Cinematography masterclass: Manoj Paramahamsa on ‘Leo’ and the gargantuan efforts behind the making of Vijay’s latest

Excerpts from a dialog:

From Kashmir with love

Earlier than the shoot, Lokesh urged I watch Kaithi and Vikram. After we began, the story wasn’t based mostly in Kashmir, however in a suburban place within the southern a part of our state to stay to his sample of movies so far as lighting and night time results had been involved. However the precedence in Leo was all the time Vijay sir’s efficiency, so we weren’t certain by location points. Lokesh additionally prefers taking pictures reside as a substitute of utilizing units, and because the story was written retaining a hill base because the backdrop, we zeroed in on Kashmir. It additionally helped join with the story, because it exhibits that he has gone so removed from his previous. We normally go to such terrains for track shoots, however to shoot the vast majority of a movie — with plenty of motion sequences — was fairly difficult. Due to the mist and poor lighting, we had been solely capable of shoot from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a two-hour break in between.

Energy scarcity is a standard drawback in such areas. Furthermore, there was additionally static electrical energy from which we insulate ourselves with extra clothes layers. Even a digicam conked off due to the temperature; since all my photographs are prolonged takes, cameras warmth up quite a bit and the chilly temperature outdoors can mess up with the mechanics because the lithium batteries develop. However I carried six to seven cameras, so we had been well-equipped. With the expertise of taking pictures Radhe Shyam in locations like Italy and Switzerland, we anticipated the challenges and took precautionary measures. So the one different main concern was the logistics involving greater than 300 of us, however the city people and army supported us so much.

(L-R) Vijay, director Lokesh Kanagaraj and cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa in Kashmir
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By way of a brand new lens

We determined to shoot the vast majority of the movie, aside from motion sequences, in a mise-en-scène type, during which the actors carry out in a circulate that gained’t be interrupted and ibe captured in both single or a number of cameras. Whereas this type would possibly assist us from taking a number of takes for different angles, we have now to verify the lighting works from all of the digicam angles, particularly if the characters transfer. We predominantly had three cameras that had been cellular on a regular basis out of which one was the first digicam that picked up the vital shot. Because the artists gained’t know this, the photographs would prove fairly candid. Since we have now remote-controlled tools, it wouldn’t disturb the actors’ circulate.

We did shoot excessive close-ups alone once more, and for that, I used a 3-D macro lens that offers plenty of depth; if the eyes are targeted, the ears can be out of focus! This enhances the efficiency, as a result of, not like different tales the place location or scenario inform a narrative, right here it’s an individual saying his story. I’d normally go for deaging and tender lighting for such close-ups, however Lokesh likes it to be rugged and that’s why the gloss you noticed in Beast gained’t be current in Leo. One set of continuity lighting that may double as off-lighting and direct lighting made it appear to be a pure supply, and that aided the rugged-ness.

Trisha and Vijay in a nonetheless from ‘Leo’
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A bonus for the editor is that he will get three time codes synced in his timeline and he has the choice to decide on visuals from any shot. For instance, the cafe scene involving Vijay sir, Gautham sir and Trisha; regardless of it being a easy scene, it was shot from three angles and wherever we wanted close-ups, we did that too. Within the emotional 6-minute scene between Trisha and Vijay sir, we opted for a single shot as there have been so many feelings flowing. It was difficult as a result of I wished the silhouette within the grasp shot, with little or no off-lighting, Additionally, we wanted to make sure that mild didn’t fall on the shadow as properly. It’s just like how sitcoms are shot, however not like them, we dynamically transfer by the scene to complement the cinematic expertise.

A technological marvel

There’s a expertise referred to as visible manufacturing by which we are able to pre-visualise find out how to go about with digicam actions, like for the fast-paced hyena sequence. We use a real-time 3D creation software referred to as Unreal Engine that’s normally employed within the gaming business. We even have our personal firm, Stage Unreal, which I co-founded with visible results designer Mr Srinivas Mohan (of 2.0 and RRR fame), through which we are able to pre-visualise all of the motion sequences. We did this for Radhe Shyam by a US-based firm they usually price so much. However we preferred the expertise and realised it could actually assist in every part from scheduling a scene to determining the difficult photographs.

