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Industry Spotlight: Saibal Ray — From Poetry and Literature to Independent Filmmaking

2026-10-10T14:52:55.065+05:30

Twelve published books, a journey through filmmaking and education, and a documentary screened at international film festivals. Indian writer, filmmaker, and producer Saibal Ray has built his creative career around storytelling in its many forms.

From writing poetry in his childhood to studying filmmaking and eventually directing his own documentary, Ray's journey has been shaped by observation, personal experience, and a determination to explore stories beyond conventional formulas.

Now developing his feature film project INFATUATION, he faces a challenge familiar to many independent filmmakers: finding the right producer and financing while preserving his creative vision.

In this edition of FilmPlatforms Industry Spotlight, Saibal Ray shares his thoughts on writing, filmmaking, pitching to producers, festival experiences, and the realities of bringing an independent project to life.

1. For readers discovering you for the first time, could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us how your journey into writing and filmmaking began?

I started writing at a very early age. It was mainly because of my childhood education and training. My parents and teachers always encouraged my writing, as they discovered that I have a habit of creative writing.

I started with poems. In my high school days I had a crush on a girl who was my very close friend. But I was shy to express my love to her mainly because of two reasons – I was worried about my future, and I was kind of an introvert.

This does not mean I wrote only love poems in this period. I wrote other types of poems too, getting inspired by the teachings of my parents and teachers. During this period I wrote a few short stories that I lost in the course of time.

Later, after shifting to the city of Kolkata from my hometown Mathabhanga, I started writing again as a refuge in the lonely city. This is the first time I wrote a full-length feature script just to test whether I could write a cinematic story or not, as I had a habit of time-passing in the cheap theatres of this city.

Eventually, after doing my bachelor's degree in physics, I joined a national film school, as I had cracked the admission test.

In the meantime, I got associated with a Bengali little magazine and translated a few articles for them. Also, I wrote another novel before joining the film school. The rest of my books were written during my film education and film-related jobs afterwards.

When I was teaching at a university, I made a documentary to teach the students about professional filmmaking. This documentary was my first professional venture as a director and producer, though I had worked on many other projects before as a crew member and otherwise.

However, this documentary has been shown in many international festivals so far with awards and accolades.

2. You've published twelve books across several forms. How do you decide whether an idea should become a book, a screenplay, or eventually a film?

Any idea can be made into movies provided you have the training, merit and budget. For me it takes time.

My two poetry collections are compilations of poems written over a period of almost four decades. But for prose it depends. It takes time to cook the idea in my brain. Once the idea is formed, I sit with a pen and paper to sketch the outline. Then I start writing.

You can say writing is a mechanical process for me. It can take one month to one year to finish a draft depending on the span of the subject.

It always depends on how research-friendly the environment around me is. Because for prose writing, research is an important element.

By 'research' I don't mean going through the book and the internet only. My memory, experience and observation are all parts of the research arrangements that I need to write.

However, the basic idea about the form of the cinema is necessary. It is true for all other art forms too. And for film writers, it is necessary to know about the differences between cinema and other art forms.

3. You're currently seeking producers and investors for INFATUATION. What has been the biggest challenge in moving the project from screenplay toward production?

The biggest challenge is, of course, getting the fund. I have been sending mail after mail for the last month to the production companies in India and around the globe.

Now, I am awaiting their responses. Also, I am looking for a producer who would allow my creative freedom.

4. What have you learned about finding and approaching the right producers and investors? What actually helps get their attention?

There are mainly two types of producers – first, the ones who go by the market trends, and second, the ones who want to invest in something new.

I am looking for the second type, who would like to invest in a film that is not a copy or collage of the movies happening around these days.

INFATUATION is an abstract projection of my childhood and the journey of my life.

5. How important are the pitch, pitch deck and overall presentation when seeking film financing? What do you think filmmakers often get wrong at this stage?

Pitch decks are very important for the filmmakers who do not have relatives or godfathers in the industry.

However, there are many filmmakers who may want to approach production companies otherwise. But for me it is very important to have a plan on paper first, as it saves both money and time.

While creating a pitch deck, filmmakers should focus on economy of words. The pitch deck must be concise, precise and attractive without moving away from the main idea of the film.

6. One of your documentaries has screened at eighteen festivals worldwide. What did that experience teach you about festival strategy, and what advice would you give filmmakers submitting their first film?

There is no festival strategy. While making the film, I never thought of any festivals. I concentrated on the form of the film.

As a result, it became attractive and engaging to the audience. After completion of the film, I started searching for festivals that would fit my film in.

