I was not only a part of something that was developing in front of my eyes but also in a constant self-growth.
The first three semesters at SCMC have been a promising experience of self-development and discovery. I have always had a keen eye towards short films but never had I ever dreamt of assisting or being a part of one.
My journey began on the sets of our first 50-hour tome bracket film which included scripting, shooting and editing all within that time frame. For the first time, I was put on the editing board and soon realized what it was like, to be a sleepless film student. This incident became the spark to the fire that followed. In a mass communication college, you are required to be a constant observer and make stories out of your everyday life and the people around. I am grateful to have come across the ever exploring seniors who were open to new ideas. Soon, I found myself in the middle of a pre-production meeting for my first ever short film which was later sent to film festivals.
On the sets of ‘Qahr’, I discovered the various roles an Assistant Director plays, right from making the log sheet to keeping a tab on the equipment. Discovering potential in this media college comes to you only when you decide to step out of the norm. Overnight shifts and early morning shoots only increased my interest towards this art. This was followed by three consecutive shoots and the making of a commercial advertisement. I remember the precise moment when one of our films was being screened in class that I realized that the journey of a film does not end on the editing table but stays with you even when you are watching the final product and your story becomes immortal and goes beyond your lifetime.
During one of the shoots that took place at my house, I glanced at the crew who took naps in shifts when my dedicated director decided to use that time to keep the actors in their character. There are moments that make you stiff in the spine. Once, when I stood behind the camera, the actor looked right at me, in the eye in the middle of a serious shot. Every scene that is cut is a small clip of experience that you carry with yourself.
“Cinema is love in 24 Frames”
Now that I realize that it’s only been three semesters in this institute, I wonder how many more blank timelines and screening rooms wait for me. From understanding the importance of assortment of data to realizing that the true film is made behind the camera and behind the scenes, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
Article by: Manasi Boyatkar (Batch of 2019)
Photograph by: Snigdha Jain (Batch of 2019)
