Workshop re-explores traditional filmmaking through 16mm and Super 8 camera

As the industry now sees a revival in traditional filmmaking, Akshay Singh will clue participants in on the nuances of shooting on film at a workshop co-organised by Kodak

Karan Talwar

"It never comes out as it looks on screen. It's a lot of mental mathematics and magic with camera exposure, lighting and other variables because everything looks good on the monitor," says Akshay Singh, a cinematographer who has been working with film for over 10 years, and the person behind the lens for the critically acclaimed movie, Lipstick Under My Burkha. As the industry now sees a revival in traditional filmmaking, Singh will clue participants in on the nuances of shooting on film at a workshop co-organised by Kodak.

Akshay Singh

"A few years back, Kodak had shut down all its film processing labs across the world. But it has decided to re-enter the industry now, looking at the growing interest," says Karan Talwar, curator of the workshop and co-founder of Harkat Studios, a performance and theatre arts collective. Despite the technical difficulties involved, Harkat has made liberal use of film in its works, Talwar tells us. The workshop will also feature Super 8, a modern comeback of Kodak's iconic film camera that became a go-to for shooting home videos in the yesteryears. Along with a theory session about handling and usage of film, the workshop will provide a hands-on experience with 16mm film gauge and Super 8, as participants shoot a movie with the help of available actors, props, lighting and background provided by the studio.

Singh believes that shooting on film is for serious filmmakers. "You can't create a hundred takes and develop all of them. A four-minute- 6mm gauge may cost over '10,000. You need people to load the film and to note down usable takes. When you have to think about why you're shooting a scene, that kind of discipline gives a central balance to your movie," explains Talwar about looking at film as an artistic medium. The workshop will also be facilitated by Holger Schwaerzel, worldwide product manager for Super 8.

On: April 1, 11 am to 3 pm
At: Ministry of New, Kitab Mahal, Fort
Email: [email protected]/ harkat.in for registrations

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