However, I am grateful to all the festivals that showed and awarded my film, as it gave me a little bit of fame, which feels good in the crowd.

7. From your international experience, what helps a culturally specific story connect with audiences around the world without losing its identity?

That's a very interesting question.

Culture-specific stories must find two types of audiences first: the ones who love to know about different cultures, i.e., the culture-curious audiences; and second, the ones who have a similar lifestyle irrespective of their cultural differences, i.e., culturally identified audiences.

However, for movie buffs, all good movies are okay. The only thing is one has to find a way to reach them.

8. What advice would you give a filmmaker who has a finished screenplay and a strong project but doesn't know how to find the producer, financing or industry connections needed to get it made?

There is no other way but to keep trying.

If you have the right mixture of talent, creativity and training, someone shall definitely find you.

Just don't be hopeless.

9. Is there a recent project, film, book, or initiative you'd particularly like to share with the FilmPlatforms community?

All my books are written and edited with utmost care. However, my personal favourites are ORANGE and 4K.

Read the original interview on FilmPlatforms.

Pixel Comet Launches Creator-First Platform for Independent Filmmakers and Emerging Production Houses

2026-06-12T23:36:49.998+05:30

Removing traditional gatekeepers, Pixel Comet enables independent filmmakers and production houses to reach global audiences directly.

Pixel Comet was built to give independent filmmakers a global platform where their stories can be discovered worldwide.”

— Shruti Timande, Founder and CEO, Pixel Comet

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Pixel Comet Launches as the Premier Independent Film Streaming Platform Bridging Indian Cinema with Global Audiences

California-Based Platform Invites Independent Filmmakers Worldwide to Upload, Monetize, and Gain Global Visibility for Their Films

Pixel Comet (www.pxcomet.com), the independent film streaming and distribution platform founded by Shruti Timande, today announced its official launch featuring a curated slate of independent short films, documentaries, and feature films from emerging directors across India and beyond. The platform is now open for global audiences to watch, rent, and buy — and is actively inviting filmmakers, production houses, actors, and directors to join and distribute their work.

About Pixel Comet
Pixel Comet is a filmmaker-first ecosystem designed to give independent voices the distribution infrastructure they deserve. Founded on the belief that every great story — regardless of budget or geography — deserves to be seen, the platform supports films in multiple languages, offers rental and purchase options from as low as $1.99, and equips creators with a professional content dashboard to manage releases, trailers, and audience engagement.

Featured Films Now Streaming on Pixel Comet
Pixel Comet spotlights the following independent films, representing diverse genres, languages, and voices:
1. TOMBYARD | Dir: Kenche Vinay | English, Telugu | Horror/Supernatural | 29 min — Intern doctors at a rural health camp encounter terrifying paranormal activity. Rent $2.99 | Buy $9.99
2. ETI Tomar, Yours Truely | Dir: Pervez Ahmed | Bengali | Drama | 248 min — A heartfelt drama exploring deeply human relationships through Bengali narrative traditions. Rent $4.99
3. BĀRĀT | Dir: Dhawan | Prod: Hitesh Dhawan, Tarun Dhawan / The New Box Productions | Hindi | Sci-Fi & Fantasy | 18 min — A miser who exploits the universe but never gives back finds a mysterious trail of money leading to unspeakable poetic justice. Rent $1.99 | Buy $6.99

4. Indian Museum Kolkata | Dir: Saibal Ray | English | Documentary/Travel | 33 min — A documentary on the history, architecture, and cultural vibe of Asia-Pacific's oldest and largest museum. Quarter-Finalist, Student World Impact Film Festival; Semi-Finalist, Egyptian American Film Festival NY; Nominee, Royal Chance Film Festival Beverly Hills 2024. Rent $2.99 | Buy $9.99

5. The Wrath of the Jinn | Dir: Richard Samson | Prod: Cynthia Samson | English | Horror | 106 min — A young woman's online friendship with an admirer unravels into terror when her brother races to uncover a shocking truth. Rent $7.99 | Buy $19.99
6. The Shadow in My Sleep | Dir: Richard Samson | Prod: Cynthia Samson | English | Thriller | 46 min — A professional on medical leave is left alone in her house with her cat — and something far darker. Rent $2.99 | Buy $9.99
7. The Game Mode — A Sibling Story | Dir: Richard Samson | Prod: Cynthia Samson | English | Family | 23 min — A passionate gamer and his scheming sister end up shocking each other in this heartwarming family short. Rent $1.99 | Buy $6.99
8. Devil and the Seashore | Dir: Ayan Santra | Prod: Next Morning Pictures | Bengali | Psychological Horror | 13 min — On their honeymoon, a newlywed couple checks into a hotel haunted by a missing uncle's dark legacy, triggering a psychological descent. Rent $1.99 | Buy $6.99

