FilmCamp.TV News

Times of India on the 1-on-1 workshop

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:22:02 +0530

Below is the copy of the article on FilmCamp’s 1:1 Filmmaking Workshop by Anjali Muthanna in the Bangalore Times. Click the article to view in larger size.

Our New Studio by Lal Bagh

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:41:47 +0530

Happy New Year and Hurrah! We’ve opened our studio in 2nd Block Jayanagar.

FilmCamp enters a new phase with the establishment of this studio. Before, we were filmmakers who made short films in a park and edited out of a van. Some found us merely adventures, others amusing. After all, common notion is that films can be made only in studios with high-end equipment, huge financial and artistic resources. But fact remains that films made at 1:1 Filmmaking Workshops were made for a few hundred rupees by people who had never made films before in their lives. We operated a whole year like that, traveling to 5 cities conducting 23 worskhops to date.

As we embark on more challenging projects for television and feature filmmaking in 2009, it has come time to set up our own space. Hence the studio with a screening room and three editing suites.

But that is not to think that we have forgotten our roots as an outdoors and nomadic company. We still do our 1-day workshops in Lal Bagh, my favorite place in Bangalore. Parts of our presentations and bigger screenings are done on our terrace. So we are still, essentially, are what we call ourselves - FilmCamp.

Which brings us to our presentations. This is something I have been wanting to do for a while. Free presentations open to the public on some aspect of filmmaking or other.

So if you ever wondered how a film is put together, join us on a Saturday to learn something on filmmaking. Be it music for cinema, cinematography, acting for the camera or scriptwriting - we cover it all.

We don’t screen entire films but study aspects of filmmaking by watching snippets from various films and try to understand, in a technical sense, how they were accomplished. Then we present how we implement the same in the movies made at FilmCamp.

For the presentation on acting for the camera, we studied Al Pacino. We watched scenes from three of his film - The Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico. Here is a versatile actor playing three very different roles. How does he do it? Stepping through scenes, frame by frame with the script at hand can be revelation.

For scriptwriting, we picked Robert Towne’s Chinatown. How does a writer research a script and get into the minds of characters as they are penned on paper. What kind of visual language does the script writer use to evoke images that bring a film to life. And how does it come alive. Our exercise was to read sections of the Chinatown script and watch the very same on screen to see how the written word by a writer is interpreted by the various technicians and artists who came together to make a movie that won 4 Academy Awards in 1974.

By far our, most popular presentations are the technical ones on shooting and editing. We take a section of a script that is story-boarded. We shoot it on our terrace and bring it down to edit. In two hours, you know how a film is put together, at least at FilmCamp. Filmmaking isn’t rocket science folks!

Born Free Art School Workshop

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 09:09:56 +0530

When FilmCamp.TV was formed, I always envisioned the teaching of filmmaking being available to all, including the under-privileged in our society. The goal was to destroy the myth that filmmaking was beyond the reach of the common man, that it was available only to those who could afford to throw a few crores. That fallacy has gripped India for some time now owing to the lack of information and education on filmmaking.

In February this year, we had done a workshop for the blind at the Rakum School for the Blind where 30 blind students made 7 films. That was a great experience, not just for us, but our blind compatriots who were empowered to make cinema by writing, shooting and editing their stories. With that workshop, we broke new ground and made a point. Filmmaking ceased to be the bastion of only those endowed with vision. The blind too could 'see' the films they made.

Since then, I have been wanting to do similar workshops. The challenge was to network and establish contact with NGOs and schools that worked with the under-privileged. So when the Times of India launched its Teach India initiative, I jumped on it.

The organizational logistics is taken care of by the Teach India portal. Their database brings volunteer teachers and students together based on need, availability, and location in the city. The end result - a healthy exchange of knowledge between volunteer of all age groups and skill sets and under-privileged children who use a mentor or hand with academia.

