A Never Ending Dream

I chanced upon this on Facebook (Thanks Aman Bhosle for sharing it).

Ang Lee: A Never-Ending Dream

“In 1978, as I applied to study film at the University of Illinois, my father vehemently objected. He quoted me a statistic: ‘Every year, 50,000 performers compete for 200 available roles on Broadway.’ Against his advice, I boarded a flight to the U.S. This strained our relationship. In the two decades following, we exchanged less than a hundred phrases in conversation.

Some years later, when I graduated film school, I came to comprehend my father’s concern. It was nearly unheard of for a Chinese newcomer to make it in the American film industry. Beginning in 1983, I struggled through six years of agonizing, hopeless uncertainty. Much of the time, I was helping film crews with their equipment or working as editor’s assistant, among other miscellaneous duties. My most painful experience involved shopping a screenplay at more than thirty different production companies, and being met with harsh rejection each time.

That year, I turned 30. There’s an old Chinese saying: ‘At 30, one stands firm.’ Yet, I couldn’t even support myself. What could I do? Keep waiting, or give up my movie-making dream? My wife gave me invaluable support.

My wife was my college classmate. She was a biology major, and after graduation, went to work for a small pharmaceutical research lab. Her income was terribly modest. At the time, we already had our elder son, Haan, to raise. To appease my own feelings of guilt, I took on all housework – cooking, cleaning, taking care of our son – in addition to reading, reviewing films and writing scripts. Every evening after preparing dinner, I would sit on the front steps with Haan, telling him stories as we waited for his mother – the heroic huntress – to come home with our sustenance (income).

This kind of life felt rather undignified for a man. At one point, my in-laws gave their daughter (my wife) a sum of money, intended as start-up capital for me to open a Chinese restaurant – hoping that a business would help support my family. But my wife refused the money. When I found out about this exchange, I stayed up several nights and finally decided: This dream of mine is not meant to be. I must face reality.

Afterward (and with a heavy heart), I enrolled in a computer course at a nearby community college. At a time when employment trumped all other considerations, it seemed that only a knowledge of computers could quickly make me employable. For the days that followed, I descended into malaise. My wife, noticing my unusual demeanor, discovered a schedule of classes tucked in my bag. She made no comment that night.

The next morning, right before she got in her car to head off to work, my wife turned back and – standing there on our front steps – said, ‘Ang, don’t forget your dream.’

And that dream of mine – drowned by demands of reality – came back to life. As my wife drove off, I took the class schedule out of my bag and slowly, deliberately tore it to pieces. And tossed it in the trash.

Sometime after, I obtained funding for my screenplay, and began to shoot my own films. And after that, a few of my films started to win international awards. Recalling earlier times, my wife confessed, ‘I’ve always believed that you only need one gift. Your gift is making films. There are so many people studying computers already, they don’t need an Ang Lee to do that. If you want that golden statue, you have to commit to the dream.’

And today, I’ve finally won that golden statue. I think my own perseverance and my wife’s immeasurable sacrifice have finally met their reward. And I am now more assured than ever before: I must continue making films.

You see, I have this never-ending dream.”

(Following Ang Lee’s second Best Directing win at the Academy Awards last night, this beautiful essay resurfaced. Here is my translation of Ang Lee’s words, written in 2006 (post-Oscar win). Please credit the translation to Irene Shih (and to this blog), thank you!)

The Artist

The Artist”- Reminded me of what Cinema is.

In the era of when a lot of movies are made reminding of Noise Pollution.
THE ARTIST IS A SILENT MOVIE.

In the era of DI, enhanced colour, added colour, pastels and dulls and brights and different colours for diferent moods and more colours for no mood.

THE ARTIST IS A BLACK & WHITE MOVIE.

In the era of animals used simply for the purpose of getting cuteness.

THE ARTIST HAS A DOG WITH A PURPOSE.

In the era of V shapes and muscles and size zeros and flat abs.

THE ARTIST HAS ACTORS WHO PERFORM.

In the era of Cinemascopes and widescreens and umpteen other formats.
THE ARTIST COMES IN SQUARE SCREEN.

In the era of Avataars and Special Effects. In the era where films are made on editing table and other post production gizmos…
HERE IS A FILM THAT HAD A STORY TO BE TOLD.

For all those Students of CInema who want to know what Film Making is about…
here is a film called “THE ARTIST”.

Not simply because it is a Silent FIlm made in Black and White that it is waiting to be appreciated. The Film takes you back to the school of Cinema. Get a Story that needs to be told. Believe in your vision (don’t go out there and create a vision simply to be different).

GO and watch “THE ARTIST”.

The film has humour, emotions, performance, cinematography, editing an above all belief of the Director… and all done stylishly. The Director teaches that in order to be stylized one need not simply have abrupt cuts or confusing screenplays or weird camera angles or strange edits.

GO and WATCH “THE ARTIST” and perhaps you will understand what I am talking about.

As the French director Michel Hazanavicius says…
“I think the teenagers, not the real stupid ones, but the teenagers from real life, I think they should come because there’s something about a pure love story, like in the old days. There’s no cynicism in this love story and teenagers love when there’s no cynicism. They want to believe.”