A Platform Built for Independent Filmmakers
Pixel Comet is calling on independent filmmakers, production houses, directors, and actors across India, the US, and globally to join its growing creator community. The platform offers:
✦ Global Distribution — Upload once, reach audiences in the US, India, and worldwide.
✦ Flexible Monetization — Set your discount and earn directly from your audience.
✦ Creator Dashboard — Manage your film, trailer, subtitles, pricing, and reviews from a professional admin panel.
✦ Multi-Language & 4K Support — Many languages with subtitle support and quality up to 4K.
✦ Director Visibility — Each film page credits the director prominently, building your public filmography online.
✦ No Gatekeeping — Independent filmmakers are welcomed regardless of festival history or budget.

"Pixel Comet was born out of a simple question: why should a great story stay unseen just because it doesn't fit the mainstream mold? We built this platform for the filmmakers who are doing the real creative work — independently, passionately, and often without the recognition they deserve. We want to change that."
— Shruti Timande, Founder, Pixel Comet

How to Get Your Film on Pixel Comet
1. Visit www.pxcomet.com or www.Pixel Comet.in and navigate to the creator portal.
2. Create an account and submit your film details, trailer, and main content.
3. Once reviewed and approved, your film goes live for global audiences to watch, rent, and buy.
Pixel Comet welcomes short films, features, documentaries, web series, and experimental content across all genres and languages — from India, the US, or anywhere in the world.

Contact Information
Pixel Comet — Independent Film Streaming & Distribution
Website: www.pxcomet.com | www.Pixel Comet.in
Founder: Shruti Timande | California, USA
Press & Media: social@pixelcomet.in | contact@pixelcomet.in
Filmmaker Submissions: contact@pixelcomet.in

About Pixel Comet
Pixel Comet (pxcomet.com | Pixel Comet.in) is an independent film streaming and distribution platform headquartered in California, USA, hosting short films, features, documentaries, and more from independent filmmakers across India, the US, and globally. Audiences can watch trailers free and rent or purchase films in HD and 4K. For filmmakers, Pixel Comet provides a professional creator portal with full control over pricing, distribution, and audience engagement — committed to elevating independent voices and bridging indie cinema with global audiences.

News Provided By

Pixel Comet Media Streaming

June 11, 2026, 20:35 GMT

Read the original news on EIN Presswire.

SR-Books

2025-12-17T10:02:00.006+05:30

#SR #Ray #Glocus

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/giXXQ-EGyLo

Introducing Saibal Ray...

2025-07-28T12:16:00.001+05:30

#SaibalRay #SR #Ray

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/_DtrAeK_LtE/

A SHORT VIDEO ABOUT JUSTICE

2024-07-16T22:13:00.004+05:30

#justice

ZELENSKY SOLD UKRAINE TO US CORPORATE : KENNEDY JR

2024-06-23T17:47:00.004+05:30

#Russia #Ukraine #BlackRock #Corporate #US

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/zmreQ-K3Oek/

THIS COMPANY OWNS THE WORLD || BlackRock || OUR FAULT

2024-06-23T17:42:00.004+05:30

#BlackRock

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/ghP7kImI9WM/

UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME

2024-06-03T11:41:00.004+05:30

#UniversalBasicIncome #AI #NewWorld #Jobs #Income

YouTube Link: https://youtube.com/shorts/uug9nVUwrXw/

MONEY MATTERS!

2024-04-10T15:20:00.005+05:30

#Electoral Bond

SAD BUT REALITY!

2024-03-23T20:33:00.001+05:30

THE US & ISRAEL ARE COMMITTING WAR CRIMES: NOAM CHOMSKY

2023-10-14T17:15:00.002+05:30

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/5AJlfW0g2rk?

ফিনল্যান্ড - কেন ও কিভাবে বিশ্বের সবচেয়ে সুখী দেশ?