A nonetheless from the hyena sequence
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Immediately, our movies want a sure stage of grandeur that can’t be achieved with out VFX and the price range we spend on it (like we did for Radhe Shyam) is normally how a lot makers spend on an entire movie itself. That’s once we determined to do it ourselves and get the skillset and data. We designed the hyena sequence as an animated clip with scaled-up units which we obtained from scanning your entire space through a drone that we later mapped right into a 3-D picture. We do go away house for improv; the shot the place Vijay sir jumps and catches the basketball hoop, for instance, was one such determination we took on the spot. The motion choreographers Anbariv additionally gave some beneficial inputs.

The issue with CGI in Indian movies is the dearth of preparation. Solely after we ship the footage, do they work with no matter we’ve given. We wished to bridge the hole between cinematographers and VFX artists. For instance, I can simulate a picture of an elephant strolling throughout the studio by including a rig atop the digicam. Whereas it’s not bodily current, in my digicam’s second monitor, you possibly can see the elephant. So, now I can compose that component by figuring out how far I’ve to go to seize the complete determine and work out the lighting as properly. Equally, we used it within the automobile chase scene and this helps to guage one thing as primary as how a lot pullback the digicam has to do to seize a automobile flipping. I’ll have already got the automobile flip simulation, so I can edit it and see it on the taking pictures spot itself. Then the work of CG is available in and that’s so as to add photorealism.

Cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa together with his staff
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The acute of this visible manufacturing is utilizing LED screens to generate photos as a substitute of taking pictures on a inexperienced display screen. The promo, for instance, was shot with out taking Vijay sir to Kashmir. But, it may need the visuals of these elements over the window of his workshop. Since we’re utilizing gaming expertise, it considers the digicam to be a first-person sport character and because it strikes, the graphics are occurring in real-time. We shot Prince’s flashback parts and Radhe Shyam’s rain sequence utilizing LED screens. In Leo, it helped with the technical facets, previz and postviz. We don’t wish to substitute CG corporations however be sure that the content material handover is extra seamless in order that they don’t fear about lighting references, unsuitable scaling and lensing. The homework we did makes Leo look pretty much as good because it seems. This makes planning straightforward, as we spent two and a half months making ready for the automobile chase scene however shot it in simply someday.

Ranging from scratch

Lokesh and the stunt administrators Anbariv find out about my fascination with constructing my very own cameras as a substitute of simply mounting a digicam on a monitor and trolly or crane. It’s because that is what many would get for leases, and people in that enterprise would solely inventory those which might be frequently loaned. This is the reason I construct my very own rigs they usually assist in the point-of-view photographs which we’ve used from the hyena sequence to even going to the size of rigging a digicam to a gun as Lokesh loves firearms.

A shot from ‘Leo’ the place the digicam is rigged to the gun
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In Beast, we needed to prohibit the digicam actions as a result of Nelson prefers static photographs principally and the largest benefit with such photographs is our management over lighting. However I’m loopy about digicam actions and even Vijay sir would joke concerning the lack of it. Anbariv noticed my work throughout Beast combat scenes the place we had been ready to make use of some actions they usually shared it with Lokesh who additionally loves digicam actions. In reality, a lot of my rigs had been utilized in Vikram. On the primary day of Leo’s shoot, Vijay sir instructed me to neglect the earlier movie’s lighting and ship the darkness Lokesh desires. I wished to point out some variations between the 2 movies and whereas the sensors stayed the identical, we performed with the lensing which may change the traits.

Beast is shot with a spherical lens which supplies a 1 85 facet (full format ratio). That’s why Beast gained’t have black bars and except watched on an IMAX or PLF (Premium Giant Format) display screen, there can be some picture space that’s lower. Lokesh doesn’t like that format and like his movie to look the identical as those he used to observe in his childhood. He would say that he didn’t have the chance to shoot on movie so he desires to no less than keep on with the identical facet ratio with black bars. That’s why, for Leo, I opted for classic optics which might be referred to as anamorphic lenses. It gave a brand new look and attribute.

Lights, digicam and motion: On the much-discussed automobile chase in ‘Leo’ and extra

The one motion sequence we determined to daringly go forward with the identical mise-en-scène type was the automobile chase scene; not like common scenes the place stunt doubles carry out stunts and automobiles are flying, we wished the hero to be in focus all through the sequence. This type of creating was the foremost change we did for Leo so far as staging and shot division are involved.

