Hooria Said's Media blog (As M1)

Today we were finally done with shooting. We shot our last scene in a scrap yard. We had to wait for some time before the scrap dealers were free and the place was emptied from trucks, but it was worth the wait since the shots taken looked very professional and realistic.  After being done with the scarp yard scenes we went to the wall of kindness to film the awaited shot that would help bridge the gap between two scenes with a slight difference in costume. This shot was important to give a back story of why the poor boy wears a leather jacket (that otherwise he wouldn't be able to afford) in the following scenes. And finally to celebrate our 6 memorable days we had an amazing photo shoot in the park.

Today we shot all the scenes that needed a bike; bike passing by the cycle, bike standing in the red light etc. Since the red light scene was risky, we couldn't shoot the other scene in which Saim talks on the phone on the main road. Instead we moved to different streets that had no cars to see what location best suited and shot that scene over there. We were extremely careful while shooting on the main road and had our tripod mounted on the pavement or the green belt.

Today we went to Amna's house to shoot the scene in which the gang leader talks on the phone as he smokes. We tried to replicate dolly in motion with the help of a wheel chair but its five wheels prevented a smooth straight motion. Instead we mounted the camera on a tripod and decided to animate the clip by zooming it on adobe premier software. Since we had already tried experimenting with the position of the light sources, it was easier to create a dramatic and fitting low-key light effect the second time.

After a group discussion we decided to re-shoot the scenes with the boy wearing the jacket. However, we couldn't re-shoot the scene where the boy jumps over the water puddle and then gets kidnapped in the same narrow street, since the water puddle had been dried up and the lighting wasn't the same. For the time being we left the situation as it is, and we'll decide on what scenes to use afterwards. We also shot a bit of the cycling scene in which Maaz, in a skillful manner took a track shot.

Today we started shooting the last few scenes of the film opening where the poor boy is walking back home and at the end gets kidnapped. Before shooting we briefed our actors once again about the story. The day went productive but there is a doubt about whether we should re-shoot the scenes since the jacket that 'Mustafa Rehman' is wearing does not clearly give an impression that he belongs from a lower income class.

1st DAY  We took a low angled wide shot of part of the city Islamabad from a hill. This was taken so that we can add it later on, during editing, between two scenes to show time gap. At night,we shot the gang leader scene in Amna's (group member) house basement. As you can see in the videos, we used mobile torches to create low key lighting effect. The shoot went well, and we experimented with the positioning of the light sources(torches) to get the perfect low-key effect that would help create a dramatic look. Unfortunately, since the ISO was kept low, the footage seemed grainy. Thereafter, we may have to shoot these scenes once more to get the perfect shots. 

ACTORS The poor boy/ scrap collector played by MUSTAFA REHMAN Evil gang leader played by HASSAN NASEER Main kidnapper played by MUHAMMAD SAIM REHMAN *THE ROLE OF THE POOR BOY HAD TO BE PLAYED BY AYAN ORIGINALLY. HOWEVER DUE TO PERSONAL REASONS THE ACTOR HAD TO BE CHANGED. (NOW THE SAME ROLE WILL BE PLAYED BY MUSTAFA REHMAN)

For a national business competition I made this advertisement for a product that had been assigned to us.  I used innovative transitions such as colour match of the sky with the white flare the television produces and graphic match of the girl that appears to be inside the TV with the same girl sitting on a sofa in the next scene.  I also observed the 180 degree rule. Short reverse shot was used to show both girls during the fight and to add a dramatic touch action match and insertions were added to emphasize on certain body parts. Cut away shot showed the reaction of the third girl, as she was observing the two girls fighting. To compliment the fighting scene a dramatic opera song was inserted as a background music.  Over all visible and invisible editing can be seen in the video. However for sound only non-diegetic sounds were used. And most importantly colour grading helped freshen up the raw colours of the video clips.  https://vimeo.com/259687091 ...