2023-05-17T10:57:00.007+05:30

FB Link: https://fb.watch/kA6wOoSogJ/?mibextid=YCRy0i

ChatGPT & Other AI Tools - Slave or Master? - Prof Ujjwal K Chowdhury

2023-04-13T18:06:00.001+05:30

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/ohrszfxJgIg

ইউক্রেনের বিরুদ্ধে আমাদের এক ঝাঁক অভিযোগ

2022-02-28T13:44:00.002+05:30

ইউক্রেনের বিরুদ্ধে আমাদের এক ঝাঁক অভিযোগ -

১/ কাশ্মীর ইস্যুতে ইউক্রেন ভারতের বিরুদ্ধে UNO তে ভোট দিয়েছে।

২/ ১৯৯৮ এ পারমাণবিক পরীক্ষা ইস্যুতে UNO তে ভারতের বিরুদ্ধে ভোট দিয়েছে।

৩/ UNSC তে ভারতের স্থায়ী সদস্যতার বিরুদ্ধে ভোট দিয়েছে।

৪/ ইউক্রেন পাকিস্তানকে অস্ত্র সরবরাহ করে।১০০ খানা T-84 Oplot main battle tanks দিয়েছে - পাকিস্তান যার নাম রেখেছে - আল খালিদ ট্যাঙ্ক

৫/ ইউক্রেন আল কায়েদা কে সমর্থন করে।

৬/ ইউক্রেন কখনোই ভারতকে সমর্থন করেনি।

৭/ যখন আমাদের দেশের উপর নিষেধাজ্ঞা জারি করা হয়েছিল তখন UNO তে নিষেধাজ্ঞার পক্ষে ভোট দিয়েছে।

৮/ ইউক্রেনের কাছে ইউরেনিয়ামের ভান্ডার আছে তবুও বারবার চাওয়া সত্বেও ভারতকে কখনোই দেয়নি।

সব সময় সব কিছু ক্ষমা করে দিলেই হয়না। সর্ব সময় ভারত বিরোধিতা !! আর বিপদে পরলে ভারত তুমি বাঁচাও বাঁচাও !!!!!

(Collected from WhatsApp)

USA BOMBING LIST

2022-02-28T11:47:00.004+05:30

(Collected from WhatsApp)

HOW WOULD AMERICA REACT IF THE RUSSIAN MISSILES WERE PLACED AT THE BORDER WITH CANADA & MEXICO?

2022-02-28T11:00:00.003+05:30

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/W2Cugn8JZfk

আমাদের ২১

2022-02-21T21:19:00.006+05:30

(Collected from WhatsApp)

WHY DOES BENGALI SOUND SO SWEET?

2021-09-06T15:13:00.008+05:30

Watch the original video HERE.

By the Ear: All about sound design and engineering and the job prospects they afford

2021-08-27T15:16:00.006+05:30

Sound is an art and a craft that many people appreciate but few know much about. It is the power of great sound that enhances the experience of a film, adds texture and detail to scenes, and has the power to send the audience on an immersive journey.

Today, music and audio experiences are a huge part of the consumers’ lives. People have access to music and podcasts or watch television and movies at home or on the go, making digital audio technology our closest companions.

“Sound design can be thought of as the unspoken hero of a film,” says Glenn Kiser, senior director of Dolby Institute-Dolby Laboratories, US.

Sound design is a creative and immersive art form used in various disciplines such as filmmaking, television production, theatre, live performance, video game development, sound recording and reproduction, post-production, radio and musical instrument development.

A sound designer, thereby, plays an unequivocally important role in bringing all these elements together.

A sound engineer must be proficient with the technical know-how and have expertise in operating involved systems and associated workflows. He or she must come with training as well as experience in the production and manipulation of sound through mechanical (analog) or digital means.

Says Saibal Ray, teaches the technical aspects of sound designing at the Adamas University School of Media and Communication, “Cinema uses sound engineering to a great extent. Suppose the sound designer wants to add sound to a visual of a helicopter; to do this one has to collect the sound first. For this one has to understand the set-up. If the sound of a helicopter exceeds the dynamic range of the recorder, one needs to put a limiter on the recording path to tame the sound...”

According to Ray, typically, in a film project sound is managed by the location sound recording engineer, the sound designer and the mixing engineer. A location sound recording engineer is responsible for the recording sound on location. A sound designer is responsible for the creative design part of the sound track that incorporates music as well. It is to be mentioned here that though music is a part of soundtrack, it is supervised solely by musicians and is not part of the sound department. Finally, the mixing engineer or the re-recording engineer mixes all the tracks to prepare the final output to be combined with the edited visuals. Each of these three heads generally has a team.

Clive D’Souza, who completed his bachelor’s in audio engineering, from Australia’s SAE Institute, says, “Currently I’m more into installations and configuring of audio-visual systems and some of my projects are multi-purpose halls, cinema, acoustics, background music systems, one opera house, recording studios, live sound rentals, and home automation... I would say that this is not a very fast paced income industry unless you are into film audio work.” D’Souza is working with the Hitec Center in Oman.

