For a moment of clarity

I was in a car, on my way to the railway station, getting a lift to get out of Ahmedabad. My train was two hours away. We planned to have dinner in Swati, let the brat ride a small car or play a video game, maybe a coffee, and then the station.

So we were in no hurry. And my eyes were wide open.

Nirali was explaining to Pavan why he should sit on the backseat, when I saw a man raising a big bamboo to hit a woman sitting on the roadside.

I closed my eyes.

'What the hell is that man doing?' Nirali asked.

'Oh, thank God, he is just threatening to hit her.' I said, when I saw the bamboo still in midair.

'Can we do something?' Nirali asked.

'Stop the car. I will get out.'

'Be careful.'

A sparse crowd was beginning to gather. The man, who I later learnt was a guard at a building nearby, was hurling obscenities at the woman, waving his stick in the air. The woman was in rags, and matted hair, holding a plastic bottle to her mouth and looking back at the man. Although she seemed to be almost cowering, she did not look scared.

I was behind the man. I gently touched his shoulder, and got him to lower his stick.

'She is completely mad!' he kept repeating. I nodded.
'She throws stones at people. She threw a stone at me. On my back! For no reason! She threw stones at that auto rickshaw! Ask him. She is completely mad!'

I looked at the lady in question. She had a semicircle of stones near her feet.

I assured him that we will get rid of her, got him to leave the scene, and told the crowd to get lost.

Then I sat near the woman on a bench and called Nirali.

'Do you know any institution that would take her in?' I asked her.

'I think I do. Meanwhile, why don't you get her something to eat? She might be hungry.'

I went to a shop next door and bought some dhoklas and a bottle of water. But to give them to her, I would have to risk those stones.

The semicircle of stones had closed to form a circle. That must be a good sign, I thought, and sat next to her to offer her the food.

Huge black eyes looked me over with suspicion. Then she took a bougainvillea flower, put it in a small plastic glass and put it in front of me. I took the glass and said cheers.

And then she attacked the food. Boy, was she hungry. No wonder she was throwing stones. I stood up and saw my friend smiling at us.

'I have called someone who knows someone who will come,' said Nirali.

'Cool. Where is Pavan?' I asked.

'I have locked him in the car. You better go and sit with him. I will wait here.'

'Ai, what is in the glass?' the brat asked me as I opened the car door.

'This is a bougainvillea flower.' I told him.

'Who gave it to you?'

'A moment of clarity gave it to me.'

'I see.'

Digital Documentary Workshop

DIGITAL VIDEO DOCUMENTARY WORKSHOP

Objective

These days, online audio visual communications is the name of the game. Video equipment has become easy to use, and a lot of people are making amateur videos. This is a very healthy step towards self–expression, and autonomy.

However, there is a clear scope for improvement in the quality and clarity of the medium.
The objective of this workshop is a practical, hands on experience that enables a thorough learning of the step by step process of making a five minute video documentary.

This workshop will enable the students to conceive, script, shoot, edit and upload their own video films.

Benefits for Corporates and NGO's : Corporate communications mostly rely on PPP's and still photographs for their presentations. Or, they hire filmmakers to make video films to raise funds, to showcase a project, etc. Why not make your own films? It will be cost effective, and the time spent in dealing with a filmmaker will be saved. This is a unique opportunity for companies to upgrade their talented employees' skills by enrolling them in this workshop.

Course Content

1. Script writing

This includes observation trip, discussion, and writing the audio visual script of a five minute film. Idea and concept development, story boarding, paper planning.

2. Cinematography

Camera operations, basics of film grammar. This will include the main aspects of shooting a five minute video with a mini DV ( Digital video camera).

3. Editing

Elements of Editing will be taught, with the practical inputs of Non-linear Editing software like Adobe Premier Pro, a professional editing software. Each student will get hands on experience of editing the material which they have shot.

4.Launch your documentary on the Internet.

Students will learn about web friendly formats and the short video films will be uploaded on your website, blog or You-tube. Strategies and plans to become popular over the net as a documentary filmmaker will be discussed.

Schedule

We have two batches, one is a four weeks batch, which starts on 10th March and ends on 4th April. In this batch, the class timings will be 2 pm o 4 pm, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

The total fees for this batch will be Rs. four thousand only.

The weekend batch, which is specially designed for working people and students, will be on 15th (Saturday), 16th (Sunday), 22nd (Saturday), and 23rd (Sunday) of March. The timings will be 2pm to 6pm on Saturdays and 10am to 2 pm on Sundays.

