Analyzing Film understanding in Bangladesh

Ehsan KabirStudent ID #1311104

Introduction

Films are very subjective and not only considered as a medium

whereby messages can be conveyed, but also as a pure form of

art. There are several forms of film-making starting from

documentaries to feature films to abstract films and much more.

Over the years, the form of film has changed, which as a result

gave rise to new genres of film. Technological progress in

particular has been a catalyst for the development of new forms

and formats of film. The process of film making in the past was

restricted and limited profession, however without the monetary

and technological constraints filmmakers faced earlier,

nowadays everyone can become a film-maker. At the same time,

films have also become more popular and influential with the

advent of mass media, reaching out to broad classes of a

population.

These two factors both lead to the emergence of a new kind

of film, which are amateur films. The availability of

relatively cheap film-making equipment (starting from mobile

phone cameras to digital cameras and DSLRS etc.) and the easily

accessible ways to gain and enhance ones film-making skills

(i.e. through ‘real’ or virtual workshops (YouTube etc.) have

both contributed to the enormous popularity of the genre of

amateur film-making. Amateur film-makers can also be

considered as the next generation of potential professional,

and influential, film-makers and future leaders in the film

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industry that help to redefine the format of film. One example

here is Jamal Edwards from the United Kingdom who started as an

amateur-filmmaker in a young age and turned multimillionaire by

making his hobby & passion into a professional business model,

producing state of the art music videos for YouTube (Smale,

2013). Another example can be found in a recent conference held

at University College Cork that considered the significance of

home movie and amateur film material not only in the context of

the history of film but also the use made of home movies by

notable avant-garde and experimental filmmakers such as Kenneth

Anger, Stan Brakhage, Maya Deren and Peter Forgács (Kilborn,

2014). Despite all this, amateur cinema has to be one of the

most neglected aspects of film studies (Shand, 2008, p37).

The scenario of films in Bangladesh is not as advanced as

the other countries such as US and India. However there has

been a change which is quite visible when it comes to visuals

of mainstream films and thanks to social media sites amateur

film making is on the rise. Thus it is very important to

analyze and evaluate the characteristics of amateur filmmaker’s

film production as revealed in the content and form of their

films. This area of research has been left relatively untouched

so far, making an analysis of amateur film-makers’ attitudes,

perceptions, identities and values the more important.

Research Aim

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The objective of this research study is to understand the

characteristics of amateur filmmaker’s film production as

revealed in the content and form of their films.

Research Methodology

Both quantitative and qualitative approach will be applied to

have better understanding of the subject in this research

study. The participants consists 2 female and 3 male amateur

film makers from different background of education and

profession. The wide range of amateur film makers from

different backgrounds provides a diverse understating of the

research subject. The quantitative research approach consisted

of a structured questionnaire which was designed to provide an

analysis of survey participant’s preferences of film style,

genre and etc (Questionare). The qualitative research on the

other hand consisted of an interview with the participants

which provide a more personal understanding of films by these

individuals. The qualitative research also includes a

questionnaire which gives us a clear understanding of the

motive, influences, preference of the film maker. Also an

analytical analysis is conducted on the films submitted by the

participants to have more detailed understanding about the

research subject.

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Film analysis

Film 1:“Decide”

By Fidia Kamal

Decide is a silent film made by Fidia Kamal, an undergraduate

student of Media & Communication during her first semester of

studies without any previous background in film making. The

film is about a girl who is in a state of trance and indecisive

about taking a crucial decision of her life. Amateur film-maker

Fidia mentioned in the interview that her style of film-making

has been inspired by Film Noir. This is strongly reflected in

‘Decide’, a two minutes silent film composed completely in

black and white. According to Spicer (2010, pix), most movies

in the Film Noir genre are shot in black and white with

chiaroscuro lighting, jarring music, and enervating subthemes.

Fidia’s Film Noir follows a structured narrative based on

three parts: At first we see the introduction of the subject

(exposition), leading to the second part (climax), where the

subject faces the conflict, resulting in the third part

(resolution). The narrative structure of (mainstream) movies

usually follows a certain, same pattern of exposition and

introduction of conflict, climax and conflict confrontation

followed by the resolution of conflict and end (Turner, 1993,

p74). The film consists of no music, the only sound effect

being the ambience noise, and no dialogues, which is intended

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to give a rather realistic feeling. The aspect ratio of the

short movie is 4:3 due to the usage of a mobile phone camera

for shooting, a typical tool used for amateur film-making. The

editing of the movie follows a linear pattern, the pace of the

film is not too fast and it follows a sequence of continuity.

