The magic of cinema - that creative pulse that comes from the "joy of making cinema or the agony of making cinema" in Truffaut's words - is the focus of Utpal Datta's study Film Appreciation. It is an exciting and very friendly introduction to the secrets of 'Film making' seen both as an art in itself and as a craft, as well as a synthesis of all the other arts. It offers a pertinent inside perspective, coming from a gifted film maker, film critic, director and writer, whose passion for cinema translates here into an insightful approach to all the elements that make up a film. But besides explaining technical and theoretical considerations the study also inspires a profound love for the moving pictures.
Utpal Datta is a published author, broadcaster, critic, and filmmaker. He bagged State and National awards for film direction and film criticism. He also won several awards and fellowships for radio production. As a creative writer he wrote short story, novel, play, travelogue and a few of those had been translated into some other languages. His practical knowledge in film making elevates his film criticism to the next level.
Dr. Dipsikha Bhagawati, basically a film critic and a creative writer, regularly writes on film, literature and poetry in newspapers, magazines and journals. Translation is had another domain of pursuit. She has obtained her PhD in English literature in the topic- 'A Study of the Major Poetry of T. S. Eliot: A Mirror Reflecting the Anarchy, Futility and Alienation of the Modern Man. 'She was associated with the British council of India (in collaboration with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Mission, Assam) as a master trainer in English language. She writes in both English and Assamese.
One of the shortcomings of mass communication education in India has been the absence of good quality Indian text books on subjects related to journalism, advertising, public relations and cinema. More often than not, students and followers of the discipline were not able to relate to the context and characters of the texts, which were written by foreign authors. Though some attempts have been made in the past to offer quality text books to Indian students, these have been few and far between.
With film production expanding its horizons in the country with the explosion of technology including digital, mobile, animation, visual effects and comics and the advent of OTT platforms, there is a greater demand for quality Indian literature on cinema. Small towns and rural areas are abuzz with film related activities. New film festivals focusing on a range of issues from environment to disability featuring short, documentary and even school films are being held all over India.
The advent of cheaper affordable film making technology today has democratized the medium. With a smart phone in hand, any child can attempt film making. The mushrooming of film festivals globally has simultaneously created space for exhibition of all kinds of films. While a kind of movement is taking place worldwide experimenting with images and sound and the cinematic medium is getting richer, there are hardly any books that can teach Film making in a concise and clear manner.
I have been teaching Cinema now for quite a while but I hardly came across a book that would lend a clear perspective on all aspects of film making right from structure of the Screenplays to the lensing to be used in Cameras. It was a pleasure to read this book by Utpal Datta whom I have known for over a decade now as a Broadcaster, Film Maker and Film Critic. This book though brief, covers almost each aspect of film making effectively and offers you noticeably clear understanding of the art, commerce and science of Cinema.
Utpal Datta has been a man of many talents and this succinctly written book encapsulates all his education and experience in Film Making with ample clarity, conviction and direction. Although written from an Indian perspective the book is relevant internationally because the method of film making internationally is more or less the same with little variations here and there. Maintaining the reader interest throughout by being terse, to the point with examples, the book covers each aspect of film making right from film appreciation, stages of production to character development, shooting and post-production.
The Indian Classrooms teaching Cinema and other aspects of film making are in dire need of such books that teach with precision and clarity. I am sure this book can serve well as an academic one if introduced in Classrooms as a textbook for Film Making. It has been translated well by Dr Dipsikha Bhagawati. In the times to come I shall look forward to more translations of this book in other Indian languages so that a wider spectrum of film students can benefit out of the Author's education and experience.
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