Digital revolution conquering film world

WHEN Suryakant Bandavane, anentrepreneur in video production, was suddenly called up in the middle of thenight last week by a client to do a complete and urgent re-edit of a 15-minutepromotional film, there were no pangs of anxiety. “Just giveme a couple of hours and I will give you an absolutely new film from the footagewe have,� was his response.A few years back, this would havesounded like a tall claim. No more. With digital technology making the entireprocess of film-making a userfriendly process, anything and everything from theproduction of music videos to corporate films and documentaries to featurefilms, can now be diluted into something that a “techno savvy�person can pull off with ease.“With access to digital video orbetacam cameras and editing software like Pinnacle and Avid MC workstations,there is no need to compulsorily use 16mm or 35mm film rolls, or get negativesprocessed in laboratories before they can be sliced and joined according to theneeds of the narrative structure,� explains Bandavane.It isthis rapidly evolving mode of cinematic technology that has enthused the likesof Ram Madhvani to jump the fence from advertising to feature filmmaking withLet’s Talk or prompted city-based Vishal Bhandari to explore the emotionalnuances of a commercial sex worker in Maya.There are now about 15video production set-ups in the city, not to forget the 20-odd audio recordingstudios which collectively cater to the growing demand of regional televisionserials, talk shows, documentaries, music videos and ad films, apart from theusual coverage of corporate events and marriages. “Unlike thepast, a studio can be established with some basic equipment like cameras andediting consoles and there is enough work for everyone to justify theinvestment,� comments Shrirang Godbole of Indian MagicEye.“What has really boosted the scenario is the high-endvideo production software that is now within reach. For example, colourcorrection and compositing software like Combustion and Flame helps a directorproduce any kind of special effects. Similarly, sound software can stretch orshrink the dubbing time to match the lip movements as also turn a non-melodiousvoice into a perfect melody in sync with the track requirement,� explainsIndranil Roychoudhury, a diploma holder from the Film & Television Instituteof India (FTII).Taking this a step further, studio owner VijayendraPatil has this to state: “Today, there is no task in the audio-visualarena which is impossible.While a feature film will still have to bemade in the 35mm or 70mm format if that kind of projection quality is required,digital video has inched really close and provides a platform for innovativeapproaches. The cheeky, glitzy music videos are proof of that.