Teach India hooked me with up with the Born Free Art School and John Devaraj - filmmaker, activist for child rights, a teacher and lover of children. John understood what I was trying to do and was excited. He introduced me to 20 of his children and we began our first lesson on Saturday, August 31st.

Children at Born Free are truly free. I can see that in their attitude towards learning. There is a gay abandon in their spirit, the absence of fear in voicing their opinions and a willingness to explore with a perceptive eye. I get a sense of being among keen observers of life. They include me into their gathering with John Devaraj launching into a Spanish song of welcome.

As always, the initial reaction to making short films is skepticism. Can one say a story in a minute? John and I steer them to the example of advertisements on television. They are all short films with a story - a beginning, a middle and an end. Somewhere in that 20-second ad film is a product, a panacea, to all the problems of the world that 'they' want you to buy.

The children come bubbling forth, talking about a cosmetic ad that promises fairer complexion through the story of a girl who 'yearns' to be beautiful. The plethora of advertisements on junk food and drinks, some demonstrably unsafe for human consumption come streaming out. So if advertisements can be as compelling as to motivate one to buy a product that is, by common reasoning, harmful to one, a short film can be a gripping story that leaves a lasting imprint on a viewer. Perhaps that viewer may be so moved as to feel compelled to act on it becoming instruments of change. Such is the power of the moving image.

Children of Born Free were, in a past life, street working children or freed bonded labor children. So their stories reflect the strife to be free. Stories of children fleeing oppression, violence and street stories of prostitution are the stuff they are made of.

Jayaram has a moving story of a thief fleeing the police and depicting the lives of young criminal offenders as victims of their circumstance. Joanita wants to do a film about a prostitute and Frieda one about eunuchs and their tribulations against prejudice. The challenge is to say that effectively in a few minutes.

I begin by screening films made at FilmCamp.TV workshops. We look at it from the point of script, acting, storyboard, camera and sound - all the elements of cinema that come together to create a symphonic world of moving images. Their powers of observation are very keen because after a preliminary explanation of one film, all I have to do is listen. They excitedly and expertly, dissect all films observing the camera, its placement, the acting, the sound and importantly freely express their emotional connection with the characters.

I explain that all films begin with a script. A film made without a clearly conceived script is like hoping to win the lottery against insurmountable odds. Next stop for the Bornfree - treatments and scripts.

FilmCamp.TV Academy at Alliance Francaise

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:38:56 +0530

The FilmCamp.TV Academy has found a home - Alliance Francaise, Bangalore. Going forward, FilmCamp.TVs 1:1 Filmmaking Workshop, Junior FilmCamp and all Academy Courses will be conducted at Alliance Francaise’s premises. Interested people can pick up a brochure on courses and register at Alliance Francaise in Vasant Nagar.

Junior FilmCamp, an after-school workshop for children 9-16 years old will begin Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 at Alliance. This is a 4-week course where children will write, direct, enact, shoot and edit film. Classes will be twice a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM. This is a hands-on workshop which comprises 20 hrs of shooting and instruction. For more information on this unique workshop for children, click here.

On Monday September 15th, we launch The Rookie, a 8-week filmmaking course for beginners to filmmaking. This is an intensive hands-on course for working adults and full-time students who are considering filmmaking as a career. The Academy Courses are held early mornings, 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM, with mandatory film-shootings on weekends.

Unique features of Academy Courses:

‣ Small classroom size (8 students max)
‣ Short-duration, intensive, hands-on courses
‣ Each and every student makes a film
‣ Each student writes, shoots and edits his/her film
‣ Instruction is interactive and personal
‣ All theory is followed by practicals
‣ Students trained to handle all equipment themselves
‣ Student use equipment themselves while making their films
‣ DVD demo reel and certificate on completion
‣ Students offered grants to make their next films

Our ever popular 1:1 Filmmaking Workshop will also be conducted at the Alliance Francaise premises going forward. The next workshop is scheduled for Sunday, September 21.