A course in sound engineering will be suitable for and extremely beneficial to students who have an interest in the art of sound and want to learn different technicalities related to the subject. There are many diploma level courses available, anything between six and 12 months’ duration. For a course in sound engineering, a background in physics and mathematics is preferable. A good ear for sound as well as knowledge and interest in music will be an added advantage.

Institutes that offer courses in sound engineering: Film and Television Institute of India, Pune; Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute of India, Calcutta; Whistling Woods International, Mumbai; MIT School of Film and Television, Pune; SAE Technology College, which has campuses across India; Ramoji Academy of Film and Television and Annapurna College of Film and Media, both in Hyderabad.

Some jobs that you can pick from: sync-sound recording professional, sound designer, mixing engineer for cinema, installation engineer, studio sound engineer, live sound engineer, studio designer, music arranger, audio post-production, dialogue and music editor, location recordist.

After a BSc in physics, Resul Pookutty pursued law for a bit and, thereafter, applied for a sound engineering course at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He made his debut in sound design with the 1997 film Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One, directed by Rajat Kapoor. His big break, however, was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black. He has been known to say in interviews that he grew up on a rich tradition of Malayalam films wherein sound represents the cultural context. Pookutty got the Academy Award in 2009 for Best Sound Mixing — along with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke — in Slumdog Millionaire. He recorded the soundscapes of Mumbai. It was reported at the time that in one sequence he used 25 microphones for his sound harvest. In his Oscar speech he said, “This is not just a sound award but a piece of history that has been handed over to me...” Pookutty has time and again stressed that the job of a sound artiste is to create an “immersive experience”. Today, he has his own post-sound facility and has also created a library of sound effects called The Essential Indian Sound Effects.

by Santana Fell

Read the original post on The Telegraph

WE CREATED AL QAEDA: HILLARY CLINTON

2021-08-22T11:33:00.005+05:30

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/r3pDCxzC_k0

INSIDE A FILM PROJECTION ROOM

2020-01-22T07:08:00.002+05:30

A REVIEW BY SAIBAL RAY

2018-09-05T20:34:00.000+05:30

Kaal Ratri is a monotonous movie. The real challenge of the director is to depict the monotone perfectly. I would say, he is quite successful in his effort. The movie is a real combination of an effective sound track and chiaroscuro of the camera, though the editing pattern does not follow the dialogues. Instead it follows the camera movement. This is quite experimental. The acting is awesome. Mainly it is a heroine-centric movie and the actor performed purely monotonously. The use of minimal props is quite appropriate. But the dialogue has the actor's visual description at one place and the face is not so visible through out the movie. The camera concentrates more on the chiaroscuro. The use of music is unique. It creates the mood for the audience not to get bored of the sweet monotone. But it could have been more touchy rather than experimental. The room reverb is not realistic, though it adds extra dimension to the story. However I miss the presence of a sound designer in the movie. Over all the movie is enjoyable for them, who like to think because certainly it provokes human thought.

COMBATTING POST-TRUTHS, FAKE & FALSE NEWS

2018-07-22T14:07:00.005+05:30

Post-truth represents a situation when facts take a backseat and, emotional appeals and personal beliefs begin shaping public opinion. Post-truth politics (also called post-factual politics and post-reality politics) is defined as a political culture in which debate is framed largely by emotional appeals, and by the repeated assertion of talking points while ignoring factual rebuttals. Post-truth differs from the traditional contesting and falsifying of truth by relegating truth to be a concern of secondary importance. In 2016, 'post-truth' was chosen as the Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year, subject to the Brexit referendum and the US presidential election.

In 2015, media and politics scholar Jayson Harsin coined the term 'Regime of Post-Truth' covering many aspects of post-truth politics. He argues that a convergent set of developments have created the conditions of a post-truth society: the political communication informed by cognitive science, which aims at managing perceptions and beliefs of segmented populations through techniques like micro-targeting which include rumours and falsehoods; the fragmentation of modern and a more centralised media; the attention economy marked by information overload, user-generated content and fewer trusted authorities to distinguish between truth and lies, accurate and inaccurate; the algorithms which govern what appears on social media and search engine rankings, based on what users want and not on what is factual; and, the news media which has been marred by plagiarism, hoaxes, propaganda and changing news values.

With regard to fake and false news, there is a conceptual error here. When we cite fake news, it is presumed that there is an original piece of news which is being faked. However, it is largely about false news, news that does not exist or perhaps exists in a totally different form.

