The Classic Recipe

With a long weekend ahead of me I was eager to extend its pleasure by kickstarting it off Friday evening. And what could be a simpler solution than a film. But it seemed that I had exhausted my collection so I began re-looking old folders hoping to surprise myself with a find in some corner. The only titles around seemed so promisingly boring that I quickly got onto IMDB to check whether any of them had the potential of not being an evening spoiler.

And thats how 'Sunset Boulevard' happened. The extravagantly vintage sounding title held a 8.7 rating on IMDB. What could be more inviting!

Briefly the film is a crazy little drama about a once popular yesteryears silent film star (played by Gloria Swanson) now in her fifties and yet not in terms with her waned fame, a young jobless film writer (played by William Holden) who by chance intrudes upon her property and what happens when the two get involved. It is also about the extravagant lives Hollywood stars live and the fame that surrounds them, one moment at high tide another moment all ebbed away.

You did say that that sounded like a familiar Hollywood plot. Well then this film made in 1950 and directed by the brilliant Billy Wilder from the 'golden age' of Hollywood is probably the inspiration for them. What got me hooked all the more was that most of the script drew inspiration from real life occurrences to weave in its details. Now thats a real gem. The more you can dig out of a film the better it gets. From the lead actress Gloria Swanson who nearly plays herself, to Buster Keaton and Cecile Demille, many actors in the film play themselves. Gloria is seen surrounded by her very own pictures and also watches her own films through the movie. An interesting fact to note however would be that in real life Gloria Swanson was pretty level headed about her rocketing and plummeting Hollywood fame.

Now thats a great film to kick start your friday. And don't forget to read through the film's Wikipedia site once your 'done' watching it. And do write in if you know of another great weekend kick starter !

Saw 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' today. Kudos for its simplicity coz simple is tough. I felt even the slightly awkward acting at times helped to fit in, into the mood of this script.

At the time of its release most people, I recall, talked of it being a one time watch film. And it surprises me a tad bit coz its rare when one feels like watching a film more than once.

Many people discarded the film as its plot line reminded them of 'Hangover' (the film got branded as its Indian remake). Others felt its meat was more like 'Dil Chahta Hai'.

Despite these glaring similarities I liked the film simply because the amazing feeling of being completely free seeped out of the film to me. The director has obviously done some brilliant piece work there. I even enjoyed watching Katrina for once. But most of all I loved the little poems Farhan kept musing over throughout the film. The last one would be one of my favorites.

Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum

Nazar mein khwabon ki bijliyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum

Hawa ke jhokon ke jaise aazad rehna sikho

Tum ek dariya ke jaise lehron mein behna sikho

Har ek lamhe se tum milo khole apni bhaayein

Har ek pal ek naya samha dekhen yeh nigahaein

Jo apni aankhon mein hairaniyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum

Dilon mein tum apni betaabiyan leke chal rahe ho, toh zinda ho tum

'Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara'

-Directed by Zoya Akhtar & poems penned by Javed Akhtar

Quirk Factory Productions

The Quirk Factory-1 from annie napolean on Vimeo.

The Quirk Factory-2 from annie napolean on Vimeo.

Koozba is a new jobsite starting up soon in India which is going to allow candidates upload their Video CVs. For it's launch it required a series of web viral videos done. These are two videos in the series that was done for them. The rest were mostly instructional hence not entertaining :D. Was glad to work for a client who was ready to try something different. Loved the sleepless nights and charged up days these videos demanded :D

Script & Direction : Annie Napolean

Camera : Arrugham

Big time Moral Support: Kaustubh Ray, Snehanshu Banerjee, Biplob Sarkar ;D

All in a day's Work

This is my most recent work. Well it was completed in half a day on Sunday afternoon :P
A Public Service Ad for the organization - WaterAids, an attempt to gather support for those who don't have the basic right to water.
Creatives Copy and Art : Annie Napolean

Corporate Documentary

Finally putting up the Corporate Documentary I did last year for D.light Design :). D.Light is a American Product Design House in India making mostly Solar Lights to be used in Indian Villages.
The video was shot HD on Canon's 5d mark II at 30 fps. My job on the project was to script out the raw footage, edit and deliver the final product.
In India we follow the PAL system which is 25 fps. So initially I was confused as to how I would convert the video and pull it down from 30- 25 fps without quality loss. But thanks to online forums like http://www.cinema5d.com I found the solution and also dug up more on the wonderful 5d mark II !

Like the Warmth of the Winter Sun-Fiction

Like the Warmth of the Winter Sun from annie napolean on Vimeo.

Fiction

Duration - 10 min.

Roles played - Concept, Director, Script-Writer, Editor, Producer

On a cold winter morning a young woman sits alone in a park. There's a man secretly spying on her. Suddenly his mobile rings revealing him. But alas the girl is blind as a bat. Unaware she moves on, sometimes lost to her dreams, sometimes awakening to the soft warmth of the sun and all the while with a stranger at her heels. What is he after, what's his plan?

