Chat Archives

Chat on "Environment and Wildlife Film making" dated March 18, 2012

Susan Sharma: Welcome to IWC chat on Environment and wildlife film making
Susan Sharma: Hi Shilpi
Shilpi Sharma: Hi.. Thanks
Susan Sharma: Did you find the process of entering the chat room difficult?
Shilpi Sharma: Nope... it was fine
Shilpi Sharma: :)
Shilpi Sharma: So now we wait?
Susan Sharma: Did you notice Our homepage is running one of your clips today?
Shilpi Sharma: Yes I did
Shilpi Sharma: :)
Susan Sharma: Was this film telecast?
Shilpi Sharma: No this film wasn't meant for telecast
Susan Sharma: Welcome Nadim
nadim chishty: hello shilpi and susan sharma
Shilpi Sharma: Hi Nadim
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: Hi Shilpi, Susan and Nadim.
nadim chishty: what type of film u made
Shilpi Sharma: Hi
Shilpi Sharma: I make documentaries on environment and wildlife issues
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: I admire your patience and passion, it really tough but is makes people happy.
nadim chishty: I want some good equipment regarding the voice recorder and producer of animals
Shilpi Sharma: We do most of our audio recording on the camera that we are shooting on
Shilpi Sharma: And if the budget permits we get a sound recordist
nadim chishty: what type of moving camera and recorder u have
Shilpi Sharma: We basically shoot on video... we started with Beta... moved on to the sony pd 150... and now we shoot on HD cameras... like the sony ex3
abhirami: which is the best wildlife film in india
Shilpi Sharma: Hi every body
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: Shilpi, i shoot regular stuff with my phone and some times with my SLR only birds, or other subjects, i want to know how can one get into pure line.
Shilpi Sharma: what do u mean by pure line?
Shilpi Sharma: become a full time documentary filmmaker?
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: I mean, how do i get into it, and take it into a profession rather than an hobby.
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: Yes.
Shilpi Sharma: Ok
Shilpi Sharma: hmm... there r many ways of course...
Shilpi Sharma: but first i would strongly recommend a course or a work shop in either still photography or filmmaking
Shilpi Sharma: that would definitely be the first step
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: I did take guidance from some good wildlife photographers on photography and related stuff.
Shilpi Sharma: so is this still photography you are talking about?
Shilpi Sharma: and did that benefit you?
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: yes, i took it in still photography, but not in video.
Shilpi Sharma: ok
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: It surely did change the way i see things.
Shilpi Sharma: the thing with wildlife and environment documentary photography and filmmaking is that there are institutes teaching these courses in india
Shilpi Sharma: so mostly people do courses in regular filmmaking and then move on to wildlife and environment
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: okay..
Shilpi Sharma: i also did a course in commercial art and a short course in still photography
a j mithra: Do we have film makers who have done a detailed documentary of a particular flora or fauna species?
Shilpi Sharma: and then went and did an internship with a renowned filmmaker
Shilpi Sharma: and ended up learning a lot about documentary filmmaking
Shilpi Sharma: so this is how i did it.
Shilpi Sharma: the key is to not stop and keep looking for people who can teach u guide u
Shilpi Sharma: so first you have to learn the art
Shilpi Sharma: and the you can go on to becoming a professional documentary photographer or filmmaker
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: :)
Shilpi Sharma: and also keep practicing and get feed back for ur work
Shilpi Sharma: Hi a j maithra ... yes we do have filmmaker who have dun so
Shilpi Sharma: the Badi Brothers, Shaker Datatri, Krupakar and Sainanai
Susan Sharma: Mithra, TN has some of the best species film makers
Shilpi Sharma: to name a few
Shilpi Sharma: yes... rom whitaker
a j mithra: Yea i have watched some of their work..
a j mithra: But , when can a common man watch a film like "Queen of tree"?
Shilpi Sharma: hmm thats a very good question... i have watched that film only once and want to see it again and i dont know how
Shilpi Sharma: i watched it at the Vatavaran Wildlife Film festival
Shilpi Sharma: Which is held every 2 yrs
Shilpi Sharma: but it also has a travelling festival and they screen documentaries by both indian and international filmmakers all over india
Shilpi Sharma: u could go to their website and see where they r showing films next
Shilpi Sharma: http://cmsvatavaran.org/
a j mithra: i know but, my thirst is that , these kind of films should reach the common man who lives with nature
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: I have a list of movies which i want to watch but they are too costly to buy and few are not available.
Shilpi Sharma: yes i understand completely
Shilpi Sharma: so far we onlyhave nat geo and discovery :)
Shilpi Sharma: but if you search on youtube you might fine some of the films
Shilpi Sharma: i watch most of my documentaries there :)
Susan Sharma: Mithra, Split your comments in two
a j mithra: These films should reach the common man who lives with nature and part of nature..
a j mithra: But most of these documentaries adorn the collections of those who live in concrete jungles..
a j mithra: If this changes, films can make a greater impact than an environmentalist.. This is my humble thought
Shilpi Sharma: yes i agree :)
Susan Sharma: I also agree completely with you, Mithra
a j mithra: people who live in remote areas whom we call managers of the forest have no source of youtube
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: I have found a few, but most of them are not available!
a j mithra: they don't even know how to manage their environment in a more scientific way
Shilpi Sharma: Mithra... may be you could write to the filmmaker of the films you want to see and ask them for a copy
a j mithra: don't you think it should reach the rural school kids rather than the urban kids?