The digital culture allows anybody with a computer and internet access to post their opinions which may be legitimised through echo-chambers. Content may be judged based on how many views a post gets, creating an atmosphere based on clickbait that appeals to emotion. Content, false or post-truths, which get more views, is continually filtered around different internet circles, regardless of its legitimacy. The internet allows people to choose where they procure their information from, allowing them to reinforce their own opinions. In the present era of post-truth politics in India, cow smugglers are lynched, every Hindu-Muslim marriage is love jihad, becoming a Hindu is Ghar Wapsi, anyone questioning the efficacy of an army act is considered an anti-national, slogans of freedom from poverty are considered to be secession calls and the likes, Priyanka Chopra meeting Rohingyas as a humanitarian cause is vilified and she is shown in a burqa, Sushma Swaraj taking a perfectly right step on the issue of an inter-faith couple's passport issue is viciously attacked online.

Tackling propaganda
Globally, in the Western world, rumour cascades are usually investigated through six independent fact-checking organisations (snopes.com, politifact.com, factcheck.org, truthorfiction.com, hoax-slayer.com, and urbanlegends.about.com) by parsing the title, body, and verdict (true, false, or mixed) of each rumour. Investigations are then reported on the websites. Both technology companies and governments have undertaken efforts to tackle the challenge of 'post-truth politics'. In an article for the journal Global Policy, Prof Nayef Al-Rodhan suggested four particular responses: Improve the technological tools for fact-checking. Greater involvement and visibility for scientists and the scientific community. Stronger government action. The most important challenge here is to ensure that such state-led efforts are not used as a tool for censorship. Securitising fake news. Psychological solutions include the so-called fake news 'vaccine'. India, one of the biggest internet markets in the world, has its share of troubles with fake news; but, Indian society has also birthed important initiatives to tackle the issue. For instance, The Quint has started a section called Webqoof that debunks fake news. Some of the leading grassroots citizens driven anti false-news initiatives include: (1) Boom FactCheck (BFC), established by Govindraj Ethiraj; (2) Social Media Hoax Slayer (SMHS), started and run by Pankaj Jain; (3) Pratik Sinha's Altnews.com and (4) check4spam.com initiated by Shammas Oliyath and Bal Krishn Birla. With the news of two Indian soldiers allegedly beheaded by Pakistan, several thousand WhatsApp groups came alive. A video purportedly showing the beheading, one by a chainsaw and another knifed in the throat while singing Vande Mataram, went viral. A week later, it turned out that the video was shot in 2011 and the men were Spanish drug dealers. It was exposed by Mumbai-based businessman Pankaj Jain who runs SM Hoax Slayer. In 2015, for instance, the police said WhatsApp messages had led to the lynching of a man in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and four beatings in nearby Gandhinagar. Mohammad Akhlaq was murdered by a mob in Uttar Pradesh the same year after villagers said they had seen pictures on WhatsApp proving that he had slaughtered a cow. Forensic reports later proved that the meat was not of a cow's. WhatsApp messages have led to the lynching of more than 30 Indians in the last three months across India, largely on baseless rumours of child-lifting, found untrue in all cases. Experts say fake or false news falls in two categories – so-called news articles and videos published by various websites, Twitter handles, Facebook pages and YouTube channels; and the other, WhatsApp forwards that go viral. But how do these hoax-slayers dig out the lies? While software tools are used to trace videos on YouTube, keywords are reverse googled to find the original context. Pratik Sinha of Altnews.com explains, "Sometimes, I break a video into frames and then search for the original. It can take an hour or a whole day." Data scientist Rishabh Srivastava says fake news in India has a deeper concern since it is primarily spread through WhatsApp. Data analytics can show us the ethnicity and gender profile of those forwarding a certain piece of news, helping us determine its falsity; but the nature of WhatsApp encryption makes it difficult to counter, he adds. One of the most common techniques of the fake news industry is to take images out of context. Fake news with stolen and doctored images are found worldwide and could even lead to real social strife. In India, some of the most out-of-the-blue cases of images taken out of their original context include a story claiming that an old Hindu temple carried images of modern technology – such as an astronaut – or that researchers unearthed the 80-foot-long skeleton of Ghatotkacha, a giant described in the Mahabharata. The fake news slayers have to be particularly good at using reverse image search engines, such as TinEye. A reverse image search enables the searcher to locate when the image had been used before – if it had – and, obviously, finding earlier sources makes it possible to compare the images and identify the adulterations. Pratik Sinha reveals how he breaks videos into frames and then puts these stills in the reverse image search. As revealed on SMHS, the image of the astronaut on the 'temple' turned out to originate from the New Cathedral in Salamanca. The astronaut and other modern touches were added to that church during the 1992 restoration. The skeleton of a 'giant' was, in reality, a sculpture by an Italian artist. Reverse image searching also helps counter the doctors of doctored images. Photographs are not just stolen – they are also morphed or altered. A clever combination of two historical photographs created the image of members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh saluting before the British Queen. The hoax-slayers also refer to verified accounts on social media such as Twitter or Facebook. This method may have its limitations: many times, well-known people such as politicians or journalists share fake news and doctored images accidentally. Yet, looking at the social media user profiles, while not necessarily helpful in judging the credibility of the news, assists in uncovering the agenda behind the news. Going beyond the web by contacting official institutions to verify a story also assisted a number of cases. For example, Ethiraj and Jacob of Boom FactCheck recommend contacting the local police when the news clearly relates to a smaller locality. Boom FactCheck did exactly that in assessing the validity of a story about a violent abduction in Rajasthan. The importance of verifying a story with the authorities was recently confirmed when a school bus was attacked by goons in the city of Gurugram. While it was widely believed that the attackers came from a fringe, right-wing Hindu group called the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, many netizens shared the news that the men pelting stones at the school bus were Muslims. The Gurugram police, however, denied that any followers of Islam were arrested in connection to the event. As dystopian as it may seem, the fake news problem in India is very real. In all, seven people lost their lives in two separate incidents in Jharkhand, in a fury based on falsified social media information. A couple of months after the Jharkhand incident, amidst a communal flare-up in the state of West Bengal, a BJP leader, Vijeta Malik, shared a screenshot from a local feature film showing a woman being molested by Muslims. Multiple videos were circulated on WhatsApp allegedly showing Indian Muslims celebrating the victory of Pakistan. All except one of those videos was genuine; it was from Indian-administered Kashmir, as one of the exposes finds. The only driving force in fake news is the existing, strongly-held bias among people. What this means is that, often, social and mainstream media feed off one another to grab eyeballs. However, the larger issue is one of media literacy and the fight against fake news still needs to be led by mainstream legacy media. People segment organisations into those they trust and those that they believe are for entertainment. There is a higher onus on those that they trust. This could be as simple as breaking down an article and educating readers. It can be as basic as distinguishing an opinion piece from a news piece and breaking down articles and identifying things like sources, facts and analyses. Finally, it is the protracted efforts of the civil society, assisted by a movement for Media Literacy through academia and alternative media that can, to an extent, combat the menace of false, fake, post-truth news and trolling.