This is not a review. I don’t want to review this film. For to review one will have to watch critically and perhaps try and concentrate on shortcomings too. I enjoyed the film. I liked the movie. I was inspired with the vision of doing what you believe in.

That brings me to my movie, “Bhagwaan Tera Bhala Ho”… The film is in DI. I had not imagined our movie being DI’d. I was happy with mere basic colour correction offered in FCP. Long back I had heard that ‘Every Film Comes With a Destiny of it’s Own’…  Trying to reach the deadline to send it to Cannes and nervously waiting to show the complete film to those friends and family who would dare to call a spade, a spade, even in a trial show.

Welcome to the list of people who believe in me, Mr. Shashilal Nair & Mr. Karan Shah. Thanks for the trust.

Mohan

Nightmare in Dream (London Dreams)

What is a Screenplay?

Screenplay is one of the most difficult of arts. It takes years of experience (or inborn talent) to be able to understand the art of writing a screenplay. Recently, I learnt the art of writing screenplay, all over again when I watched London Nightmare….er….Dreams. I must share those invaluable tips with all of you.

Tip Number 1.

You must have a great thought to work on. Not just a thought/story, but a great thought/story. That is because even if you mess it up completely at screenplay level, you will still have some life left in the story. Beg, borrow or steal but get a great thought.

Tip Number 2.

Always borrow a shocking scene from some other writer’s book. Do not bother if the scene or idea that you are borrowing is from an action film or ‘one man army’ film and you are making a musical or romantic or inspirational. Just add that scene. If it worked in that film, it will work here too. So what if the character that has lived for his music, gets hysterical and opens his belt to thrash himself. Focus is the key word here. The great Beethoven, I here used to put his head under water for focus, so why can’t Arjun use a belt?

Tip Number 3.

As in all beautiful screenplays, talk about your climax in one of the opening scenes. Let the audience know where you are heading. But don’t end your film there. Take the audience by surprise (boredom). Take them beyond it, add monologues, preaching’s, and justify it by saying ‘jahan se kahani shuru hui hai wahin khatam honi chahiye’.

Tip Number 4.

Let characters do their thing. Don’t ask questions as to why they are doing, just let them do it. For instance, one of Ajay Devgan’s friend’s goes out of his way to create chaos in Salman Khan’s life, like a professional, like a character out of Godfather. Justify it by saying it was the need of the story. Who cares about the character? You have already put all your efforts in carving out the characters of Salman and Ajay.

Tip Number 5.

Let there be confrontation, so what if it starts when the film is nearing its end? You can end the confrontation in one or two meaningless scenes.

Tip Number 6.

Always have a father, who would enter when the writer wants him to, not when the script demands. Also have a girl, in shorts etc to drag the hero into a world of drugs, so what if she has the expressions of a dead gangster? Keep these characters handy to use them when your script is going nowhere.

Tip Number 7.

It goes on and on and on and on…

But I must admit that I was hooked onto the movie till interval and had developed high expectations from it while buying my coffee and nuggets. But the coffee spilled on my shirt, the nuggets fell on my lap and my dreams of watching a god film flew away from my eyes onto the distant sky. But I am disheartened yet, I am stil looking forward to Ajab Prem ki Gajab Kahani…I hope it doesn’t turn out to be ‘gajab ki film ki ajab si kahani’. God Bless.

Note: Please leave your comments, if any here in my blog. Thanks. Kep Writing. Kep Reading. Keep Smiling.

Happy Birthday Nupur. God Bless You that you make movies, not nightmares…Enjoy

Gandhiji & Diwali…a revelation

A BIG thanks to all you guys who remembered to wish me on my birthday. Although, with every passing birthday, the bones start screaming a little more than before and the hard disk capacity of mind needs up gradation with more memories taking up space, but still it feels great to get SMS’s, Blurbs, Writings on Walls and Tweets. Thanks again all you guys. A special thanks to all my students at MET who made me feel so very special. Thanks. They are a wonderful bunch of aspiring Film and Television professionals.

I want to share a little secret that I have recently discovered during the Beautiful festival of Diwali. The noise of crackers was getting on to my nerves. I wanted to go out and make some more noise by beating the hell out of those guys who were bursting all those crackers. But then, with a loud bang, a realization entered my mind, like a rocket bomb.

What is Diwali? A celebration, Lord Rama coming back to Ayodhya after fourteen years? The night when Maa Laxmi showers her special blessings on those who pray the maximum, at the right time, with the right ingredients and with the right payment errrrr DAKSHINA made to the Pandit? All these facts are there to be accepted. After all who am I to question the mythological brigade of our country? Neither do I have the authority nor the knowledge to do so. But one fact that has been overlooked by everyone is that Diwali supports the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation.

Gandhiji advocated the theory of ‘Bura Mat Dekho; Bura Mat Bolo; Bura Mat Suno’. That is what modern Diwali celebrations are aimed at, ‘See No evil; Hear No Evil; Speak No Evil’

The world today has more evil than ever. Why do I say that? Well, even wearing Jeans is considered evil at some places. Now I also understand why Mumbai is so Denim, errrrr Evil place. Coming back to what I was saying, Evil is everywhere. Then comes Diwali. Some caretakers of our society (I am not talking of any political wing) have taken the responsibility to spread Gandhiji’s vision, by hook or by CROOK.