The total fees for the weekend batch will be Rs. three thousand only.

For registration, please contact Manjushree on 9898872862.

The classes will be held near Judges Bungalows, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad.

Course Structure

The objective of this workshop would be to use a real and happening event, or a place, as a subject for making a documentary film of five minutes duration. The students will get hands on experience of shooting, and they will actively participate in each stage of the editing.

STAGE 1

Concept, Research, Script writing and Story board. ( 4 into 2 hr. sessions )

By popular consensus, the class will arrive at a topic for research (for ex., child labor in the city). Then we shall go for an observation trip, to research and contact the possible subjects.

A detailed discussion of all that was seen and heard will set the tone for the shooting script. The points that are noted will be structured to form a shooting script. This will be a preparation to get into the mindset of shooting.

We shall also see some good documentary films and discuss them from a professional angle.

STAGE 2

Using a digital video camera and shooting. ( six into 2hr sessions ) *

The next step is learning how to use a digital video camera, how to record both sound and picture in a non-controlled environment.
We shall also discuss the rules of composition while framing for an interview, how to use the available light, some basic terms like mid shot, long shot etc.
The most used camera movements, like pan, tilt, zoom in will also be introduced. They will learn how to conduct interviews, with / without a tripod.

The students will then plan and shoot. Everyone will get a chance to operate the camera.

STAGE 3

Editing. (six into 2 hr sessions.)*

The principles of Non-linear Editing will be taught, with the help of clips from various films. Students will be introduced to an easy to use, professional Editing Software, Adobe Premier pro 2.0.

Capturing and watching the rushes, selecting the ok shots (sorting), and re-thinking of the structure of the edit. After this, we fine cut the film. Every student will learn the basic operations of the editing software. The theoretical aspects of Editing will be taught in conjunction with their practical application. When the film is done, we will convert the video to a web friendly format and upload it on You Tube.

A discussion on how to launch yourself as a documentary filmmaker on the net will end the one month workshop.

If students have their own cameras, or computers, they are welcome to bring them so that they can learn how to use their own equipment. However, it is not mandatory to bring your own equipment.

*( Whenever more time is required, for example in shooting, it can be planned on a weekend. Editing may also spill over.)

Teacher’s profiles

Manjushree Abhinav

I am an alumnus of FTII, (Film and Television Institute of India, Pune) and I have fifteen years of experience as a documentary filmmaker and Teacher.

I have made several documentary films for NGO’s in Ahmadabad and Delhi. I have taught at NID (National Institute of Design, Ahmadabad) and at FTII.

To view one of my documentary films, click here.

Manjushree.abhinav@gmail.com, Blog : www.Baktoo.blogspot.com

Mehul Upadhyay

I am an Electronics Engineer. I have been exploring digital filmmkaing for last four years.I am holding position as Director (strategy & planning) for FTFM to spread visual literacy across the globe.

I have conducted successful Digital film making workshops at premier education institutes of India like IIM-Ahmadabad,IIT-Bombay, IIT-Delhi, IIT-Roorkee, BITs Pilani and other institutes. Recently I have conducted Advance level Digital film making workshop at IIT-Bombay which contains special effects stuff,advance camera movements and advance lighting.

Skills : Photography, sketching, editing, cinematography, direction, concept development, acting, all aspects of Digital Film making, poetry, cross platform sharing of multimedia softwares, online teaching.

Fields of Interest : dance, music, Interaction design, Web applications.

Bar Camp Ahmedabad

How many are attending a barcamp for the first time?

All but two raise their hands. I don't raise my hands because I am holding this laptop.

This is a live blog on the Bar Camp, Ahmedabad.

So what is a Bar Camp?

An unconference, a treat for entrepreneurs, a place for youngsters on the brink of life, of start ups. A non-organized affair. Depending on the mood of the city , the venue, people walk in and write their name on the board outside, in the slot and someone else can come and rub it out.

Most of these participants are students, ripe and receptive for exchanging knowledge.
There are three rooms, this is happening in IIM, Ahmedabad, new building, on a crisp Saturday morning on 19th January.

The speakers are impromptu ( its an unconference, you see), but some have planned ppts.

You can be informal, you can boo out a speaker, you can walk in and out. Lets see how much fun we have .

The first talk is by Sanjay Banerjee . He talks on the mindset of entrepreneurs. He talks of dreaming big and commercialising your hobby, and leadership skills.