by Ujjwal K Chowdhury

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What is the difference between progressive and interlaced Scanning?

2017-11-15T12:11:00.002+05:30

There has been a lot of talk recently about the differences between interlaced and progressive scanning in digital video. This article isn’t meant to be an in depth technical explanation of the specific details, but instead a brief explanation of the most important points for filmmakers who are not interested in the in depth technical explanation but instead are interested in how the two shooting standards will have an impact on their films.

If you decide to do further research on this subject you should understand the vocabulary and short forms that are used. First of all, you often see “i” to represent interlaced and “p” to represent progressive. For example: 480p or 480i.

Interlaced scanning

Interlaced scanning is simply displaying alternating sets of lines. First even numbered lines are displayed and then odd numbered lines are displayed. Each even set of lines are displayed for 1/60th of a second and then the odd lines are displayed for 1/60th of a second. This process is repeated over and over again. Each time an odd number series of lines are displayed it is called a “field”. The same name is given to the even set of lines. Because each field happens so quickly we are given the illusion of a whole image. However, we are only being presented with half an image and very quickly after that we are presented with the other half of the image.

Progressive video on the other hand displays the entire image in 1/60th of a second.

The consequences of using interlaced are predictable. Because you’re only capturing half of the image at a time, movement within the frame (due to either camera movement or subject movement) may cause motion artifacts. This happens especially when the movement is quick enough to cause noticeably different positions of the fields. For example, if you’re filming interlaced from a moving car you’ll notice motion artifacts.

Progressive scanning

Progressive video, as stated above captures 1 entire image per frame. This means you’ll avoid the problem of motion artefacts. That being said, progressive video is not mainstream yet because it’s more expensive. However, there are a few camera models that are reasonably affordable for independent filmmakers. For about $3000 you can get the Panasonic AG-DVX100 which shoots progressive video. The Canon XL-2 is another option for shooting progressive video.

