in Coimbatore, organised by >www.Studioparts.com , a Coimbatore based on-line shop for photographers and film-makers. “It's not just about powerful visuals. The scenes reflect the powerful script, the lighting, and the visuals have a lasting impact. A lot of technique and creative inputs go into the making of one right scene,” says A. Ravikiran, chief operating officer of Studioparts.
Aspiring film-makers will learn about these techniques at the workshop. It is to be an intensive foundation course in film making that gives a basic understanding of the techniques, and art of directing a short film using a digital camera.
Along with “Godfather”, a couple of French films and movies from the collection of international short films will also be screened at the workshop during an interactive session. It involves analysis of scenes from shorts, features, film scripts, and a series of other exercises.
Digital media has become a passion among youngsters, says Ravikiran. “Many pursue it as a profession. Youngsters today prefer images and video clippings as a mode of communication.”
Ravikiran says with the introduction of digital cameras making short films has become a rage among youngsters. “The trend of digital film-making is catching up in a big way. People regularly share videos on YouTube and Facebook. We wanted to create a platform to guide such aspiring film-makers.”
Studioparts collaborates with Sam Kumar, producer and director of Mirage Films in Chennai, for the workshop. Sam has more than 15 years of experience in film making and photography in the U.S., U.K. and Singapore. He has written, directed and edited over 50 short films. He has also worked on narratives besides making corporate and music videos. He has also directed four documentary films.
“We have been exporting photographic accessories such as background cloth, focus lamps, lights and tripod to the U.K., U.S., Australia, Germany and U.A.E. Our association has been with professionals in photography, short film making and ad films. We are bringing resource persons from such fields to help the youngsters hone their skills,” says Ravikiran.
The workshop promises to teach the art and science of making a film. “It's not just about handling a camera. Anyone with a digital SLR can make a 15- to 20- minute film. We take them through the grammar of film-making — how to create a scene, a situation, script writing, editing and directing a scene.” It covers four vital components of movie making — screen writing, directing, cinematography and editing.
The morning session is kept aside for the theory, which also talks about the basic rules of screenplay, editing and post-production. And, the practical session in the afternoon has a few exercises on the making of a film and some film-screening. Participants can bring their digital cameras along for the workshop.
