To help the Assamese film industry cut down production cost and undertake quality projects by adopting the high definition technology, Canvascope, a platform for creative work, has created a state-of-the-art infrastructure base in the city. It will be available to filmmakers at a reasonable price.
First such shooting
Canvascope has also completed the shooting of Jaangfaai Joonak ( From the shadow of silence ), the first venture under this project to showcase to Assamese filmmakers the vast scope for making quality movies at a reduced cost to reach out to national and international viewers by adopting this latest technology.
If the script promises material for a national or international standard film, Canvascope will support the project, offering all equipment free of charge to the filmmaker,” said filmmaker Sanjib Sabhapandit, who is also director of Canvascope and its chief executive officer Utpal Das, an art buff — the brains behind this project.
Canvascope has acquired a modern HD-Sony PMW EX 3 XDCAM camera, digital sound recording equipment for location and the latest Final Cut Pro editing equipment.
Pathetic state
“Even after 75 years of its existence, the condition of the Assamese film industry is very pathetic. Producers are rarely found to undertake a cinema project which will recover cost. An average film of normal duration costs Rs. 25-30 lakh if made in celluloid. However, the total cost of Jaangfaai Joonak will not even be Rs. 10 lakh,” Mr. Sabhapandit said. Use of LED lights cut down on manpower and electric requirement, and thus the production cost would also be drastically reduced if HD technology was adopted.
The story, script and direction of this first Assamese film using HD technology are by Mr. Sabhapandit, while cinematography is handled by the Mumbai-based Parasher Baruah, a product of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, who has helped Canvascope create the infrastructure base of this modern technology and showcase the adoption of the technology in the first venture.
Theme: child abuse
“The subject matter is abuse of child and indifference of society to the loss of childhood. Jaangfaai is a gum found in trees in deep forests, amber in colour and used in ornaments. The colour denotes anger; in this case the anger of a child, who has been robbed of his childhood, is manifest through his eloquent silence. Hence the name,” said Mr. Sabhapandit. He said Canvascope would make the HD equipment available to any filmmaker in the country.