For more information on the courses and dates, call Sanjay Nambiar: 097415 96739

Sanjay Nambiar interviewed by The Hindu

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:25:30 +0530

Below is an interview of Sanjay Nambiar by Shilpa Sebastian Romeles, Senior Sub-Editor of The Hindu. The interview was a column that featured those who ‘choose to veer off the beaten track’.

FilmCamp.TV & New Indian Cinema

Thu, 6 Mar 2008 11:16:15 +0530

Since we have been in business (a whole 4 months), we have come to be known as a film teaching institution. Our 1:1 workshops bear testimony to our success. We are holding our 14th in Bangalore.

However, in addition to the teaching, we have also touted ourselves as being producers of new Indian cinema. But our productions in that sphere have been meagre, to say the least. Well we are about to set that record straight. In the next few weeks, we launch into making episodic shorts to define our take on new Indian cinema.

Our stories will cover a variety of genres from action and drama to comedy, romance and friendship. While we can't divulge any more about the stories themselves, we can promise they will be different from anything that you are used to watching on television or on Bollywood screens.

They will be different in their very foundations i.e. their script will be rooted in realism and portray life as we know it and not as in some fantasy. They will be shot on high-definition in a free flowing camera style giving you a perception of life that is rare in India. And they will be edited and fast paced to offer you a new perspective in under 3 minutes. All mixed in with original sound and music.

Hold on to you seats folks. FilmCamp.TV is about to treat you to the new deal! New Indian Cinema.

Films by the Blind See Light

Thu, 6 Mar 2008 11:00:55 +0530

March 2nd was a momentous day at The Sri Rakum School for the Blind. They were celebrating their 10th anniversary. For FilmCamp.TV, it was a landmark in achievement. We screened 7 films written, shot, directed and edited entirely by our blind brothers and sisters.

Our journey together began one evening, 7th January, 2008. It began with a conversation we had with Acharya Rakum, the director of the school, about the possibility of conducting our filmmaking workshop for his students. We didn't know what to expect. Our initial motivation towards doing the workshop was purely academic. We had a point to prove. And that was - anybody can be taught to make a film - even the blind.

Rakum introduced us to his 'children' who could barely contain their excitement mixed with apprehension. There were doubts in their minds. "Could we really do it?" they thought. "And why only a 1 minute film? Why not 10 minutes?" Over the next few weeks, we introduced them to short film making. We also invited them to a screening at the Bengalooru Int. Film Festival (BIFFES). Sitting through 20 short films had a profound effect on them. One could tell a story in 10 minutes.

Coming to God's own country In March '08

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:35:23 +0530

Hyderabad was FilmCamp.TV’s 4th City and 3rd State (Andhra Pradesh). All this in a mere 4 months! Over 170 students participated in 12 filmmaking workshops thus far. In all, FilmCamp.TV has produced 42 short films. Phenomenal growth for a 4 member team handling the teaching, producing and distribution of new Indian cinema.

Now we are headed to conquer the last bastion in South India which has a rich culture and bountiful nature. The backwaters in this place flow seamlessly into the oceans and time just appears to stand still.

Yes, FilmCamp.TV is coming to God’s own country this 30th March ‘08! We are having a filmmaking workshops in Kerala -Trivandrum. Kerala being the hub of alternative Indian cinema, we are looking forward to active participation from young filmmakers who want to create new Indian cinema.

Hyderabad introduced to new Indian Cinema

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:38:31 +0530

FilmCamp.TV is about taking filmmaking where none have taken it before. Hyderabad is a new horizon for FilmCamp.TV. The irony with the city is that it is a home to a huge filmmaking industry in Telugu and yet, does not boast a film teaching institution. No better place to hold a 1:1 Filmmaking workshop and what a success!

The workshop had 19 enthusiastic filmmakers who made 4 films. Clearly the FilmCamp.TV style of filmmaking was a revelation to Hyderabadis. Our attention to detail in the script, the pressure to complete the shoot before sun-down and editing films in a parking lot was all new to them. But they have 4 good films to show. Watch out for them on FilmCamp,TV in the upcoming weeks.

