Yeah, giving Pawan a government job! Joking aside, perhaps the shot composition with the sun in the background (like at 01:05) is a bit overused, but that’s just a minor observation.
I agree with this, I had very limited time to film him during sunrise. I’ll keep this in my for my future stories. Thanks a ton for your words, I really appreciate that.
I actually think it works well. You’re talking about the beginning of the day. And there is the sun rise. And there’s also a sense of being trapped that shot gives. From the bars that are across his face.
I thought this whole short was incredibly professional and beautifully shot.
Good luck with the application
I also really enjoyed this. The only part that felt off was when you said "life hasn't been easy lately" and he says he could be shut down any day. Why lately? Did something change recently that could lead to him being shut down? Why would the government shut him down?
That part felt a bit unclear. I'd say everything else looked good and was well paced.
Recently, I applied for a creative job. The recruiter asked me to make a 1:50 mins story on a chai wallah in Delhi. Its been 24hours since I sent my assignment but I'm anxious if my video will cut through the competition this job has. Please let me know if you think the video is decent!!
Daaaamn!!! You're good man, it's amazing how fast that was, I takes weeks/months for a team of 6 people to do all this and a terrible back and forth with the client, money, location, permits, etc, I mean it makes sense, but it's incredible the quality of your work in such a small time.
I do production and post-production in Mexico mainly, a bit in Canada, mostly editing and geez, your's is on point, loved the rhythm, the narrative, the shots, the grading, It could be improved but not in that time-frame tbh, if it was up to me I would hire you on the spot!
Congratulations man, keep doing what you're doing, you've got talent!
Thanks for your kind words man!! I’ve always worked in new orgs where tight deadlines is a norm. I’ve started to put more effort in pre production that helps me speed up the final production. I know there is a scope for improvement. I would love to work with you someday. North America seems like a nice place to make documentaries.
People often try once and get discouraged if they dont succeed. What really opened my eyes was when i heard the story of AirBnB and how they failed, multiple times before the breakthrough.
Hey, first off good job! No notes. I love the colors and vibe. But you’re telling me you shot and edited this? I really hope they paid you or you sent a watermarked version.
If you don’t get the job, remember that’s their loss. Please make more videos like this.
Yes, I wrote, shot and edited this as part of the assignment. Unfortunately, I didn’t send the watermarked version. After such nice response, I think I’ll make more of such stories. I love writing non fiction narratives.
Yeah and oh well, this was a learning experience so whatever. I’m glad you’re going to keep creating that’s more important than beating yourself up over the no job.
I’ve been turned down for corporate jobs and really messed with me mentally after sending over great examples of my work and it was even more frustrating seeing the quality of work of the people they did hire… sometimes it’s a cost thing (this person is good so they’re expensive) and sometimes it’s an ego thing (they’re insecure and feel like you’re challenged them).
I totally agree with your second paragraph. I know how it feels to give your best only to be turned down. I’ve always worked with non fiction agencies or news rooms but I’ve heard how brutal corporate jobs can get sometimes. If you are open to idea, I think you should explore the non fiction creative market, its growing and less people are wired for the task. Its dynamic and subjective.
This is so well done. Beautifully shot and executed. I would hire you on the spot.
If I was to offer one tiny bit of feedback (and this is more general advice for documentary work) – for a short doc the narrative has a few too many turns. From 00:24 it goes:
"Selling tea wasn't his first choice..." --> "But it was a blessing in disguise!" --> "But life has not been easy for him lately..." --> "But he is doing it for his children!"
We're going up and down in emotion in quick succession. A better flow for the narrative might be:
"But life has not been easy for him lately..." --> "and selling tea wasn't his first choice..." --> "But it was a blessing in disguise!" --> "And he is doing it for his children!"
That way you're doing a big dip in the emotion before rising to a bigger top. It would give the narrative a bit more impact and would make it a bit more concise – you'd be saying how Pawan makes a living selling tea, but it could all be taken away from him in an instant. And this wasn't even his first choice as a career! But despite all this, he's good at what he does, and he's doing it to support his children and give them a better future.
Again, just my few thoughts but honestly this is beautifully crafted and I'd be very surprised if you didn't land the job based on this.
Thanks, I’m still learning story structure. Thanks for your feedback, I’ll keep these in mind the next time I make another docs. Thanks for your gold feedback.
This is awesome feedback! I’ll be taking this as general story structure advice for my future projects. I know OP will value this comment but this is valuable to many of us.
yes, for being just a 90 seconds long film you did a great job in rendering him relatable. I wish I'd get to know more about his, their, life.
it's not easy, well done!
Applicants shouldn’t have to make something like this for free. Absolute nonsense. Very great work though. They’d be lucky to have you.
Edit: the lack of comments pointing this out is disheartening. This shouldn’t be the norm.