A nonetheless from the movie’s automobile chase scene
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Many are speaking concerning the eagle POV shot we have now in Leo’s second half, however for the very first hyena sequence, we used the identical set-up. We couldn’t shoot it with bodily or drone cameras because it was a fast-moving shot, so we went with FPV (first-person view) cameras. We obtained operators from Mumbai who’re used to mounting GoPros on these cameras for journey sports activities. We mounted the KOMODO digicam on it with a specialised rig and freshly coded stabilisation software program. We used it once more for the market scene by decreasing the stabilisation to offer it a shaky really feel. The FPV digicam is a manually-assembled tools that flies remotely and is manoeuvred through goggles and shot from the primary individual perspective.

Watching me use it usually, Lokesh and Anbariv additionally obtained hooked on it and used it for the eagle sequence on the finish. We additionally tried it for different photographs the place they find yourself bumping into objects and failing, and for that, we changed them with rope-rigged cameras; just like the police station scene whereby we needed to transfer the large lens digicam backwards quick, as Vijay sir chokes a cop whereas bringing him out of the constructing. However in that scene, we might’ve staged it in a way solely the place his expression is noticeable. Equally, within the scene the place Sanjay Dutt sir’s character meets Leo, the espresso store set had a wall with wings painted on it and we wished his face between the wings. To provide it an reverse response, we obtained the artwork course staff to attract on the wall behind Vijay sir’s character to point out Jesus’ crown of thorns over Leo’s head. There’s a lot that goes behind the scenes, however that shouldn’t be evident to the viewers as cinematography ought to simply be a storytelling software.

The calm and the storm

So far as the color scheme is anxious, I took the volcano as a reference; it’s normally a snow-capped mountain with boiling magma inside it. So for the primary half showcasing his present life, we caught to whites. Lokesh’s movies have a grimy yellow tone however I satisfied him to make use of orange this time, which we used predominantly within the second half. This was fastened beforehand and even within the first half of scenes, the place there was plenty of pure heat daylight, we modified it to chill in post-production as a result of the second half can be heat in each sense. That’s why proper earlier than the interval when he’s forging traps, the environment can be cool however there’s a tint of orange on his face.

The white and orange color schemes
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Capturing a universe

Leo being part of LCU helps with the storytelling. As a substitute of introducing a brand new cop character, giving him an arc and spending a couple of scenes to ascertain who he’s, we have now George Maryan’s character from Kaithi who individuals are already accustomed to. Equally, in Leo’s promo itself, we confirmed the lead character’s duality as somebody who makes sweets in addition to forges blades and weapons. So, the character’s attributes are established even earlier than the movie begins. I discover this to be the brand new age of storytelling. The leeway we get with character arcs and shifting the story quick is the largest benefit of a cinematic universe whereas, on the flip aspect, the expectations are so much.

I consider that’s why the LCU card isn’t used formally as these movies are simply the foundations, and the numbers Leo is making would create curiosity for actors like Vijay sir to return aboard once more for an additional LCU movie. I’m seeing critiques concerning the first and second half of the movie; I like the second half as a result of the primary half’s terrain and surroundings are new to Lokesh and he requested me to take management and the second half is his world. Coming into that was an expertise. I believe followers of LCU are confused about whether or not they need the franchise to see new frontiers or keep on with what it has performed until now. The overall viewers finds the movie to be entertaining and that’s how we’re seeing the gathering numbers we’re getting now.

Cinematographer Manoj Paramahamsa and director Lokesh Kanagaraj
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Behind the digicam

As a cinematographer, I don’t wish to prohibit myself to a specific type and that’s why my movies like Eeram (which had a gray tone) and Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa (which had a white tone) really feel worlds aside. In Nanban, the three heroes had been of their mid-30s however I needed to present them as youngsters. Again then we didn’t have de-aging expertise and we shot in movie not like digital that’s used at this time. So, we had to make use of lighting to attain that output. Then comes the administrators’ type of working as properly; Rajamouli sir and Shankar sir take pleasure in plenty of planning whereas Gautham sir wouldn’t desire that.

For Halitha Shameem’s Minmini, which I’m co-producing, she wished to shoot a scene in Chumathang which is close to the China border the place we have now India’s solely pure sizzling spring. Taking pictures the vapour within the night time would make it look improbable and we did that too. However for a Vijay sir movie, we are able to’t take him there and expertise comes to avoid wasting us in these circumstances. Assembly new individuals creating new content material and experimenting each day is what makes this career distinctive. After we collaborate with somebody like Lokesh who likes breaking stereotypes, it makes us happier.