The workshop was held at Indira Park in old Hyderabad. Our participants were a range of good people - youngsters in their late teens to teachers in their mid-fifties, from social workers to techies. This just derives a fact FilmCamp.TV has been trying to prove through the 1:1 Filmmaking workshop - Anybody can learn to make a film. No special skills or prerequisite knowledge required. Just the desire to tell a story.

We also had a great drive to Hyderabad from Bangalore. We went in the FilmCamp Cruizer, as always. It was a 12hr-drive, not too grueling. Its really the drive within the city that is chaotic. And we have proof of it. An auto-driver ‘lovingly’ scratched the Cruizers’ side while changing lanes. Not that the auto-driver had any concept of lanes. He just got caught up in the mad rush to get ahead - typical of where all of India seems to be heading.

We also visited the famed Charminar and Golconda Fort in Hyderabad. Beautiful architecture and planning reflecting a mindset and way of life 500 years ago. Check out pictures of our visit here.

Sanjay Nambiar Talks About FilmCamp.TV

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 16:30:09 +0530

Sanjay Nambiar of FilmCamp.TV was interviewed on Radio Indigo 91.9 Bangalore as part of their Friday morning program ‘Unsung Heroes’.

Whether Sanjay actually considered himself an unsung hero is a different matter. But FilmCamp.TV is beginning to get in the news for doing good work it sincerely believes in.

We have plans. Form an academy, produce our own content that is like no other in India and find a place where filmmaker can meet and sell direct to his audience. Well, in short, be on the frontier of new Indian cinema.

FilmCamp.TV Productions: Actors wanted

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 14:47:13 +0530

FilmCamp.TV is going to produce a series of episodic short films in the next few months. We are looking for trained actors and actresses to fill several key-roles for these films. So if you are an actor and keen on ‘collaborating’ with some very innovative filmmakers to portray interesting non-stereotypical characters, FilmCamp.TV productions is the place for you.

Some salient facts about us:

• Our productions are very strongly script-based.
• We write our own material drawing from everyday Indian life.
• Our characters speak multiple languages and represent varied Indian ethnicities.
• Our films are firmly rooted in realism. Acting performances must reflect that .
• We are also innovators and encourage actors to bring their talent and interpretation to their roles.
• We are very good listeners, especially when it comes to actors.
• We do rehearse and shoot synch-sound. Preparation is not an option.
• Our films are 2-3 minutes long and shot in a day.
• We shoot on High Definition (HD) video for both online and offline distribution/screening.
• We are very professional at work and expect the same from you.
• We do pay our actors for their talent and commitment to our projects.

Whom are we looking for?

• Talented actors with experience in theatre and film.
• Ages 15-65.
• Actors who know more than one Indian language.
• Actors who like to explore non-stereotypical roles not represented on television or cinema.
• If we don’t have a role for you but like your talent, we might build a character or story around you.

What you will do at the audition?

• Submit your resume covering your acting experience, language spoken and artistic interests.
• Enact a small part from a role you have played before.
• Enact a small part from our scripts we plan to make.
• We will shoot your acts as screen tests.

Register: Email us to tell us your coming to the audition: casting@filmcamp.tv or call Sanjay: 96118 12121

Blind Students at Rakum Begin Cutting

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:33:24 +0530

The edit of their films have begun. Now is when the fruit of their effort becomes clear to them. To explain to a blind person that a film edit comprises of shots of the same incident but from different camera positions is challenge. Why don't we just use one establishing shot that contains all the action and dialogue? We could, but then there wouldn't be much difference between us and Bollywood.

The beauty of the camera is that it can go places and offer us different perspectives of the same happening. For the Rakum students it was a revelation to see a sequence of movements, actions and dialogue being pieced together from different camera positions and angles. Our goal was not to get the blind to understand how video editing software worked, but to illustrate how a film is created a third time during the edit.