 

HEAR NO EVIL

These caretakers go out there, spend their hard earned money and buy crackers that would burst your nervous system too, not just your tiny eardrums. Now they place those ‘bombs’ strategically in building compounds, from where the damage would be maximum and even a dead person would get up from his permanent sleep. The moment the ‘bomb’ explodes, your eardrums start shivering and a good part of it goes numb, sometimes alL of it. Now tell me, how on this earth are you going to hear any evil that is spread across this society of ours?

SEE NO EVIL

Next is even more difficult. The success rate in this next attempt is not very high but they are trying and I am sure one day they would be doing much better. They again plant crackers very strategically. But this time round, it is not those loud crackers; they have already done their job. This time it is those crackers that emit light at intensity that would blind the good old Sun too. Now just when you are driving, or walking your child or carrying things, such that you can not avoid those lights, that they enter your eyes with force. Mostly they blind you just for a few moments (as I said the success rate is not very high) but sometimes they succeed and you are rushed to the hospital (which is generally short of doctors because of Diwali) and after treatment for a few days, you are declared blind. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

HEAR NO EVIL

But the most difficult is ‘Bura Mat Bolo’ part. This is not just bursting of a cracker or placing it at a strategic point. Here one has to constantly work, non-stop and hard. Just by spending a few hundreds on crackers this cannot be achieved. For this, one needs to spend thousands, without blinking an eye.  ‘Bomb’ after ‘bomb’, sutlies, rockets and every other cracker available in market is used. It is a process where the smoke on road reminds you of roads in Simla on a foggy cold morning. The car headlights also shouldn’t help much if the work has been carried on efficiently. But just this much smoke is not serving much of a process. Crackers have to be burst continuously, regularly, even at 3AM, 4AM so that the morning joggers, breathing heavily are affected by the smoke and develop sore throat and asthma. Those already suffering from asthma, have a better chance of being a victim.

It just took me a few minutes to punch these thoughts but just imagine the ceaseless efforts of those people who work day in and day out to create these pollution and walk on Gandhiji’s principles of ‘See No Evil; Hear No Evil; Speak No Evil’. Congratulations guys! You are doing a wonderful job.

BLUE is actually RED & YELLOW

BLUE is actually RED & YELLOW

The price was Rs. 220/-. The coffee was for 80/-, a bottle of water for 30/-. Parking charge was 20/- and Petrol (Including wear and tear of my car) was 50/-. The grand total is Rs. 400/-. Only Rs. 400/- taught me what no Film School in the world could have taught. I never believed in the practice of Film School and now I am sure all you have to do is spend 400/- and learn film making. But also congratulations to the makers of Blue that they have spent 100 crores to teach art of cinema. I would like to share the lessons that I have learnt. This is the least I could do to contribute to the charity that the makers are doing.

Lesson Number 1.

Do not take close up shots of your actors. The wider the shot, the better the performances. Although sometimes the actors manage to spoil the beautiful visuals too by their body languages that can not be hidden in the wide shots. But that is the safest bet because the moment you go close on actor’s face, it becomes difficult to understand the mood of the scene if it is humorous, tragic, emotional or a moment of thrill.

Lesson Number 2.

If you have a heroine whao has the figure of Lara Dutta, then please, please, please make sure your camera is concentrating at the right places, whatever the emotion of the scene. That helps in holding the scene together.

Lesson Number 3.

Shot takings are all about sudden zoom ins, extreme close ups of objects and of eyes. Do not worry about the feelings that you need to show in the eyes, they can be added in post production. After all more than half the film is made in post production only,  the rest is waiting to be made.

Lesson Number 4.

Costumes are very important and they need to be carefully selected. For example if you have a hero who has a beer belly, make sure that you give him tight fit Tees. After all the guy has spent a good amount on beers and also considerate amount of time in guzzling them. So give him his dues. Also if the scene is highly depressing, then dresses should be brighter, bright enough to drown the darkness created with pain by the director of photography.

Lesson Number 5.

The most important aspect of making a film is to get the writer eliminated if he tries to come with a story. How dare he do that? If you have a good story then how can you make a film. To make a good film, chuck the story and rely on everything else.

Lesson Number 6.

The promotional budget of your film should be equivalent to the complete budget of half a dozen films (of moderate budget). If you are able to project your film as the costliest film ever made then you have a great film in your hand. Don’t bother about the screenplay, performances etc. They are, in any case not important for a good film.

Lesson Number 7.

If you want to make a film, just watch Hollywood blockbusters, pick up scenes, even if they are outdated and officially outsourced, copy them (sometimes frame by frame) and BINGO, you have a movie. Also please compare your film with those of Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and any other name that you have heard over the years.

The name may be BLUE but all I could see was RED & YELLOW (Laal-Peela).

Thanks Ashtvinayak, Dillon and Anthony for this public service. God Bless You Guys!