Linear editing is a basic technique used by most amateur-

filmmakers which means that the filmmaker records each edit

sequentially, one after another, from the beginning to the end

(Chandler, 2004, p18).

The effect cross-dissolve is used for transitions and as

such it adheres to an approach used in mainstream films – the

shooting technique however is influenced by film noir, strongly

differs from mainstream movies. All throughout the film it

looks as if the audience is witnessing the incident unfolding.

The motive of the film, as found out in the interview with the

amateur film-maker, is based on “facing the difficulties,

fight, think and taking the right decision in the end”. This is

why in the end we see the girl at the end smiling and leaving

the scene. This specific approach of film-making is directly

related to what film means as an entity to the amateur film

maker, as expressed in the interview: “Film for me is a way to

escape from all the tensions and frustrations of life”. As such

we can see the short movie as a way of expressing frustrations

and tensions in life and providing a way out.

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Film 2: ‘AIUB Shoe Fever’

By Mirza Nabhin

AIUB Shoe fever is an abstract film by Mirza Nabhin an

undergraduate student of Journalism. The film is almost like a

montage as it is composed of several scenes of different kind

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of shoes. The editing technique of montage used in the film can

be associated with ‘montage by attraction’ which “uses the fact

that the human mind is capable of associating ideas or images

in such a way that the senses overlap, subconsciously

associating one with another to produce a unified effect”

(Santas, 2002, p60). The visuals of the film are quite pleasing

especially with usage of soothing sound track. The film follows

no specific narrative structure which can be compared to

mainstream films. However some of the aspect of the film maybe

comparable with narratives of product based television

commercials. The shooting of the film is done with DSLR camera;

an effective must have equipment for every armature and

professional film maker of modern times. DSLRs are being

frequently used by both amateur and also more professional

film-makers as they offer the best value for money (Mollise,

2009, p274). “These cameras are much like their film-using

ancestors in that they feature interchangeable lenses and

through-the-lens viewing and composing” (Mollise, 2009, p273).

The colour tone of DSLRs is quite detailed even with use of no

extra lights except day light. Most of the shots are taken from

a point of view angle, which is done probably intentionally to

give a personal approach to the film. The editing of the film

is done well as the cuts of the scenes are well synchronized

with each other. Several transitional effects are used such as

cross dissolve; push slide and feather dissolve which is one

aspect which is similar to commercial music videos. According

to Mirza as mentioned in the interview “No particular style I

have followed but I would try to show something symbolic or out

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of the box”. The film tries to depict the trend of shoes in a

certain location. The aspect of media usage also plays an

important role to understand the motivation behind the making

of this film. According to the amateur film-maker, he is an

avid user of social media sites, in particular Facebook and

YouTube. He also states that “I am not a big fan of watching TV

as a broadcast media”. Thus we can assume that his film-making

indeed was inspired by social media videos which are always

short in duration and usually do not follow mainstream films as

shown on TV, but have their own particular, independent and

abstract style that is based on the subjectivity of the film-

maker. Facebook videos in particular are nowadays a means of

expressing one’s own subjectivity and often feature random,

entertaining content without much of deeper meaning to it.

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Film 3: ‘Friends’

By Raisa Rujhan

“Friends” made by Raisa Rujhan a young associate of a Media

Agency, is a personal candid film composed of pictures and

visuals. The film is a personal documentation of the experience

that Raisa shares with her friend. The film does not follow any

specific mainstream narrative; it is a collage of moments she

cherishes with her friends. An HTC phone camera was used to

compose the video, a typical device used by most amateur film

maker as we live in the generation of selfies. “There is no

real logic to the selfie. Rather, it is driven by a combination

of social factors. There is an element of self-promotion, to be

sure. What used to be the domain of the famous is now popular

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amongst ordinary people” (Nicholson, 2012). Raisa used windows

movie maker, amateur editing software, to compose this film.

The film starts with the intro of the four main characters and

continues to show their journey through out their friendship.

