The Accolade\nCompetition<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nShahadat is currently working on the\nfeature documentary Different Border based on the lifestyles of transgender\nindividuals in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shahadat started his career as a\nfreelance photographer in 2005 and since then has received more than twelve\ninternational awards and participated in twelve international exhibitions in\nthe US, UK, Japan and beyond. Shahadat has also worked with prominent European\ndocumentary filmmaker Michael Glawogger. He did his MA in English Literature\nand completed a Post Graduation Diploma in cinematography from The Asian\nAcademy of Film and Television, India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: How did you get started in your career? <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was not\nthat kid who shot movies or taking photographs; actually, I didn’t have access\nto these things, and no one could ever think a boy could devote himself to\nphotography or Films. Throughout my boyhood, I did not have access to\nfilmmakers, their work, or even a camera. So movies did not exist for me in\ntheory or in practice. In 1998 after the school exam we couple of friends went\nto the sea town Cox’s Bazar and I took charge of the camera, and that’s how it\nall started. I’m a self-learned photographer, and around 2004\/2005, I started\nmy career as a freelance photographer. After a few years, I found myself into\ndocumentary movies with an Austrian company in super 16 mm formats in 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: What is your experience shooting with\ndifferent tools? What are you to go to gadgets? <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s all about how you read the story and how you\ntell the story and how you reveal the critical emotions, and that shapes your\napproach when it comes to operating a camera and finding your moments. I always\nuse my i phone for the reference frame, and I use Canon 6D and set of lenses\nsuch as 24-70 mm, 70-200mm, 35mm, 50 mm and Zorki film camera with 50mm lens\nfor photography and Sony FS-5 and FS-7, Sony a7s iii and Gh-5 for regular video\nproduction and low budget production. For commercials, I prefer Alexa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: Which specific requirements did you have to\ntake care of when choosing your equipment?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nEach production requires a different set of things to imply. So better\ngo with a free approach and decide based on the requirements and also to keep\nthe best things within the budget is the best approach without compromising the\ncreative demands. Choosing equipment for a project is a mix of deciding what we\ncan afford to rent and what kind of equipment works for the scenes we have to\nfilm. The Alexa has been used in almost every Ad films here since digital\ncinema cameras were introduced because the images it produces have rich and\ndeep skin tones and a film-like quality to the highlights and shadows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to lighting equipment, LEDs have become very handy. They\nare cheap and can offer high output and colour quality. But for \u2018Rising silence\u2019\nwe keep a couple of LED lights with adjustable colour temperature with us, and\nthey were handy in different places, and they were budget-friendly as well as\neasy to carry and use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We use jib for the train shoot in Dhaka. We used GoPro quite a lot for\nthe landscape shots whereas managed the c-100 for most of the handheld shots\nwith the characters, and Canon XF-205 camcorder was used for the wide shots. In\nKolkata, we had a minimal resource and were heavily relying on Canon 6D with a\nset of lens and natural light sources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: What are you currently working on? <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI am currently working on my feature documentary\nfilm \u2018Banishanta\u2019. \u2018Banishanta\u2019 is a narrative documentary about three young\nsex workers, a Veteran Madam and a male client for all seasons. The Banishanta\nIsland, between Sunderbans and Mongla port, consists of 150 women, all\ndependent on the sex trade inside a state-licensed brothel in Bangladesh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: Did you like the script?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWe didn\u2019t have any\nscript per se, but we had an overview of the story, the women we were going to\nmeet and a detailed guideline in regards to our approach to the story. We also\nused to have a meeting every morning to discuss the next shooting schedule and\nto decide which aspects of the story we would shoot next. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
We stayed with\neach of the women\/stories for a few days to understand and capture their way of\nlife in their own settings. When we were travelling from one place to another,\nI would think about the location we were visiting next and tried to get as much\nB-roll as possible to feed into the editing table which became handy in the\nend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: Did you have a particular shooting approach\nwhen making this film? <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen it comes to\nfiction you have to break down the script and kind of rewrite the script in\nyour own way, but for a documentary film it is different, and it depends on the\ntype of the film you are working on and whom you are working with. Every\ndocumentary filmmaker has his\/her own perspective and approach towards a story,\nand our job is to understand and deliver that vision most efficiently. When it\ncomes to making a frame or composition, I always prefer to keep the idea of a\nsingle frame that tells a story. For \u2018Rising silence\u2019 we knew all along that it\u2019s\ngoing to be a presenter lead documentary\nwith mixed of sitting interviews. So I tried to complement their stories with\nvisually moving shots and naturally beautiful footage with cine-variety style\nin the b-roll section so that it would look appealing to absorb these heartfelt\nstories of the Birangona women of war. That\u2019s why natural landscape played a\nsignificant role in the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: Was there a scene in the film that was particularly\nchallenging from conception to actual execution?