While they could not initially 'see' how this worked, we explained how every shot had an 'in' point and an 'out' point during the edit. Using the analogy of the foot ruler with 12 inches, we asked them to imagine they wanted to use footage from the 4th inch and onward, leaving out the 'action' call. So they set the 'in' point at the 4th. If they liked everything up to the 9th inch, they set the 'out' point there. The software took care of hiding the rest.

Next came the question, why should we use the 4th inch and up to the 9th inch? Well, that's the filmmaker's choice. If they want to show a character talking animatedly up to a certain point in the conversation and cut to a reaction of a listener at that point in the dialogue, they could. Its what gives a viewer different perspectives of the same incident and connects them to all the characters as the incident unfolds.

That 's the beauty of the edit. The filmmaker decides (if he or she can edit) what goes in the film, who the story is about and how to get the supporting characters, and visual elements to portray the story they envision. All this can truly be controlled during the edit. And nobody got that better than the Rakum kids. They had written their stories, knew the characters very well, had memorized each characters lines and understood when to cut and to whom to convey their story best.

Editing is on-going. Four more films to cut. Stay tuned. More in February when we finish the edit and begin setting music.

7 Films Made. 30 Dreams Come True.

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:18:06 +0530

The Rakum blind students have done it again! They have completed the shooting of 7 short films in two days. Note the pride on their faces. And they have every reason to feel so. They have done what even most people with vision can't do. Make a film - end to end.

Our morning started at 9.30 a.m. A brief review of the camera, the nature of a shot, consultation of the story board, a shooting plan and we were ready to begin. All films were shot around the Rakum school premises. Classrooms were converted into doctors offices, dorms into bedrooms and the principal's office into businessman's office - all to suit the stories to be shot.

Each team loaded a tape into their camera, set-up the tripod. The partially sighted, framed the camera (with the help of an instructor). Great pains were taken to explain that a frame (in cinema) was different from the stage in theater. Using wooden frames, we explained, through touch and feel, how a subject or object was in the frame (or out of it). We would place these frames by the subjects' faces and let the blind feel how the frame only included a face for a close up. We had a bigger frame to 'feel' a medium shot (as being waist and above) and a much bigger frame to illustrate the long shot.

The blind got it. The spark of realization on their face was instant and memorable for us to watch. Just need to use imaginative tools to illustrate to them. Shooting was slower than it usually is for our sighted students. But we gave it time. Let each person on the team feel the frame, handle the camera and call out 'Action' and 'Cut'. They liked it. They liked being part of a world that was exclusive only to the sighted.

There were three teams that shot outdoors on the street. One film had a character endowed with sight, but played (naturally) by a blind student. What's more, this character drives a car. But that didn't deter us. We had the blind actor sit at the wheel, set the car to neutral gear, pushed the car from behind and showed the blind actor how to brake when required. He performed like clock work and we had a shot. The blind can drive if they have to.

What's next? They are going to edit their films next week. Then compose the music for their films and present them at their 10th Anniversary Celebrations.

Screening bash at Bengaluru Int’l Film Festival

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:41:00 +0530

We were at a small screening hall, Auditorium 3, 80-100 seats, at Vision Cinemas . But it was packed! And who packed it? Our students from the Sri Rakum School for the Blind. We zipped through 20 different stories in less than two hours!

The joy, the laughter, the gasps of fear and the sheer union of viewer and cinema was evident in that little cinema hall. It didn't matter that all couldn't 'see' the films. Those who could, would narrate to those less fortunate. But the understanding was instantaneous. The blind did 'see' films presented by FilmCamp.TV at the Bengaluru International Film Festival. And nothing gave us more happiness than to be facilitators of this rare and momentous happening.

