Malvika’s Ramblings

When you are the producer, director, camera person and editor

I have written this as a film student and an appreciator of good movie-making -

Steps to shooting -

Decide what you want to shoot. Have a story.

Write the story in detail dividing it into shots. This is called Storyboarding.

Each shot must be decided upon as a WS, MS, CU, ECU or an Over the shoulder Shot. The angle of these shots should be decided as aerial, worm’s eye or eye-level. These decisions should be relevant. For example use WS to show the context of the scene, use ECU only when you want to emphasize on the details. Avoid another WS immediately after a WS. If you must, change the angle of the WS. (more…)

When you are the producer, director, camera person and editor

I have written this as a film student and an appreciator of good movie-making -

Shots -

WS - Wide shot. it is taken from far away and shows a place. Often used at the beginning of scenes to show the context of the scene. Thus it serves as an ES - Establishing shot

MS - Mid shot, A shot taken from not too close, not two far. It may be a shot of two people talking.

CU - Close Up, A shot taken from near the subject. For example, head and bust of the actor.

ECU - Extreme Close Up. Like showing the eyes of the actor to show a frown. (more…)

When you are the producer, director, camera person and editor

I have written this as a film student and an appreciator of good movie-making -

Tips -

Never cut wide shot to wide shot, change angles if you must

When you track a person walking, keep room in front of him so that it looks that there is space for him to move into

Always have the actor facing inwards into the frame unless you deliberately want to make him look outside

When two people are talking and you are taking separate shots of each, shoot person A looking inwards into the frame, standing on the left side of the frame. Person B should stand looking inwards into the frame from the right side where he is standing.

When two people are shown talking in the same frame, make then stand close together. On camera they will appear to be at normal distance. (more…)

(Poster from bollywoodmantra.com)

Ok, so its been quite a while since Chokher Bali made news, got reviews and I am presuming you have no problem if I reveal turning points in the story.

The movie is based on a book written by Rabindra Nath Tagore and is full of complex characters and relationships within a family. The story has four main protagonists

Binodini (Aishwarya Rai) - a widow (unrelated to the family)
Ashalata (Raima Sen) - young wife
Mahendra (Prosenjit) - husband
Bihari (Tota Raychaudhuri) - younger brother of the husband

Binodini comes to live at the house of the young couple. She befriends Ashalata. Ashalata is eager to alleviate Binodini’s sorrows in her life as a widow with no jewelery, man or epicurean pleasures like chocolates and tea. There is so much intimacy that ultimately Binodini starts sleeping with the husband, Mahendra.
Ashalata is fooled and tricked by her own naivette. Ha ha! Ashalata ki Googly!

Binodini leaves the house and goes to Bihari saying “Give me support. make me your wife. Well, Ok then, make me your mistress”. He rejects her, not even a one night stand. Heh heh. Binodini ki Googly!

Mahendra leaves his home to go to Binodini. She says that they should go to Bihari. He says “Why? Do you want him as a witness to our marriage?” She says “No. I want you as a witness”. LOL. Mahendra ki solid Googly.

Finally Bihari does come around, stepping down from his pedestal of freedom fighter, disciplined man with control over his lust and emotions. He proposes to Binodini who accepts. He returns the next morning to take her away but finds her gone. Poof! Bihari ki Googly!

Overall satisfactory movie with lots of back.