Issue 2, 2010 Volume 7 - Kodak

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translates equally vibrantly on
screen, Las Vegas for its glitz
and Dubai for its profundity. By
showing good wisdom in the
choice of places, we could easily
c u t c o s t s o n l a v i s h a n d
expensive sets.
Is it true that the crew was less
than 20?
“Kodak’s versatility gives me the freedom
to shoot the scene at my own pace.”
Yes, we are a crew of 17 and that
is certainly a record. Typically,
most Telugu movies of this
budget have about 100 or so.
Surprisingly, it was not just me
who doubled up as a DOP and a
director, but everybody took on
e x t ra ro l e s . Th e c a m e ra
assistant willing became a
camera operator and so on. The
chief assistant director Arun
Prasad did everything from
running around to impromptu
improvisations. So did the co-
director Nirmal Roy.
How do you keep yourself
updated in your profession?
I visit a lot of trade shows
abroad. I recently went for a
show in Amsterdam. Such
shows display the latest
equipment and techniques and I
get to meet experts in the field. I
also pore over the literature and
research extensively on the Net
about my equipment. I am
theory-first-practice-next guy. I
do my homework before every
shot.
Maro Charitra
What was Kodak’s role in your
movie making experiment?
Kodak’s versatility gives me the
freedom to shoot the scene at
my own pace. Whether I
underexpose or overexpose, I
know that Kodak reproduces my
vision impeccably. I have worked
on Kodak on 24 of my 25
movies.
Tell us about your background
and your entry into movies.
I am a Telugu who spent a major
part of my growing up years at
Chennai. My passion for movies
made me discontinue my
Bachelors degree in Science at
t h e p r e s t i g i o u s M a d r a s
Christian College and enroll
myself at the Madras Film
Institute.
I did not seriously assist
anybody after my filmmaking
course. I hung around the sets of
Chembarti and after a few
Maro Charitra
months of being with Rajeev
Menon, I got my first break with
Pudiya Vanam in 1987. I have
done about 25 movies so far in
H i n d i , Tam i l , M a l aya l a m ,
Kannada and even in English. I
enjoyed working for big ticket
cinemas such as Race, 36 China
Town, Socha Na Tha and Aitraaz.
In Telugu, I worked for the award
winning movie Show. I have shot
over 100 ad films including the
Hyundai Verna ad. Now, I wanted
to get a little deeper into
moviemaking and have decided
to direct a movie. Eventually, I
want to write scripts, do the
screenplay, work behind the
camera and direct it. I want my
finger in every pie.
What is your next project?
Maro Charitra
I am working for the Akshay
Kumar starrer titled Thank You
and directed by Anees Bazmee.
Manoj Paramahamsa may be just three
films old but the industry can’t stop raving
about this young DOP’s work. From creat-
ing a world of dark grey tones for the
thriller Eeram, to shifting to a complete
contrast of white for Vinnai Thandi
Varuvaya, he has succeeded in establish-
ing himself as a force to reckon with.
“My entry into the film industry was
scheduled; my father Babu is a director and
decided that, but I got to choose which area I
would enter. I accompanied him on shootings
ever since I was in the seventh standard and
at that time, cameras were a big mystery. Dad
worked with big cinematographers who also
happened to be his classmates, they were
very close to me. B. Kannan had done a lot for
Dad and as I watched with interest, they
decided I would be a cameraman.
“I was never interested in writing and
preferred the technical side. I joined the Film
Institute at Chennai and everything I thought
about cinema changed. I wanted to go to
Mumbai, but did not want me to struggle the
way he did when he entered the industry. It
was then I got an opportunity to work with
DOP Saravanan with whom I worked from
2001 to 2007 on nearly 15 films and almost
all were hard core commercial films.
“One day I received a call from Manikantan,
my friend and director Gautham Menon’s
associate. He had recommended me for a film
and I was asked to shoot a scene for
Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikaalam. A fairly simple
shot with wet roads on which four youngsters
SHAD E
“The shutter was kept fully
were walking. The first take was as usual but
in the second take I tilted the camera down
and captured the action of their feet stepping
over wet stones. When I said “Cut,” Gautham
was very excited because I had canned
something he never asked me to do, yet suited
the concept and he appreciated me a lot.”
Director Arivazhagan of Eeram along with
Manikantan had been his room mate. They
had spent a lot of time together and discussed
films and they knew about Manoj’s talent.
Arivazhagan was working with director
Shankar. He wanted to do a scratch film for
Eeram and Manoj shot a trailer on a handicam
and showed it to Shankar who was impressed
with it.
open and we used eye
adjustment and simply trusted
Kodak. Kodak gave us
the eerie effect
and consistency.”
S
of Dreams
Divya K goes into
creative details
with DOP
Manoj Paramahamsa
“We prepared everything for the film six
months ahead of shooting including the
complete script and full storyboard,” he
recalls. “We spent a long time finding a grey
apartment for the film as it plays a key role.
We were given permission for just 12 hours to
shoot the entire night sequence and we used
just one light. I used 5219 for the night and
climax and 5217 for the rest of the film.
“When I started Eeram, there were two things
I wanted to be very sure about, one was stock
because of the black and where it was going
to be processed. I wanted Rama Naidu Lab, a
Kodak certified lab who could reproduce the
black I wanted. They recommended 5217 and
they gave me tips on handling that. The
shutter was kept fully open and we used eye
adjustment and simply trusted Kodak.
Whether the look was bright or deep, we
knew that Kodak’s latitude would support us,
even up to five stops underexposure, we knew
the details would be there. Kodak gave us the
eerie effect and consistency.
Vinnai Thandi Varuvaya
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