Short Filmmaking: Five Things I Learnt From Sriram Raghavan

Filmmaking lessons learnt from the master of thrillers Sriram Raghavan.

Shor Se Shuruaat, produced by Humara Movies, an omnibus feature of mentored short films around the central theme of ‘shor’- noise, releases this Friday. The short films have been mentored by stalwarts like Mira Nair, Shyam Benegal, Imtiaz Ali, Zoya Akhtar, Nagesh Kukunoor, Sriram Raghavan and Homi Adajania.

Annie Zaidi, whose short Decibel is part of Shor Se Shuruaat and who was mentored by filmmaker Sriram Raghavan for her film, writes about the lessons she learnt on the project.

1. The Story Is the Answer

I am a writer and have written across various genres. Regardless of genre, a good story - one that excites the imagination - is where it all begins. You yourself have to be taken with your idea, and you have to be willing to push the boundaries of your thought process to clarify it and make it comprehensible to the reader/audience. Working with Sriram only reinforced this belief.

We had several conversations about the story while it was being scripted. He constantly asked questions about the idea, the logic of the story, which made me think deeper. Also, if there is any confusion in any scene, even if it becomes evident only post edit, the roots of it probably lie in the screenplay. This mentoring process has taught me to stay open to questions, and to focus on the clearest communication of an idea to the audience.

2. The Importance of Stoic Optimism

I had a few technical problems with this shoot. Some quite daunting problems that had me feeling quite upset. But meeting Sriram and talking about it, I saw that he reacted with a certain calm. He pointed out that problems crop up on all shoots. One just has to plough through them.

3. Creative Problem Solving

This is following through on point 2. If things are going wrong, of course, one has to keep going and fix what can be fixed. But if it cannot be fixed, then we can see if there is a creative opportunity embedded in the problem. Can unexpected footage be used to add a layer of meaning to a film? What to do if the costumes are not of the same colour?

4. Taking Time Is of Essence

Time is crucial while filming. Each minute costs and most of us are highly stressed, especially if we are working on a shoestring budget. It is doubly important to take your own time before getting into a shoot. It is smart to go slow at first and let the film breathe inside your head. The film may turn out quite different while shooting since many different talents are involved. But it is important to have a certain clarity about the composition of each scene before you go into production.

5. Brevity Is a Virtue

Even if the script felt watertight, even if some scenes appear absolutely necessary, even if you are really clear about what a particular scene is trying to accomplish, you can still look at what can be removed without damaging the core story. Whether it is five frames or five minutes, it is worth our while to trim until it starts to seriously hurt.

Here’s a trailer of the Shor Se Shuruaat omnibus:

(Annie Zaidi is a playwright, short filmmaker, writer and documentary filmmaker)