Shilpi Sharma: give them you background ... they might send u the film free of charge
a j mithra: We did, but unfortunately we do not get reply from them ,
Shilpi Sharma: the films should reach all kids
a j mithra: i am a school teacher and this is what i see everywhere
Shilpi Sharma: the biggest problem we face today is that we have lost our connection with nature
a j mithra: city kids are fed with so much info but not the ones in the rural
Shilpi Sharma: this is especially true for the city kids
Shilpi Sharma: ask them where water comes from and they will say the tap :)
a j mithra: OUR RURAL KIDS ARE STILL CONNECTED WITH NATURE.. But they need to be educated which we do not do
Shilpi Sharma: yes true
a j mithra: wht u say is right
a j mithra: when this scenario changes, forest will be intact
Shilpi Sharma: yes :)
Shilpi Sharma: so this what i as a filmmaker strive to do
a j mithra: ive seen hundreds of school kids who spend most of the time watching birds, insects and animals and even snakes and they even care for them
a j mithra: yes this will surely change our country
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: Shilpi don't u think encouraging tourism more than the acceptable extent is a major issue?
Shilpi Sharma: yes tourism like every thing else needs to be sustainable
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: even if documentaries do show us the real truth?
a j mithra: I have done a few animated videos and they have created so much impact, they almost 70% of the kids have started bird watching
a j mithra: true.. tourism needs to be regulated
Shilpi Sharma: that is excellent!
a j mithra: thanks Shilpi.. But they are not as professional as what you people do..
a j mithra: But i am happy something is happening
Shilpi Sharma: that is fine... like u said the professional films r not reaching them
Shilpi Sharma: so what u r doing means a lot
Susan Sharma: Mithra's animated videos are there on wildbytes.tv(go from IWC homepage)
a j mithra: Thats why i feel that all the wildlife films should reach the unreached , those who manage nature
Shilpi Sharma: ok... will check them out
a j mithra: Thank you Dr.Susan..
Shilpi Sharma: mithra.. all films cannot reach but i am sure some can. write to indian filmmaker they will certainly send u the films
Susan Sharma: Rohit, any comments?
Shilpi Sharma: so what else would you like to know about wildlife and environment filmmaking?
Shilpi Sharma: Or let me say something here... being an wl and env filmmaker is not easy
Shilpi Sharma: most of the time one doesn't get the funds to make the kind of film one wants to make
a j mithra: True..
Shilpi Sharma: yet we keep trying
Shilpi Sharma: fortunately there are a lot of NGO that work on these issues and they commission us to make films on these issues
a j mithra: All the very best Shilpi.. Please try and share your videos with the rural kids too.. They need people like you more than the city kids..
Shilpi Sharma: and they use these films for spreading the message of conservation sustainability
Shilpi Sharma: absolutely
Shilpi Sharma: please send us a mail... and ur address and we'll send you all our films :)
Shilpi Sharma: write to dustyfootindia@yahoo.com
Shilpi Sharma: so getting back to what i was saying...
Shilpi Sharma: and sometimes we spend our savings on filming a subject matter that is important to us
Shilpi Sharma: so the thing is to do what you can do
Shilpi Sharma: and as much as you can
Shilpi Sharma: and that is what we are trying at dustyfoot
Shilpi Sharma: and as an individual
Shilpi Sharma: So susan any comments? :)
Susan Sharma: Shilpi thanks for that very honest discussion
Shilpi Sharma: And thank you for giving me this opportunity to share :)
Susan Sharma: I hope this chat will inspire many young wannabe film makers to just go and "Do it"
Shilpi Sharma: absolutely...!! where there is a will there is a way!
Shilpi Sharma: trite but true! :)
Susan Sharma: Shoot with mobiles, home video cameras , if you have a story, it will touch people
Shilpi Sharma: yes! and thanks to the internet one can have many viewers
Susan Sharma: Krishna, ask your questions fast, as we are nearing the end of the session
krishna: hi..experts.. but sorry for late.. it's ok.. no questions will see in next month chat..
krishna: i'm sorry..
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: I have no more questions susan, Thank you, i need to work a long way! to achieve it!!
Shilpi Sharma: wish u all the best... do write to us if you have any further queries
Susan Sharma: what about sujit, any quick questions?
B Srinivasa Phani Krishna: Sure Shilpi:)
Shilpi Sharma: :)
Susan Sharma: Shilpi, thanks for taking time out of a busy schedule
Shilpi Sharma: :) Thanks! Hope this went well
sujit mazumder: shorry to say i am gating late.
Shilpi Sharma: it was good chatting with all of you!
Susan Sharma: As soon as I close the chat room, the transcript will be up on the IWC site. Thanks once again to all the participants!