For the Rakum students the screening was clearly a revelation into what could be said in 1-2 minutes. At the onset of the workshop, as they wrote their scripts, many were not truly convinced that a film could convey a story in that duration. That doubt exists no more. The day following the screening, as we continued our workshop, there was a flood of stories and scripts. Some groups had as many as three stories to offer! Making the choice of story, without hurting anybody's feelings, became the challenge.

Practical training has started too. Since these students will actually shoot their films, they must know the camera, how to operate it, mount it on a tripod and work as team. We demonstrate through touch and feel. The students would touch and hold different parts of the camera starting with the the lens, the viewfinder screen and the microphone. Where does the tape go? How is the image recorded? Students actually screwed on the camera's base plate, mounted the camera on a tripod, adjusted the tripod's height and did a rehearsal shoot of a scene from their script.

All our blind students have participated in drama and debates on stage. So there is this overwhelming perception that cinema and acting is like drama with all the action happing in one 'shot'. The realization that a film consists of shots knit together in story order is beginning to sink in. And by god what a revelation that is for the blind. The revelation that that the camera can go anywhere. A close-up can make an ant look like an elephant!

Excitement is building. Shooting is round the corner with at least three films to be made this weekend, January 13th. More to come...

Read The TImes of India article
Read The Deccan Herald article

For pictures, click here.

Filmmaking at Sri Rakum School for the Blind

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 17:41:57 +0530

We at FilmCamp.TV love a challenge. And when the challenge is one with no profit to be made, we like it even better. Our current challenge is fulfilling in more ways than one. We are doing a filmmaking workshop at the Sri Rakum School for the Blind.

Thirty students of the school, divided into six groups, are currently writing six short stories that they will make into films. The workshop is to be conducted over a week. The students will write the story, script it, visualize it in a storyboard and actually shoot their films with video cameras. The completed films are to be screened at the Rakum School’s Tenth Anniversary Celebration.
Our students are positively radiant about this workshop. Sheer joy for us to watch such a captive audience. “But what can we say in 1-2 minutes?” was the resonating concern. So we explained some of the stories made into films at previous workshops. Lamp Post Lottery and Trash Sense were some of the examples we narrated. Suddenly there were sparks in the air and sketches of touching stories began to emerge. Still a ways to go, but we have taken the first steps on a unique journey.
Our challenge is to get our students to experience filmmaking like the ‘sighted’ folks would. How does one explain a long shot versus a close-up? We are making frames to explain perspectives to our enthusiastic students. They would hold up frames to their bodies to understand what the frame would contain in a long shot versus a close-up. That should ring some bells.
We will be introducing the camera soon. They will hold and familiarize themselves with the buttons on it. Then will come the tripod - how to raise and lower it and use it with the camera.
As part of our workshop, FilmCamp.TV is exposing our new students to the world cinema. They will be joining us at our presentation and screening at the the Bengalooru International Film Festival where they will be introduced as future filmmakers to reckon with.
Oh this is going to be a way cool workshop! Subscribe to our news site for more updates.

FilmCamp.TV at Bangalore International Film Fest

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 17:41:54 +0530

As many as 110 films, many of them landmarks in world cinema from 41 countries, are screening at the 2nd Bengalooru International Film Festival (BIFFES) being held in Bangalore for a week from January 3rd, 2008.

Amidst this torrential exposition of world cinema, FilmCamp.TV is presenting its little rivulet of short films. Nothing profound or out of the ordinary about these films, especially in comparison with the masters from world over. There is one notable exception, however. FilmCamp.TV films are made by Indians who are first-time filmmakers. Each film is scripted, shot and edited - all in one day.
We at FilmCamp.TV are truly proud of our filmmakers. Who said that filmmaking has to be the exclusive bastion of a select endowed few? Filmmaking now lies within reach of the common man. Our FilmCampers and their films are testimony to this fact.

FilmCamp.TV will be showcasing 20 little films. We will also present our vision for the future of filmmaking using classical methods but embracing newer technologies. Learn about our future film production plans, community building measures and harnessing the internet to directly connect filmmaker and audience. Admission free!