This corresponds to Raisa’s perspective on and perception of

films as reflected in her interview: “I like making short films

when it comes to occasions like birthdays, farewells or

marriage that consist of personal videos with friends and

family. I have produced a total of 5 short films and I plan on

making more because it is like a sneak peak at my past”. Here

we can also see that for many amateur-filmmakers, film has

become a personal, individual expression of art. As Raisa

further said during the interview, “To me filmmaking is an area

of field that is unbounded, just like the sky you can never

limit the storylines it can produce”. Raisa also uploaded her

film on social media platforms such as Facebook – this is

another characteristic of amateur film-makers as found out in

this research with many film-makers producing content

specifically to be uploaded on social media platforms in order

to be ‘liked’ and ‘shared’ among friends. (film making and

facebook). As such, Raisa described her film as “celebrating

togetherness with friends and cherishing memories with your

best friends”. Nowadays, social media platforms are the most

important and influential platforms for amateur film-makers to

‘get their work out’ and share it among friends. This is also

being confirmed during the interview as Raisa mentioned that

she has been inspired to produce her video by short video clips

on Facebook.

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Film 4: Abortion: a human right or a public violation

By Waseq

‘Abortion a human right or a public violation’ a film made by

Waseq a student of communication and couple of his film

enthusiast friends. The film starts with a quote by Tagore

which builds a mood on the audience about the message of the

story which is about to unfold. The film is about a couple and

it depicts their perspective of abortion. It also displays

perspective of different individuals of the society about the

topic abortion. The film does follow aesthetics of main stream

drama when it comes to its narrative structure. For instance

the shot division of the first sequence it starts with the boy

and then it moves to the girl, and then followed by scenes of

the boy being confused which builds up a certain kind of

intensity among the audience. Finally then we see the scene

were the boy gets a piece of paper and realizes the girl is

pregnant. This kind of build up of intensity is quite visible

in all kind of mainstream films specially drama. However Waseq

also broke the convention as he included interview clips of

different people which dilute the genre of the film. Waseq

combines both aspect of drama and documentation to convey his

all important message. This sort of diluted films is known as

docu-fiction a style which is quite popular in mainstream

documentaries. Only a DSLR was used to produce this film, no

external lights were used during production. The editing of the11


film also follows aesthetics of mainstream drama, the pace of

the film is based on the soundtrack, which increases and

decreases according to the intensity of the sequence. However

Waseq leaves the ending of the film to the audience as the film

ends with a blurred shot of the pregnancy tester, leaving the

audience with a decision only they can take to end the story

with their own perspective. The film content and motif is based

on Waseq’s understanding of film, which according to him “is

the only way to experience life, other than actually

experiencing it”. As such we can see how amateur-filmmakers

also make movies in order to reproduce ‘real stories’ and make

sense of the world through their own eyes. Waseq further stated

during the interview that his approach to the film was to

reproduce reality as close as possible and to intensely engage

the audience. This approach is in contrast with some of the

other approaches explored above that focus more on

entertainment and personal satisfaction rather than producing

‘deep’ content and meaning. This particular approach to film is

based on Waseq’s attitude towards film which he understands as

“extracts of life”. The way that abortion is portrayed in the

short film as a controversial, sensitive issue in Bangladeshi

society also shows how, according to Turner (1993, pp44-45),

the construction of reality through language and meanings we

attach to language and to make sense of the world depends on

the specific cultural context of a community.

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Film 5: ‘Ice kool TVC’

By Fahim-uz-zaman

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Ice Kool TVC is an attempt to replicate modern TV commercial

productions by S.M Fahim-uz-zaman a student of B.A in MMC. The

consumerism trend is very much embedded in the modern society

of Bangladesh and there is a huge following of TV commercial

viewership. Which leads to amateurs videos as such, these kind

of videos can be found in abundance on the internet. This was

Fahim’s first film and he had no background of film making,

hence we see the shots division not being as perfect as

mainstream television commercial. However the narrative

structure is quite similar to that of mainstream tv commercial,

for instance the video starts with an establishment shot then

moves to a close up shot of a man sweating which is an attempt

to build up the mood of the situation among the audience. Also

another instance would be the scene when the karam board turns

into ice as the powder is applied a typical mainstream

commercial exaggerating approach to enhance the value of the

product. The video was shot with a DSLR, and usage of pan and

tilt is quite visible all throughout the video. The film

consisted of no music track, Fahim used natural ambience which

is rather unusual for mainstream TVCs that most often feature

background music. When it comes to media usage, Fahim is

another amateur-filmmaker that mostly uses and is inspired by

social media. We can see that social media with its

possibilities of share and like videos is also one of the main

motivations of amateur film-makers to exhibit their work and

attract followers. Fahim explicitly stated that he is using

social media to promote his video. As a graphic designer, Fahim

also consciously is using the medium of film to promote his

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animation work. During the interview, he stated that “My vision

and mission is to promote the use of CG animation and VFX

through my film”. As such we can also see how amateur film-

makers are using the power of film to promote themselves and/or

their work: This is also an aspect of the ongoing trend whereby

the medium of film is being ‘deprofessionalized’ and more and

more appropriated by non-professional film-makers as technology

and availability to gain skills that are necessary to produce

films become more easily accessible and widespread.