Second talk, by Ankur Shukla is a success story, from a small city Jabalpur. He mentioned a large figure, something close to eighty thousand hits on his websites, KoolKampus.com, Kyapoocha.com, KoolKareers.com , all being run by his company Kudos Infomedia

End of first post.


SESSION TWO:

I have moved to another classroom, a pretty lady (dressed in a saree) is going to talk of something no-technical, she said.

Her name is Vinita Shetty, the topic is mobile Governance (whatever that means).

Before she begins, we have Ruchit talking, about how he is going to change the mobile interface within a couple of years. He passes around his cell, showing people how it is already possible to access not just internet, also laptops, other mobiles cameras, from his server.

You can check him out at http://www.ruchit.mymobilesite.net/ Type in ruchit , and the password is samsung123.

Now for the pretty lady, the mGov.

People carry mobile phones, not laptops. (True.)

So people should govern themselves, through the mobile phone. Citizen to Government information flow, is what she is proposing. Make hell for the Govt, call them for every and any problem you have. A police complaint? You need not go there, sign up, just call them and the complaint will be registered.

A fresh new approach to democracy, where public private people (ppp) rule, hierarchy diminishes, voices can be heard.

The common man with a cell phone is empowered, protected, connected.

This was Vinita Shetty, talking of mGov. You can get more on metrobhoomi.com.

Lunch break!

Session three begins:

This is about motivational marketing.

The speaker, Sashi starts with a song, Na todo dil mera, a song I have never heard in my life.

He is gonna tell us about a tool to market. Make it easy for people to buy. That is marketing. Motivation is the fuel that makes a business run, or a person buy from you.

Motivational marketing: Be responsible to your customer if you want him to come back to you.

People buy, act on emotion and later, justify with logic. So emotion is the boss. Take aim at your customer's emotions.

How does a person benefit from your product? Directly and indirectly. Use emotional stimulators.

• Fear. Insurance policies are based on fear of death.

• Love. Connection. A personal touch. Children. Grandparents. Family.

• Sex. A woman's magazine like Cosmopolitan sports a sexy lady on the cover. It gets the men for obvious reasons, and the woman drool to find out how they should be looking to get attention.

• Money / Saving money. Most sales pull crowds on this emotional motivator.

You will find more on www.motivationalmarketing.com.

I need a break, see you next session!

Next talk. Sunayana, a student of NIT Surat Engennering, presents an interesting design for the web.

She is talking about Exploring Online Credibility, on websites like Wikipidia.

How to help people judge the credibility of information on Wikipedia. Any person can go make whatever contribution, factual, imaginary to the contents of the Wikipedia. For example, the Gujarat page carries many factual errors of the earthquake. This misinformation has survived there since many months.

Author credibility , reference credibility, endurance credibility can be the different sections depending on which, you arrive at an average credibility rating. This is mentioned in a small, separate area of the page. And this credibility rating will help in knowing how correct the information could be.

This is her online presentation. www.cs.cmu.edu/ourcs/presentations/ExploringOnlineCredibility

Now it is mykavita. Write your own poem.

Rakshit is getting ragged, or so it seems. Finally, he gets the point through. All of these internet websites like orkut, facebook, etc, communicate short messages, but these ain't serous writers, no sir. However, serous writers, meaning original, long time writers write blogs. They blog their thoughts, their poems, etc. However, there is no copy write on blog. Creative commons a is big confusion.

Your poems can get stolen from you, they can use them for commercial purpose like Fanna (a blockbuster hindi movie). And if that happens, can creative commons do anything?

In an unconference, this can also happen.

Sorry, I have lost count of the sessions. Now I am back in classroom 1, for Tapan Shah's attempt to demystify Facebook applications.

History of Facebook, is that it originated in Harvard, then opened to other universities, high schools, and now it is open to all.

The twenty four year old who mothered it is now a billionaire.

What is the one thing that draws crowds in a social network? Asks Tapan. Gossip, he answers. What are your freinds doing, who are they talking to? Basically time pass.

He gives something like a tutorial (that mostly bounced off my head) on Anatomy of Applications.

'Where did you get this from?' I ask him.

'I stole it,' said the hacker.

'So do you have it saved up somewhere online?'

Here : http://developer.facebook.com/

Feedback session :

More participation needed, be more vocal on mailing lists, no registration please, its dynamic, ideally, in a barcamp , there are no power point presentations. A ppt comes between the speaker and the participant. It creates a formal wall. It was fun. I am happy I came. The best part was that you can move out whenever you get bored.

What is a Bar camp? Where is the bar? Is there a bar?

And India won too. Claps claps claps.