CONCEPTION & STORYBOARDS...
The trick of a good effect sequence is planning
and shooting elements and animating and compositing as close to that plan
as you can.
But with Vinod’s maniacal style of shooting and the chaotic weather,
a schedule that was threatening to go out of control, (actually already
out of control looking back at the call sheets and the shoot as it unfolded)
it was difficult to shoot sequences with the patience that even regular
live action films need. This was not easy on the nerves, especially if
one considered coming back home with all the footage and realizing one
does not have the shots needed for making the sequence into the dramatic
set piece that we had visualized it would be.
One of the advantages was the availability of an editing system and the editor of the film (Rabiranjan Maitra) on set. This made it possible to shoot effects elements and background plates as required, quickly create a rough edit with the video assist footage of the live action and the elements, show it to Vinod and get a general consensus that we were on the right track. Well, coming back after the shoot, there was a lot of tracks that would have to be removed and re-laid. But in the end it was all worth it.
