Action packed realism - Kodak

14 Chennai 15
Hyderabad
"I trust Kodak.”
Krishnasamy says he has immense trust
in Kodak and is loyal to film than going the
digital way. "For the film Kanda Kottai,
I had to shoot a scene in open, daylight.
I went for 250D as it controls highlights,
and also shows shadow regions well.
And for night effects I depend on
500T stock," he says.
"The moment I signed Pattalam I knew
the film has a colorful theme and would
attract both children and adults alike.
I did a test shoot with Kodak and the
result was fantastic! I worked with stocks
like 500T, 200T to enhance colors,
especially red colors," he says.
Krishnasamy describes himself as a loyalist to
the film than the digital world. "Film has great
tolerance levels and it can capture natural
colors. The digital technology may be
advanced but if we over expose it is tough to
get back the natural colors," he opines.
Kanchana
He also believes to be a successful
cinematographer; an excellent chemistry with
director of the film is needed. "A fabulous
rapport with the director of the film works
wonders. Their relationship is like of a husband
and wife. Both of them should work together for
a successful product. It is the job of the
cinematographer to make the director's dream
come true and also capture the scenes, exactly
the way director visualises it. A DoP should also
have great co-ordination with other technicians
on the sets like art director, choreographer and
others."Krishnasamy says a cinematographer
should a fearless soul and always ready to
venture in to adventures. "For many it may be
scary to perch at great heights on the cranes
and capture right moments. But for a
cinematographer it is his job and one should be
fearless and careful at the same time.”
Krishnasamy is currently working for the film
Kanachana with choreographer turned director
Raghava Lawrence. "Kanchana is a different film
and it was my senior DoP Vetri who introduced
me to Raghava Lawrence. The film was shot on
250D, 500T on a Super 35, ultra prime, 2
perforations camera. The story has a little bit of
humour but it is a horror, thriller film."
Kanchana
“For many it may be scary
to perch at great heights
on the cranes and capture
Technical Specifications
Film
Director
Producer
Format
Stock
right moments.
But for a cinematographer
it is his job and one should be
fearless and careful at the
same time.”
Kanchana
Raghava Lawrence
Raghava Lawrence
Super 35
5201, 5207, 5219
Kanchana
Dasaradhi Sivendra,
cinematographer from Hyderabad
enjoys the play between light and shade to create
highly dramatic magic moments of cinema. For him,
his source of inspiration comes from thrillers.
This is the genre he loves most to create interesting
visual imagery which moves his audience
and makes him popular among the masses.
He believes in an efficient balance between
the play of light and shade.
Sivendra, the veteran cinematographer based in Hyderabad, is, in his
own way very special. Because he loves shooting thrillers, which shows he
is one person who finds inspiration not in light, but in darkness. That deep
black makes him create images where the silence of darkness is eloquent.
For him, it seems words seem too much. "The supreme moments of
cinema should be wordless", Satyajit Ray, the great maestro of Indian
Cinema, said about the art of filmmaking. Sivendra perhaps follows this
principle, even if he does not actually say it out in so many words.
To him, lighting, its planning and use is very important. He says on this,
"Not only me, any cinematographer should have the knowledge,
understanding and admiration towards lighting. I do play with light and
shade in a sensible balance to create that particular mood of a scene or
character. How efficiently you balance them, that creative you are as a
cinematographer."
As a DoP, Sivendra uses special equipments, or filters only if the
situation demands, otherwise he does not prefer. But where DI is
concerned, he feels that DI does help him. Especially for color correction
and the visual look of a film, he makes full use of Digital Intermediate to
create a beautiful final visual look of the image.
effects
Sivendra's career started with Kodak and he has remained a loyal user of
Kodak ever since. He says, "What I like in Kodak is its intense rendering
of color, its strength when it is underexposed, and its ability to reach into
the highlight. I use Kodak Vision 2, 50D-5201, Kodak Vision 3 200T-
5213 and Kodak Vision 3 - 500T - 5219. For day exterior I use 50D, for
night exterior 500T for dusk or twilight I use 200T, where I can get
shadow details.”
In his long career as DoP, there were many occasions when the shoot
became particularly challenging, and because the stock was Kodak, he
could come out of the problem not with just ease, but with flair. He says,
"Especially when it comes to a thriller, it becomes much more
challenging. I had a tough time while shooting for a scene, of my first
movie Mantra. Kodak helped me to get out of the problem easily. I got
the exact black shade through it."
Sivendra thinks digital is good, but he says, "No comparison with films.
Films are all the time finest in terms of visual quality." He feels digital is
fine for easy shooting or instant viewing, but to all and sundry film has
that wonderful picture quality which one can never achieve through
digital. The resolution of images, the total visual look of a film is