Further Findings & Conclusion

The quantitative part of the interviews has shown that all

amateur-filmmakers clearly prefer foreign film productions

(Hollywood the most, followed by Bollywood) before Bangladeshi

productions. Thus they are inspired by and try to copy foreign

film productions rather than local productions. When it comes

to technical aspects, amateur film-makers use basic shooting

equipment ranging from mobile phone cameras to DSLRs and

usually very basic editing software such as Windows Movie

Maker. All amateur film-makers that participated in the survey

also revealed that they usually do not go to cinemas to watch

movies but rather watch movies on TV or internet and use social

media for inspiring short clips which they aim to follow in

their productions. Social media has indeed been identified as

amateur film-makers’ main catalyst for and motivation behind

making movies. They are strongly influenced by short,15


entertaining and viral videos on digital media platforms such

as Facebook and YouTube in particular and aim to imitate the

style of the videos found on those platforms. The possibility

to showcase their productions to a broad audience through

social media platforms also is the main motivation behind

producing short videos. As can be seen from this survey, the

film-making process is more and more influenced and driven by

the possibilities of the World Wide Web. This trend can be

assumed to increase even more in the future with ever faster

and more widespread internet access for everyone. As such,

amateur-filmmakers are at the forefront of the digital

revolution which distinguishes platforms such as social media

becoming more relevant and important than traditional media.

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Appendix

Questionnaire Film 1

Name: Fidia KamalSex: FemaleAge: 22Education: BSS Media And Communication

Film: Decide

What kind of media are you using the most (TV, radio, newspaper, social media, internet, etc.)?

Internet.

What other media are you using and how frequently?

TV; 2-3 hours a day.

Why are you using this specific kind of media (if applicable)?

Easier, faster and a cheaper way of communication.

When did you start making films? What motivated you to make a film?

Two years back. The joy of watching a film motivated me to make one.

How many films have you produced so far? What are your upcoming plans?

Four.

How do you define ‘film’ from your personal perspective?

A series of moving images that gives pleasure and satisfaction to the mass.

What do films mean to you?

Film for me is a way to escape from all the tensions and frustrations of life.

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Have certain media / media content you have seen influenced you in your way of film-making? Any concrete examples?

No.

Can you describe your style/approach that you have used in order to produce this film?

It is mostly inspired from the silent films of the late 1920s.

What is the main motif of your film?

My film basically is saying to face the difficulties, fight it, think and to take the right decision.

Which camera did you use to make this film?

DSLR/Phone

Which editing software did you use?

Final cut pro/ Premier Pro

Quantative Questionnaire

How much do you prefer Bollywood Films? (On a scale of 1 to 10)

8

How much do you prefer Hollywood Films? (On a scale of 1 to 10)

9

How much do you prefer Bangladeshi Films? (On a scale of 1 to 10)

5

How many movies do you watch in a week?

4-5

How many times to do you go the theatres to watch a movie in a month?

once

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How many film have you made?

4

How many years have you been making films for?

2


Name: Mirza NabinSex: MaleAge: 23Education: AIUB – Bachelor in Journalism

Film: AIUB Shoes


Mostly, i am a frequent user of social media like facebook and whatsapp.


Sometimes sources like youtube and online newspapers help a lot.


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If i need to have some visual proof of some news then youtube and live buffering channels helps a lot. Not a big fan of watching Tv orradio as a broadcast media.


I started working on films since my 2nd semester i joined my university. I feel and know that through visual aid a lot of messages can make people understand about the story behind documentaries, films and short films That’s what motivated me the most.


I started working in a music video which gave a beginners peak to myfew next scripts that i want to make in future. My plan is to make as many short films and documentaries as possible.


My personal definition for film will be something of an entertainment and educative at the same time.


I consider each film i worked and created is an extension of me and my thought.


Through many internet site links my friends suggested me many short documentaries and films. Those encouraged me a lot. I myself more often browse through “Youtube” and “History Tv” to find more and more about documentaries films and critics regarding those films.


No particular style i have followed but i would try to show something symbolic or out of the box.

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For beginners like me i intend to correct mistakes while go on making films. Later I might find a particular style to present my films for everyone.


