Digital film making is the only way to save the regional cinema. This is what the filmmakers and experts believe. In an open forum discussion organized by Cineasa as a part of the recently concluded third international film festival, people related to filmmaking highlighted the advantages of the digital technology.
Sanjib Sabhapandit, a national award winning filmmaker of Assam, who recently concluded an Assamese feature film ‘Jaangfaai Joonak’ (from the shadow of silence) with digital technology, said with several advantages of digital filmmaking the regional filmmakers can excel in a great way.
“My film would have cost more than Rs 35 lakh but everything was done within Rs 13 lakh. And too add to that I have plenty of options to play with my ideas while editing the movie which is quite difficult in the film format,” he said.
Sabhapandit has converted the film into celluloid format after shooting it in digitally with HD camera. He also claimed that his movie Jaangfaai Joonak, a story of a lost childhood, could be the first in the country.
“According to the laboratory in Mumbai where I did my film said that no one has done a full fledged feature film in any language in the country in digital format before converting it to the celluloid format,” he said adding that though some filmmakers have been doing the practice in some shots or sequences.
“If the movie is shot in celluloid format we need to spend some extra money and find difficulties during the time of editing but we get plenty of facilities if it is shot in digital format. From colour correction to add the sub-titles everything becomes so easier,” he said.
The filmmaker also expressed his concern that Assam has failed to bring out good enough films in the recent times as to showcase during the on going film fest.
“It’s very unfortunate that we do not have good films compared to those which are being screened at the film fest,” he rued.
But at the same time he has words of praise for Manipuri filmmakers. “Our Manipuri counterparts have done an excellent job with limited resources. They are very concern with the issues they are dealing. After watching their films I came to know that they are socially more responsible and they have always left a mark,” said Sabhapandit whose ‘Jatinga Ityadi’ was selected to screen in the Indian Panorama section in 2007.
“Haobam Paban Kumar, Tej Kumar etc have brought revolution in digital filmmaking,” he said and urged filmmakers from the region to use the digital technology and excel in the field.
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