The Director-Cinematographer Nexus

Thu, 3 Jan 2008 15:39:09 +0530

In filmmaking, the relationship between director and cinematographer has always been special. Besides sharing a common vision for the visual treatment of a film, there is also the question of faith and trust in one another’s craft required to bring the film to life from the script.

Great relationships have resulted in some great films. We have our very own Satyajit Ray-Subrato Mitra partnership (Apu Trilogy) as testimony to enduring filmmaking relationships as also the David Lean-Freddie Young partnership (Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago & Ryan’s Daughter).

Martin Scorsese began working with Michael Ballhaus in the production of The Color of Money in 1986. They were to work together again in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) and Good Fellas (1990) which earned Ballhaus an award

FilmCamp.TV at Mylapore Festival

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:16:52 +0530

FilmCamp.TV has been invited to conduct a workshop for the Mylapore Festival. That’s right. Along with Kolam contests, crafts, food fests and kutcheris in the park, you can also make a film. That’s the beauty of FIlmCamp.TV - no specific venue required, no complex equipment or personnel needed. Just the desire to make a film. You write the story, you shoot with cameras we provide and you edit with computers we bring with us. Watch out Mylapore! We are going to shake things up...
 The workshop will be held at Nageshwara Rao Park on January 5th, same time 8:30 am to round about the same pm. To register send an email to: direct@filmcamp.tv

Screening at CAVA, Mysore

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 11:28:59 +0530

FilmCamp Cruiser is headed down to Mysore this weekend. Our mission - conduct two workshops. One for students of Chamarajendra Academy for Visual Arts (CAVA) and another at the Kukkrahalli Lake for the general public.

FilmCamp.TV is headed for newer pastures. We’ve always believed that filmmaking should never be the domain of a select few in major metros. Mysore is our first foray into small-town filmmaking.

CAVA came as a natural venue being Karnataka’s most acclaimed hands-on fine arts academy. FilmCamp.TV gave a presentation of its films at and the 1:1 method at CAVA and were invited to do a workshop on December 29th.

On December 30th, we do another workshop in Mysore, open to the public. The good people at the Mysore Film Society are helping us organize this. And my what a venue!

FilmCamp.TV in Deccan Herald

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:15:57 +0530

Film workshop 
FilmCamp.TV is an organisation that focuses on teaching, producing and screening new Indian cinema. As part of the teaching initiative, FilmCamp.TV is conducting one-day workshops called “1:1 Filmmaking workshop.” At these workshops, complete novices organised in groups, make one-minute films. 
Participants collaboratively write a script, storyboard it, shoot it (using cameras provided) and edit their films (using Mac computers provided).  
The workshop is entirely hands-on for participants overseen by instructors at every stage of production. All films are completed in one day. Completed films are screened on www.filmcamp.tv website and also at offline screenings.  The workshop is intended as media empowerment for the common man. With the advent of digital filmmaking, the associated tools have become more easily accessible. FilmCamp.TV aims to use these tools to demystify the filmmaking process and make it available to the common man. FilmCamp.TV has successfully conducted four such workshops in Bangalore and Chennai.  FilmCamp.TV is organising two such events in Bangalore - a screening of films and a workshop. The screening will be on December 15 from 5.30 pm to 10.30 pm and workshop on December 16 from 8.30 am to 7.30 pm. For details visit www.filmcamp.tv or call 9243422797.

For original article please click here.

