“Pre-production is the most important thing when it comes to production. Be it projects, videos, working with clients, whatever it may be, the most important thing for production is pre-production,” said Siddharth Sampat, Cinematographer and Filmmaker, and head of Camera Department, HyperJump Productions at a session titled ‘Filmmaking - Phase 1: Pre-production’ held at the Film Stage.
“Even in terms of photography, everything should be pre-planned and done in pre-production,” agreed Zakhar Leshkov, an emerging Director and established BTS photographer.
Replying to a question on what is the usual flowchart for making a short film or a video project, Sampat said, “It starts with an idea for the project. Once the idea of a video is approved by the client, we then focus on characters, locations, actors, cameras, budgeting, etc. A lot of paperwork is involved for budgetary and location approvals, making sure the box is ticked, including catering on the set. Eventually, the project gets handed over to the director, who then takes charge on set.”
Talking about the production phase, at the continuing session ‘Filmmaking - Phase 2: Production’, Sampat noted that it was crucial for the director of photography (DoP) and director to be a strong team. “If you want the production to look good and go smoothly, the director and the DoP need to be best friends. If there's even a little bit of a clash between the DoP and the director, things can go wrong. One must always respect the hierarchy on set. The final say always lies with the director. This will always ensure that the production goes smoothly. We must understand that the director has a vision, and that vision matters more than the DOP’s vision. The DOP’s job is to capture and make the director's vision look good.”
Leshkov agreed and added, “Filmmaking and photography is the form of art on that day. And the greatest results come when everybody is enthusiastic about it.”
On scouting for good locations, the filmmakers emphasised the role of communication and reaching out. “The key is communication and networking. Speak to the people in your industry, speak to your friends, and you will find many people who will be happy to help. When you reach out, you'll be surprised how many people want to be a part of something interesting,” added Leshkov.
Speaking at the final talk of the filmmaking series titled ‘Filmmaking: Phase 3: Post Production’, Yusuf Ramzan, Head of Post Production Department, HyperJump Productions, shared his insights on choosing the right software. “Recently, we have shifted to DaVinci Resolve, which is the latest software in the industry, and we use it for all our production and post-production work. We chose this software because it is user-friendly. It allows us to collaborate with editors based in different locations. Moreover, this software has helped integrate various processes on one platform.”
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