Cannon 60d


Windows Movie Maker

Quantative questionnaire


7


10


4


6 more or less


15


1


1

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Name: Raisa RujhanSex: FemaleAge: 24Occupation: Brand Associate- Bitopi Advertising Ltd.

Film: ‘Friends’


It is a mix and match between everything. But mostly I watch TV and use Social Media e.g. Facebook.


Newspaper and Radio


I do take a quick look at the newspaper every morning to keep me updated about the current affairs. Usually do not go into the details, rather go through the headlines. Only if the headline is intriguing enough I read the entire news. Besides reading the newspaper I do listen to the radio when I am travelling in a car to listen to music.


When I was around 12 years old, my aunt got me a video camera and with that I started taking personal videos. After like a year, I took my uncle’s help to compile all the videos and make it into one.It can be called my first amateur film and what motivated me was being able to relive the captured moments from my past regardless ofbeing good or bad.

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I do not take film making as my profession; it is more like a hobby.I like making short films when it comes to occasions like birthdays,farewells or marriage that consist of personal videos with friends and family. I have produced a total of 5 short films and I plan on making more because it is like a sneak peak at my past. But I am more into making commercials than films since I have majored in advertising and also been working at an advertising agency.


Film, a thin flexible strip of plastic coated with light-sensitive emulsion for exposure in a camera, used to produce photographs or motion pictures. It may sound very easy to imagine what the literal meaning of a film is but to me Film is a piece of art. To me filmmaking is an area of field that is unbounded, just like the sky you can never limit the storylines it can produce. However, I believe every film in itself gives us a message, sometimes it is opaque and at times we have to be quite thoughtful to pick it up.


Freedom of expression, creator of emotions, delusional, impactful and etc.


Short video clips posted on facebook


There is no specific style or approach to produce this film. After getting a new phone I started capturing crazy and fun moments with my besties. Later decided to compile some of the videos into one andwith a short sweet message at the end and gave it to all three of myfriends as a present on Friendship Day.


Celebrating togetherness with friends; cherishing memories with your best friends; a look back at the good-old days with my best

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friends and realizing how much fun we had when all of us were together.


Mobile camera- HTC Smart


Windows Movie Maker



7


9


5


5-6


1


5


1 year


Name: Waseq RahmanSex: M

24


Age: 24Education: Bachelor of Social Science

Film : Abortion a human right or a public violation


Internet


Newspaper


Access to vast information


During varsity, for the love of it


1 so far, plenty more planned


only way to experience life, other than actually experiencing it


Extracts of life.


Not to my recollection


As much close to the reality as possible


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To intensely engage the audience with the idea while they are at it


600D


Adobe Premiere Pro

Quantative Questionnaire


3


7


4


3


0


1


0

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Name: S.M Fahim-uz-zamanSex: MaleAge: 22Education: B.A in MMC

Film: Ice kool TVC’


Internet


Social media, sometimes


To promote my video


Since I join the film club


2 short film, 2 documentary and 4 tvc


Slice of life

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Reflection of life


Some youtube channels like filmriot


Use of CG animation


My vision and mission is to promote the use of CG animation and VFX through my film.


Cannon 60d


Adobe premiere



6


10


5


3 or more

28



1


5


1

References

Chandler, G. (2004). Cut by Cut: Editing Your Film Or Video. Studio City:

Michael Wiese Productions.

Kilborn, R. (2014). Stirling contribution to new collection of essays on amateur filmmaking [online]. Available from: http://www.cmcstir.org/stirling-contribution-to-new-collection-of-essays-on-amateur-filmmaking/ [Accessed 12 Jul 2014].

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.Mollise, R. (2009). Choosing and Using a New CAT. New York: Springer

Science+ Business Media, LLC.

Nicholson, L. (2012). Look-at-me generation [online]. Available from:

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/lookatme-generation-

20120908-25ky2.html [Accessed Jul 10 2014].

Santas, C. (2002). Responding to Film: A Text Guide for Students of Cinema Art. Chicago: Burnham Inc.

Shand, R. (2008). Theorizing Amateur Cinema: Limitations and Possibilities. The Moving Image, 8 (2), pp.36-60.

Smale, W. (2013). Jamal Edwards: Amateur film-maker turned multimillionaire [online]. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-24801980 [Accessed 15 Jul 2014].

Spicer, A. (2012). Historical Dictionary of Film Noir. Plymouth: ScarecrowPress, Inc.

Turner, G. (1993). Film as Social Practice. London: Routledge.

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Analyzing Film understanding in Bangladesh

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