Final Curtain Call

Lensing and Lighting workshop with Tanmay Agarwal

Day 15

It was Kirti's shoot. I was doing the camera. So, the night before the shoot we sat together to discuss the script. But where was the script! Kirti had a script which now she found cliched. So we sat there brain storming and coming up with numerous ideas. But the moment we sat down for the action or shots all seemed like TV serials. After a point I realised this whole attempt to come up with something new at the last moment was futile, so I advised her to work on the ready script. So, it was already 2:30 pm when I left Kirti in her room to ponder about the script she kind of not liked any more.

Morning got some senses. I got up to find Kirti's message telling me to meet to discuss the shots. We met. As we went through the story we fell into a sync. Sir states it right when he says that mutual trust can overcome a lot of things. We went to the floor and started working. 

I am not one of the best ones to do camera but somehow, Kirti knew I would do my best to get what she wanted and somehow I too knew that I would actually push my boundaries to deliver her vision. Not only both of us, everyone else too were in sync. There was a certain degree of peace on set. We didn't have to talk much. Hindol was helping me with lights, and say something I didn't like in frame, I just had turn and look and somehow magically he would understand. Kirti just had to say, "But Soumee..." and I would understand her point. In bengali there is a saying which goes like, "Bissas e miloe bostu torke bahu dur"- meaning if you trust completely you will find a lot of positive things but if you keep doubting and bickering you will reach no where. TRUST is not just a five letter word I believe. I think it's the one word that can transform you and the people around you.

We chose our lens and started taking our shots. We were shooting on 18mm on P2. We had to re create the morning light, but we did not have access to the schemers. So Hindol tried bouncing the light (1k) from the walls and also used thermocol to bounce the light. I wanted a patch of light coming from the window and for that Hindol arranged for a 1k outside the window and used gateway paper and barn door to get what was necessary. We also used the china bulb for fill. JJ did a commendable job with the boom. It was a complete well oiled machinery.

Sumana and Ashok were acting. Kirti did a very good job of handling the actors. She not only guided them to their zones but also took care of them. Himel was second in command, even he took real good care of our needs like water, coffee and smokes. We broke for a quick lunch.

Only one major shot was left and it was a track shot. We took some time to get the tracks set. I was sure about what Kirti and I wanted out of the shot and why we were going for the shot but I was not so clear about the movement. We were going for trolley as we wanted us to move from Sumana's space to Ashok's space along with Sumana. But magic was not happening. I was in a bit of a fix. Sir intervened and said that why don't I try a reverse trolley. I was a bit apprehensive that it might create a jerk but once I tried it out I realized that this movement was better in leaps and bound from the movemnet we had been breaking our heads upon.

It was a difficult shot, there was trolley movement, character movement, pan tilt and then reverse movement too. A lot of co-ordination between me, the key grip(Himel) and actors. But Himel did a very nice job.

The shoot got over before time. We packed up. The last shoot was over. From the next day Hari, Sreecheta and Mainak would be shooting. We were skeptical about our involvements.We were kind of sad too that the workshop was ending. We did not disperse. We sat in CRT to watch Tanmay Sir's film "Chal Chaliye..."

Chal Chaliye had everything that Sir speaks about. Organic nature of acting till the use of close ups. The beautiful use of spaces. What I liked most was how he dealt with 3 timelines and mixed them.

We went to Sir's room. Subhodro Da was also there and he rightly pointed that our hands were missing a can of beer. JJ and Ashok readily agreed to fetch them. This was a kind of wrap up party. But somehow none of us wanted it wrapped up.

Subhodro Da spoke a lot. He spoke of Unseen Images. He said that the films are made by the unseen images. But we as film makers tends to concentrate only on the seen images, but more of our concentration should go to the unseen images as that is what the audiences would construct in their head to build up the story. Subhodro Da had spoken about this earlier too during our exercises but never have I understood it so well. He had said that start late finish early. Same thing - creating the Unseen Images.  

He also spoke how recent generation of student have a lack of original ideas. He pointed out that perhaps because we know our technique a bit, we know that no matter how cliched the subject we would be able to pull it through thus the hunger for something original and innovative has decreased. To this Tanmay Sir added that we all should do an exercise. We should take our scripts, and strike out each line which is a cliche. If we do that we would understand where we stand.

Subhodro Da delved into another level when he said that we cannot do away with cliches. But we have to find an unique way to show it. It's the mix of these two which would create magic.

Personal take away:

After a very long time in my life, today at floor I really felt I belonged somewhere. That I was a part of a team where if anything happens to anyone people would genuinely care and not fake it. And what irony, a by teaching us how to be a professional Tanmay Sir had some how taught us how to get personal peace.