FilmCamp.TV in Chennai Metro Blogs

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:50:46 +0530

Hrish Thota and Co., the people behind FilmCamp.TV - a film academy in B'lore, are spreading the film making spirit to Chennai this December. 
On December 9th, 2007 (Sunday) they are organizing the first film-making workshop in Chennai. The one day workshop aims to provide a hands-on experience in film making, under the guidance of professionals. It covers every aspect of film making, from script writing, story boarding, shooting (with the cameras they provide) and editing with Final Cut Pro (on the Apple Mac that they provide at the venue). 
With professionals to help you at each stage of film making, this workshop will give you an undiluted insight into the world of film making. The event starts at 8:30 am in the morning and stretches till late in the evening, by when they promise to educate you to complete your first short film (one minute). 
This concept has been a roaring success in B'lore, where they have managed to get participants to finish 11 films in the past workshops held there. They also help you popularize your film, by launching it on their site.
All this, for just 1000 bucks. Trust me it is worth every rupee. When I made my first film, I had to go thro' a lot of pains, without people to guide me and learning small things the hard and costly way. But here you get all the knowledge in just a day for a mere sum of Rs. 1000. 
Also you will be put into a random 5 member team at the venue (the venue details will be mailed to you at the time of registration), which adds to the real life experience of many film makers. While making a film, you have to get in touch with many strangers and make them visualize what you have in mind, an art that any good director/script writer must possess. FilmCamp.TV gives you an opportunity to test that too. 
The registration process if fairly simple, just shoot them a mail at direct [at] filmcamp.tv and they will guide you.

For original article please click here.

Kiruba talks about FilmCamp.TV

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:17:53 +0530

FilmCamp Comes to Chennai : A Must for Podcasters & Amateur Filmmakers

For all you aspiring Video Podcasters and Short Film Enthusiasts, please thank your stars for FilmCamp is coming to Town.

FilmCamp is a two day event that's meant as a platform for independent film makers and podcasters to learn about the process of film making: Direction, Screenplay, Storyboarding, Shooting and Editing. This page has detailed information on the nitty gritties of what you can learn.

It's an awesome initiative and especially useful for struggling video podcasters like me. I've been toying with the idea of getting professional at video podcasting but constrained by many things. I've been longing for networking with fellow enthusiasts which prompted us to start the Tinker Meetups. Quite successful and should have seen more editions. FilmCamp is a far more advanced version of it. Take a look at all the press coverages.

The event is on 8th & 9th at Chennai. The exact venue hasn't been mentioned yet. For me, the dates clash with a travel plan and I'm grinding my teeth. I missed attending both KAMP & FilmCamp Bangalore for personal reasons and would hate to miss the Chennai edition. Should work out an alternative.

Check out www.FilmCamp.TV, especially the page about the founders and you'll know why it's really worth it.  For original blog entry please click here.

FilmCamp.TV in INDIA TODAY

Thu, 8 Nov 2007 11:45:26 +0530

Bangalore: FilmCamp.TV's 1:1 filmmaking workshop on November 25 at Lalbagh Gardens from 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. It is a one-day workshop where you can write, storyboard, shoot and edit a one-minute movie in just one day. Entry is limited to 25 participants only with a registration fee of Rs 1,000. The films will be showcased on FilmCamp.TV where they can be viewed by anyone. 
For original article please click here.

Sagaro talks about FilmCamp.TV

Sun, 4 Nov 2007 12:10:29 +0530

Hrish and co. at B’lore have taken Indie films to a new level. After BRTFF, FilmCamp et la, they have introduced FilmCamp.TV a place to nurture independent filmmakers. They have launched FilmCamp.tv with a bang event, organizing a film school for one day, where people will be making a one minute film, today.
The idea is pretty cool. You start in the morning, write a script with the help of pros, do the story boarding, shoot it with the camera they provide and edit it on the Apple Macs that are stationed at the venue. And all this for 1000 bucks. Dirt cheap, and worth every rupee for that first movie you make and the experience you get.
Apart from conducting such one day camps, they are also trying to unite all forms of indie fests in B’lore. Which is a brilliant thought, as it will lead to a good pool of members - the foundation for future.
Hrish told me they are gonna be coming to Chennai soon. Woot!
I should have blog posted this long time back, so that you guys could have taken part in the B’lore edition, but was way to busy with 03:11 PM.   For original blog entry please click here.