Chronicling the Mise-en-scene exercise

Mise-en-scene is the first exercise in which we have to work with a crew. After a lot of running around I managed to form one with D.Jeet as the cameraperson, NN as the sound designer and Aalayam as the editor. Didn't get a producer, but it's okay. Hmm.

In the exercise we are expected to take a shot, a long take. No cuts are allowed, that is. It should be less than two minutes in length. Going to be shot on 35mm film. I hadn't attended the workshop before the exercise so had no clue how to go about it. This is an attempt to chronicle the making of an exercise project.

I got a vague idea, a germ from the walk I took around Shalimar railway station on my way to Hyderabad. The idea can be put in a picture. This picture continues to be our inspiration throughout the production process. 

Photo: kunjila mascillamani henry

 

I mailed the picture to D.Jeet and NN and asked them for images and sounds which came to their mind when they looked at it. An interesting lot came as reply. From these we filtered the ones we thought we will use.
D.Jeet supplied me with some images which gave rise to certain others. 

Photo: Debojeet Ray

Photo: Debojeet Ray

From these we further decided on the flow of action. Incorporated a taxi driver resting in his car, some children playing, some passers by, a tea shop owner sleeping and a woman who throws water to cool the ground. More sound elements were decided upon. Like the song the taxi driver is listening to etc.

On social networking sites I asked people for their thoughts on seeing the original image. It was interesting that one person came up with the exact shot order and angles we had decided. Its then that I decided to incorporate a child trying to steal some money out of the tea shop owner's lungi fold. I thought if one person came up with exactly so much, everyone would eventually do just that. Which meant I needed a separate element which is my own, in the narrative.

Wonder how it all turn out to look, eventually. Will soon get to see. Tense and restless as usual. 

Update: The exercise