"Like the Warmth of the Winter Sun' is a story about love, it's vivid dimensions an how it can make one feel safe, warm and beautiful- just like the warmth of the sun on a cold winter's day.

Sharekhan TVC

Sharkhan First Step - TVC
Duration - 45 sec.
Roles played : Concept, Director, Script-Writer, Production & Pre-production Supervisor

A TVC to be broadcasted on Business Channels. The ad was made for Sharekhan with 'Visual Juju' a newly starting out production house . Other than the creative responsibility I had to also organize the entire shoot and crew in mumbai. A hercules task with a lot of learning, this project along with production and co-directing on eight other ads took four months.

Synopsis :

A boring Newsreader on Biz Tv who makes the world of the Stock Market sound ever so complex encounters a vivacious young man from Sharekhan. What happens when they meet?
The ad through its experimental approach tries to capture the viewers attention and encourage them to take up stocks investment with Sharekhan - India’s largest online stock broker.

Humse Poocho Yeh Awaargi Hai Kya- Documentary

Humse Poocho Yeh Awaargi Hai Kya - Documentary from annie napolean on Vimeo.

Duration - 15 minutes

Roles played : Director, Script-Writer, Editor, Producer

The entire project from research to edit took two months.

Synopsis:
Children- innocent, peppy and quick to imitate from their surroundings are a reflection of the societies we live in. Our film follows the lives and times of one such a group of Muslim
children in Ahmedabad, who sell plate scrubs and much more. As we dwell deeper into their thoughts, hopes and aspirations one can’t help but think that they are heroes in their own right to survive with so much cheer despite their daily hardships. What is to become of them , their still hopeful dreams? It is but a sad and dangerous prospect as they grow up in a their harsh, orthodox, poverty stricken and complacent societies. Who will ever break this vicious cycle?

Hallmark E-Cards-Special Effects

Special Effects
Duration - 1 min.
Roles played : Special Effects Supervisor, Director, Script-Writer,
Editor, Producer
A minute long ride through a Land of Dreams - the world of Hallmark E-Cards.
The making of this Motion Graphic sequence concerned mainly two halves- firstly shooting the little girl against the Blue Screen and secondly Compositing the background with the footage on After Effects. My first video project :)

The Boy with a Halo

The illustration was done for a script I had written for a children's animation film. The story was inspired by a handicapped child and the film through it's fantasial narrative tried to create on a lighter note an encouraging and entertaining story for the all children.

Commercial Naukri.com

Naukri.Com - Ad Spot
Duration - 30 sec.
Roles played - Concept, Director, Script-Writer, Producer,Editing, Special Effects

The ad was shot over a day and edited over a week.
An angry young man, a wife at th end of her wits and a twist in the tale. Taking inspiration from Amitabh’s angry young man days the ad aspires to click with its audience on a humorous note.

Sleep Apnea - Public Service Advert I & II

Sleep Apnea I




Sleep Apnea II




Sleep Apnea 1 & 2 - Public Service Ad
Duration - 45 & 30 sec.
Roles Played - Concept, Director, Script-Writer, Producer, Editing, Special Effects

The ads were shot over a day and edited over another two days.

Sleep Apnea is a sleeping disorder which is largely ignored as it is characterised by snoring which is considered normal. The ads through their simple imagary and sound design try to spread awareness amongst the everyday man of the deadly effects of this common disorder.

KEEP NATURE CLEAN

Keep Nature Clean from annie napolean on Vimeo.

Duration : 20 Sec.
Roles played : Concept, Direction, Editing, Producer

Music Video 'KABEERA'

Roles Played - Set Design, Chief Pre-Production Co-ordinator, On Shoot Production

As part of our Production Design project at college we created a Music Video for the band 'Agnee'. It was directed by Rajat Nagpal of Procam Mediatel. During the period I was the incharge to seeing to that everything required for the shoot was in place in time.The process exposed us to the basics of the making of a Music Video.

INTERNSHIP

Roles Played - Conceptualisation, Casting, Pre-shoot and On-Shoot Production

I interned at Illusion Films Production House, Mumbai with director Anirudhha Sen. During this period I had a thorough training of how the whole process of Ad Film making works.
My work included being part of the complete making of for 4 Television Commercials - 'Vote for Taj' and 'Parle Marie' (3 films)
During this period I also worked on three ad concepts for - Bose(2), and Vishal Corporates and the concept for a Music Video to be made for Sonu Nigam.


Vote For Taj




Parle Marie

DOCU-FICTION

Leadership - Docu-Fiction
Duration - 25 minutes
Roles played : Concept, Visualiser, Script-Writer, Production

Siddhant is young man disturbed by the deterioration that he sees in the quality of life around him - terrorism, politics, inequality, honesty et all. He feels certain that the world is going to its doom. This is when Siddhant’s grandfather intervenes to tells him that if he wants a change, he must BE THE CHANGE, he must take the first step.
What follows is a heart warming conversation between the grandfather and the grandson as they who while bonding with each other dwell on the great possibility of each one having the capacity to be a leader. The Film was made for the Ahmedabad based NGO 'Mathan'
(the video is currently not available for viewing in the public domain)