Nowadays there is a media boom. Every alternate day, if you tune into your television you will not be surprised to find out a new news channel. Gone are the days of “Saas Bahu” family melodramas sagas which ruled our minds. It’s all about reality shows now. Such reality shows are giving young stars and strugglers a new platform to showcase there skills to masses all over the world.
The new technology and inventions in science have also let to creations films which are filled with mind blowing visual appeal and sound effects. Recently 3 dimensional movies like Avatar are one of the best examples which has been directed by James Cameron the veteran directors of movies like Terminator and Titanic. Right from the beginning actor/comedian/director and the founder of United Artist Charlie Chaplin have used many visual effects and techniques out of the box with their imaginative skills to make audiences laugh even though during his earlier times when the films didn’t have sound films were still made. Later on the sound came into being in the movies but still film makers like Charlie decided to make films in silent. When others started to make films with sound which was then been called “talking movies”.
Film making is not about having an expensive camera with film making degree and a big budget props and crew. The film making is an art of converting what you see around, to be converted into a vision, to be dreamed then to be conveyed the story to the masses.
Before making a film you should have a fire within you. You should first believe in your self in whatever you do. This applies in every field. If you are a sweeper you should have a mind set to be the best sweeper in world. The mantra is simple whatever you do believe in it. Don’t do what others do.Do what you like. Every individual has a unique talent you just need know it. Do not choose a career which is being enforced on you by others. Do what you like.
A recent phenomenon has been seen where many new college pass outs (10+2) are opting for new fields like film making as their career. Many new career opportunities have come in recent years like fashion designing, product designing, automobile designing, animation, journalism, bio mechanics, Nano-technology rather than traditional fields like doctors, lawyers, engineers, academics.
In these new fields too an individual is required to poses similar skill sets equivalent to traditional fields to succeed. So the work pressures are present here too. Talent and skills is just a small part of the hurdles. You also must have commercial “know how’s” to sell your ideas in the competitive market.
Many people have a misconception that this new careers are done by people who are poor in academics. But as the time passed many people are open to such new careers options. Yes it is a high paying salaried jobs but there are many hurdles and hardships which everyone has to face in their early careers. Now if someone when asks a media person “What do you do for a living?” the individual assumedly may reply “I am working in a media house” first thing the person who asked the question will reply by saying “Oh! Animation” without having the knowledge that there are different fields in media houses which could be video or sound editing, event management managers, creative writers who writes scripts for a ad films known as the “copy writers”, graphics designers, 3 D modelers or animators, Art directors for production (D.O.P- Director of Production), the cinetographers (Camera person) even web designers who design web pages and many such professions yet to be discovered which is still unknown to many.
Even the photographs that you click can lead you to jobs be it fashion photography for clothing line or you could be a photographer for movie banner and ads which could give you fame and steady income.
In today’s world there is also a boom in digital films shot from Digi-cams, Handy cams or even your hand held mobile phones in HD Film format which has apperception all around the world. Paranormal activity is an example of digital films. You may have heard about the films uploaded on you tube that has gone viral and films shot on mobile which is called Mobile film have won awards in film festivals and even earned millions.
There is too much demand for young professionals for films, ads, media houses of news channels, TV serials (Sit-coms) if you have the talent, skills and dream to do something big why not try film making course you may not be an actor but you will get the equal respect in the industry and feel the sense of achievement.
The audience may not recognize you. They may only recognize the actors, the directors and some extent the producers. But the only thing that matters is the final product. The audiences are lease bothered with your hard work and dedication goes on to the film making process. Just feel when someone criticizes a film like we all did to Aurang's "No Smoking” and RGV's Sholay remake "Aag". No filmmaker makes films to fail but just wonder what they feel when they fail. Whatever! The outcome may be. We should only remember that old success mantra “Failures is the Pillar of Success”. Talking about failures a question arises in my mind. How many names do you know of spot boys who take care of celebrities tantrums, bring water, hold there umbrella in the hot sun. Answer to the question is none. Yes! I know one of you knows the answer. But you must be from a production unit or you are a star. Good for you. But the truth is none of the junior actor’s, spot boys, drivers, technicians and others are house hold names. But still they are the back bone of a film industry.
Please do read my articles which I wrote for my college magazine.
Utsab Bandopadhyay © 2010
Utsab Bandopadhyay © 2010