Progressive video is desired by independent filmmakers because the look of progressive resembles the look of film. Progressive scanning results in a clearer image and as mentioned above, progressive scanning handles movement differently. The cameras mentioned above also have the ability to shoot 24p which also helps give your video the “film look” making it desirable to many filmmakers.

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Personal Statement by Saibal Ray, for the application to AFA 2007

2009-05-21T15:19:00.000+05:30

Introduction of myself in relation to film work

I have been born and brought up in a very small idyllic town of northern India. In my childhood I did not have enough opportunity to watch films in theatres, as there were only two very poor cinema theatres, which showed only poor quality so called B grade films and my film viewing outside home i.e. television was very restricted by my parents. I grew up watching films in television, mostly of Satyajit Ray, with my parents. My father, seldom, took me to film theatres only if there is any ‘good’ movie, by chance, is shown. So up to 12th standard of my education, I saw films mostly on television, and kept writing poems and lyrics for songs mostly in my mother tongue.
After that I left home to get admission in a famous college in Kolkata, one of the famous cities of India. I got admitted and stayed in a rented house, which is typically known as ‘mess’ in this city, with ten other senior boarders.
However, this city introduced me to world cinema. I became a regular visitor to a cheap but good film theatre. Actually this is the first multiplex, known as ‘Nandan Complex’, of this city and is always frequently used for film festivals and other cultural activities. In this place I got introduced to Iranian, Japanese, European and Latin American films through the KFF (Kolkata Film Festival). Besides I also watched Hollywood movies whenever I got chance.
In this way during my stay in Kolkata I discovered my passion for films and eventually got attracted towards the use of sound in films. I became fond of 5.1 surround format. At the same time I was also very interested in editing. I decided to read about editing and joined a film library, called ‘Chitrabani’ in Kolkata. There I found some interesting books, like Karol Reisz’s, Rumsey and McCormick’s (on sound recording), and some other related to screenplay writing. I browsed through them and gradually become interested in sound, most probably because it would give me a great chance to explore Physics ( I have my ‘Bachelor in Science’ or B.Sc degree, with English as the medium of instruction, in this subject.) in the field of film making. So after completing my graduation (B.Sc), I applied for 3 yearPost Graduate Diploma in ‘Audiography’ (sound recording and designing for film and television) in SRFTI (Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute), one of the two national film schools of India. Another reason behind choosing audio is this is the most technical part of the process of film making and I believed that it is impossible to write a poem unless one knows how to hold the pen.
Though before joining the film school I had no hands-on experience on film making, I discovered the pleasure of film making and team work gradually. It would be very dishonest of me if I do not mention that the films, which I am going to submit according to the eligibility criteria of AFA, are not at all having any professional quality, since these are all exercise films made to learn about the process of film making and for the first time in this institute I realized that how different is the process of filmmaking and film theory are. I also wrote two short screenplays for films, during my stay in this institute. I still love to write. This is a habit I can’t help living without. Though I used to write poems in my mother tongue, I got taught about writing screenplays in English in the first year’s ‘common course’ in this institute and I readily found the cathartic joy and pleasure about finishing a draft. However I would love to call it my hobby. I only use my spare time for writing.

Why I wish to attend AFA

There are several reasons for why I want to attend AFA.

Firstly I want to learn more about sound designing. I have a lot of queries regarding the technique and aesthetics of sound in films. I want to know how the perception of sound and music varies from culture to culture and at the same time how people of different cultures react to films. But there is almost no scope for attending any external workshops on sound designing in India.
Secondly, I want to exchange ideas with delegates coming from different countries. Since I write screenplays in my spare time, I believe that I can have a great chance to share my thoughts with other.
Thirdly, I feel that Asian cultures and heritages and philosophies are greatly unexplored in cinema. To fill this gap the people, who are dreaming big, need to get teamed up and for this AFA is a great platform.
Last but not the least; I need to know more about how to broadcast films internationally.

My future plans in film work

To me life is full of problems. I need to face and solve them. I believe where there is a problem, there is a solution. I have a lot of dreams, though they are very mundane. Achieving them is really very hard but I think it is not impossible. So I keep dreaming, despite knowing the fact that some of them might remain untouched in my lifetime.
Among all the dreams of mine, the hardest one is to be a film maker with a good sense of sound designing. I believe that sound is an abstract energy and it has the capability to infiltrate into the human emotion to move it. And if it is used precisely with the structure and shapes of visual frames it can bring out the best intended empathy. So at first I want to be a successful sound designer and eventually want to be a feature film maker. This is the ultimate goal in my life.

Copyright©SaibalRay