I am yet to see this movie, but somehow I am not too interested in it - perhaps I will rent it first. Thanks for the info though...

Now you will know if that one was pirated or not.

we seem to be having multiple threads on MX - any chance they can be merged, Mods ??.

Found something about digital cinema ( do we even have an independent film circle ?) . i think digital cinema is poised to catch on one day for more serious work....

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/05/28/stor ... 700300.htm


Signalling change

Cinematographer Siddharth on low-end digital technology in mainstream films



DIGITAL EXPERIMENTS From "Mumbai Xpress" (Below) Cinematographer Siddharth

His experiment `Mumbai Express' has paved the way for independent filmmakers.

"We just wanted to simplify the process of filmmaking," cinematographer Siddharth explains the reason behind using low-end digital technology to make a mainstream commercial film. "All a layman needs is two-and-a-half hours of entertainment," he adds.

It was Kamal Haasan's idea to test the potential of low-end digital cameras.

"The script demanded a certain kind of a look. The characters are not larger than life, so the script needed that particular look. We also wanted to experiment on the format. A lot of research went into pre-production. The idea wasn't to give a crisp, glossy film but to shoot on low-end to create a realistic look ... the idea was to give it a docu-drama feel," says Siddharth.

"We shot with a two-camera set-up, we used motion control cameras. Kamal sir has been the pioneer for a lot of technical experiments. So, this is what we wanted and this is what we have achieved."

Treading cautiously

"Mumbai Express" is only his second feature film after "Nala Damayanthi". "The credit goes to Moulee sir. I worked as an assistant cameraman in "Pammal K. Sambandam". I had gone back to work in Mumbai when I got a call from him."


The fact that he was new only made him that much more cautious. Siddharth put the online forums to best use and interacted with technicians around the world for months before he arrived at the `Dos and Don'ts' for shooting using digital technology.

"Our DV film had the biggest budget. It involved the number one star. So we were keen that there shouldn't be a disappointment among fans. We used all the elements one would find in a commercial film and used technology without disturbing the flow of the script," he says.

What medium does he prefer as a cinematographer?

"Digital has its own beauty. Film has its own. My basic training was on film. But when technology arrives, you should welcome it. It has its own pluses and minuses. There are a lot of independent filmmakers who don't have a budget. About 10-15 years ago, an independent filmmaker would not have been able to afford the resources. But today, the technology coming in has created more avenues."

Digital technology made it possible for the team to finish both the versions in 60 days. "Working with a small camera, the action parts were much easier to shoot. You can even take 40 takes and not worry about the cost. In the end, we had rushes of 40-50 hours, something we could have never done on film. That's another advantage of digital," says the Mumbai-based cinematographer.

SUDHISH KAMATH