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI would say two scenes in the film were\nparticularly difficult to take – the first one was a market scene in the three\nsister’s story. It was particularly challenging because there was a huge crowd\nfollowing us everywhere in a dense market place, and we barely had room to\nsqueeze in to find a space for us to continue filming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Bangladesh, while we were taking interviews of\nwomen in different locations, most of the time, they would not want to open up\nin our presence. So, we used to set up the cameras and leave, and it was\nsuitable for the crew. But in Kolkata, Jharna Basu did not have any objection\ntelling her story in front of us, and we kept on listening to her heartbreaking\ntestimony while filming. It was intense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: What was the atmosphere like on the set?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIn\n‘Rising Silence’ it was quite a challenging schedule for the crew. We were on\nthe road, and we were shooting for five weeks on the trot without a major\nbreak. However, we had a small unit, and the production in-charge very well\nmanaged it. Everyone at the set was committed and on time. The Birangonas were\nsuperb with their excellent spirits, good humour and love, which made our life\neasy as it was a very challenging subject to shoot. So I think our director did\na terrific job to tie the knot. Let me tell you one thing it was total\nteamwork. For an example, while we were taking interviews, mostly we would set\nthe camera and leave as the character would find it difficult to talk in front\nof us especially being men and I speak the same language as them. So I would\nset the cameras, lights and looks of the shot and leave it to the designer to\nsee it’s recording alright. Everyone was\nquite helpful, and I must say it was a small team but a dream team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: <\/strong>How\ndo you define the role of cinematographer?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nTypically, a cinematographer is the head of the camera and\nlighting department to control lighting, framing and composition. Ideally,\ncinematographer tries to translate ideas into images; his\/her job is to tell\nstories within the time and space on the screen. In cinematography, the most\nimportant thing is light that creates the mood. It is much more than just\nrecording what happens on location. It is a language that is not spoken but\nseen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: <\/strong>What have been some of your\nrecent\/other projects?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe feature documentaries I have worked\non are ‘Rising Silence’ (released in 2018), ‘In Search of Bengali Harlem’ (shot\nin 2015, 2017), Bangla Surf Girls (Shot in 2017), ‘Untying the knot’ (released\nin 2018), Different Border (shot in 2015 and 2016 and about to release in\n2021). I have also worked on commercials, and shots and am currently working\nwith the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as a consultant\nfilmmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: <\/strong>How do you choose your movies that you\nwant to shoot?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe script is all I need to look at\nwhen it comes to feature films; if it is meaningful to me, I\u2019m up for it. And\nfor a documentary film, the power of an idea is all to execute. If the director\nand I communicate well and understand my requirements, then it\u2019s always wonderful\nto be part of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: <\/strong>What are your preferred shooting\nlocations?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI\nhave been privileged to shoot all over Bangladesh and some part of Asia and\nEurope. From big cities to small villages, big shooting studios to tiny alleys.\nHilltowns to beach towns, refugee camps to the presidential palace. It has been\nincredibly inspirational and fun, but at the end of the day, the best location\nis the one that goes with the script most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: <\/strong>Is there a film or film maker that\ninspired you to pick up a camera?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nMany great filmmakers inspire me through their\nwork, such as Abbas Kiarostami, Akira Kurosawa and De Sica\u2019s work is full of\ncompassion and honesty. I think their incorruptible quest for truth and reality\nis striking and exciting. When it comes cinematographers, I am blown away by\nthe work of Raoul Coutard, Emmanuel Lubezki and Subrata Mitra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: <\/strong>Describe your biggest accomplishment to\ndate?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI think survival and being able to love and loved\nby others is the most significant accomplishment to date, and I must say this\nlove is a miracle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: <\/strong>Do you ever think about directing\nsomeday?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI think it is essential to know how to\ndirect when we operate a camera and interact with characters. I love the role I\ndo behind a camera, but I believe everyone has a story to tell, and I do have\nmy stories to tell. Perhaps someday if I\ngot the chance, I will wear a director’s hat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
NY Glam: <\/strong>What are some of the projects that you\nare working next? Who are you working with?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI am planning to shoot a full-length\nfiction by the end of November 2020 in Leesa Gazi’s next film, and we are very\nexcited about it. I am going to shoot shorts soon after the lockdown is over\nand a couple of company AV and I am looking forward to it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Exclusive interview with Shahadat Hossain – Film producer Shahadat Hossain is a film production expert with more than ten years\u2019 experience working on international and domestic media projects as a director, cinematographer, producer and photographer. He has worked for Lotus Films (Austria), Komola Collective (UK), Unicef Bangladesh, Mortal Coil Media (UK), VG Network (Norway), Bishari […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8615,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-film"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8614"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19257,"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8614\/revisions\/19257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nyglamour.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}