The trailer: Finding Mo

Initial idea

• Idea: A two-and-a-half-minute teaser film that mixes documentary-style footage with frank interview excerpts to portray Mo's everyday existence.

• Visual Style: Observational and natural. We intended to combine film from Mo's previous life, when he hosted travellers in his oasis (Siwa in Egypt), along with videos of him in his natural habitat.

• Sound Design: A natural mash-up of Mo's creative compositions (taken from jam sessions) and interview-related ambient noise (sync sound).

• Editing Method: Instead of a shooting script, we opted to have a script for editing since we wanted to record spontaneous movements.

Shooting Locations:

1. Cafe am Campus: Mo's workplace and social interactions.
2. Mo's Room, Kitchen, Attic: Intimate spaces to reveal Mo's personality and creative process. 
3. Mensa: Catching Mo having lunch.
4. City Jam at Kiez: Raw energy of Mo performing his music. (Low-light shooting with creative use of shadows and highlights to emphasize the atmosphere).
5. Smoke Tower (Dessau): Establishing shots and high camera angles.

Concept and inspiration

• Visual Inspiration: Drawing influence from the whimsical and playful aesthetic of „Amélie“ (2001), we wanted to utilize a vibrant colour palette and a touch of magic-realism to depict Mo's world.

• Editing Techniques: We used dynamic cuts like J-cuts and L-cuts to maintain a sense of rhythm and energy, mirroring the fast-paced nature of Mo's life and the film's inspiration.

• Lens Selection: A combination of wide-angle shots to showcase Mo's environment and his connection to it, while medium shots follow his actions and interactions. Close-ups were used for moments of emotional resonance and to reveal details of his personality.

• Shooting Style: Employing a guerilla filmmaking approach, we captured Mo's life in a natural and unstaged manner, immersing the audience in his daily routine.

Challenges

• Multi-Camera Workflow: While a versatile camera package offers creative possibilities, managing and syncing footage from multiple camera systems (Nikon, Canon, RED, GoPro) with varying frame rates and codecs can be a challenge in post-production.

• Lighting for Naturalism: Maintaining the natural look for exterior shots while potentially needing to manipulate light subtly with reflectors or HMI lamps requires careful balancing to ensure a seamless aesthetic.

• Authentic Soundscapes: Capturing clean production sound on location can be challenging, especially in dynamic environments. Balancing this with the need to potentially add ambience or sound effects for a more immersive experience may require adjustments in post-production to ensure the final soundscape blends cohesively with the colour grade.

Learnings

• Streamlined Camera Package: While the versatility of multiple camera brands offered creative options, managing and syncing footage in post from various systems (Nikon, Canon, RED, GoPro) proved challenging. In future projects, utilizing fewer cameras of the same type would streamline the workflow.

• Shot Planning Optimization: The emphasis on capturing clean production sound while acknowledging potential sound design needs underscores the importance of meticulous shot planning. Planning shot structure beforehand would allow for capturing more usable footage that seamlessly integrates with sound design elements.

• Subject Development: Building a stronger rapport with the subject (Mo) proved valuable. Spending more time with Mo beforehand could have yielded deeper insights and more nuanced moments to capture.

• Enhanced Production Value: Balancing natural light for exterior shots with subtle manipulation for desired aesthetics highlighted the importance of a dedicated lighting crew. Incorporating additional equipment and group members for light and sound control would elevate future productions.

• Informed Editing: Reviewing all footage before editing emerged as a valuable practice. This allows for a holistic understanding of the captured material, facilitating a more informed and efficient editing process.

Execution

• Founding CAT Productions: Fueled by our shared passion for filmmaking, we established CAT Productions, where CAT is an acronym formed from our initials (Can, Adrita, Tirthankar). We collaboratively designed a logo to represent our brand identity.
• Collaborative Workflow: Embracing a collaborative approach, we shared the responsibilities of cinematography, editing, and graphic design across the team. This ensured each member's strengths were leveraged and fostered a well-rounded creative process.

For editing, we divided the trailer into 5 segments:

• Finding job
• Finding food
• Finding music
• Finding life &
• Finding Mo

We weaved snippets of Mo's daily life into the trailer, each a vital piece of his story and then handpicked the most captivating shots to form the final edit.

Equipment

Behind the scenes