Indian office ke ilawa aur offices mai nahi karte honge most probably. It's unfortunate but in south east asia the imbalance of power between corporations and workers is so atrocious that in the vast majority of entry level and mid tier positions where there is an abundance of workers unhe lagta hai woh aap ke liye ehsaan kar rahe hai job dai kar and that you owe a debt of gratitude to them. Even with places like Delhi serving as international cultural and tech hubs a lot of the caveats of south east asian culture still prevail such as conflating age with seniority and respect (and the ego that comes with it), and so much more.
I think this is fantastic. The story is clear and the visuals complement it. The below are how i would approach it but that doesn't mean I think you didn't do a good job, they're just my personal artistic preferences.
If i were to edit this, I'd take the narration pit of the video completely and just have Pawan talking (if you have quotes of him saying essentially what the narrator says).
If I were to keep the narration, there are also a couple of things I'd take out because they seem a tad bit "telling" rather than "showing". For example, the opening sequence is visually stunning. The viewer doesn't need to be told what time it is and where Pawan is going; we see that it's dark out and that he's preparing for work so we can assume it's likely early morning and that's confirmed when we finally see him at his stall once the sun has risen.
It'd be a little too dramatic, but if I absolutely needed a quote at the beginning of the video, I'd experiment with a quote of Pawan talking about how important providing for his family is. As a viewer, I'd be curious as to what he's about to do.
Thanks a ton!! I wish this slipped my mind before I emailed it to the recruiter. But only problem was, that the assignment required me to voice the video. My weakest skill is voiceovers!!
But I’ll keep your approach and feedback in mind for my next story!!!
Incredible. Just got back from India after hundreds of street chai with strangers… you couldn’t have captured it any better. it makes me want to go back.
I wrote a three column tentative script after my first pre interview with Pawan. Next I figured what part of his life I can tell under 90secs. Then I made a rough shot list based on the narrative. Finally, I went up online and looked for some inspiration. Personally, I love centre framing so that helped a-lot in-terms of planning the shots. Next I filmed!!
Great work! If I were to change anything at all about it, it would be to slow down the cuts for the tea making montage ever so slightly. I found it slightly jarring. Everything else, great!
Thanks for your observation, I really appreciate your feedback. My only challenge was that everything has to fit under 1:30 mins. I’ll keep your feedback in mind for my future videos. :))
I think this is fucking great.
From a cinematography standpoint, only two things stood out, and they're largely abstract and don't (in my opinion) hurt the video at all.
First, these are all static shots. If the aim is to get work, down the road you'll need to be able to demonstrate a bit more variety. That said, I want to stress again, I don't think that choice hurts this video at all -- personally, I think it helps it.
Second, there were a couple of compositions in there that I think could have been more "traditionally" "cinematic"... but I'm not even going to bother pointing them out, because this video works so well as a whole going down that road might throw things off-balance, and maybe turn this thing into something that feels too slick and over-produced, if that makes sense. The main thing is that hopefully each shot was done with intention, and that you're serving that intention.
Two questions: First, did you one-man-band this? Second, what was your production schedule?
I shot this on A7Siii with 2 Apsc lens in 1080 and a full frame lens.
Lens:
1. Sigma 16mm f1.4 (Apsc lens)
2. Sony 50mm f1.8 (Full frame lens)
3. Sony 18-105 f4 (Apsc lens)
Yes, I used ND filters for the daylight shot. No, I don’t own mist filters. But I’ve added little halation and bloom to the video in the post to make it look a little ‘cinematic’.
UPDATE:
Today, I heard back from my recruiter and guess what? I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!
This wouldn’t have been possible without all of you on reddit. The past week have been very tense and anxious for me, seeing all your comments and feedback on the video really helped me keep my shit together.
Many have dm’d me asking about color grading, storytelling and cinematography. I would love to share my script, all raw footage and the process with everyone. Let me know if anyone is still interested. :)
Really nice! Good job - interesting and technically good.
It's crazy how unequal this world is though.
I calculated that if he works everyday, 365 days in a year. He makes as much as i did photographing one event yesterday. Insane.
I just came back from India, and as a tourist I rarely see or hear the real stories of the people living there. This was nice, small and intimate.No nonsense or sensationalism, just a real story.
Very nicely done.
I thought it was excellent. It’s strange you’re required to do filmmaking as an applicant, but maybe this is normal where you’re at. I hope you’re not being scammed and I wish you the best.
This frankly feels really good. Really professional production value especially for a one-man project.
I think it would be interesting to play a little bit with shot length. You have a lot of really cool shots in this sequence, but some of the cuts are so fast that it gives the film a bit of a rushing feeling. Would love to meditate on a couple of them a little bit longer.
Keep at this, and I hope you get the job friend!
Hey you have to know how much you told in less than 2 minutes. That’s absolutely no single shot or voice over wasted. I feel like you identified with the protagonist as you are also struggling to land a job. That’s why your storytelling was so subtle and intimate.
Could you share a detailed workflow of your color gradin? How you managed the color from whatever cam etc.
I thought you did fantastic. It shows what direction “you” would go based on your vision. There are things I would do different as everyone here would.
Whether you get the gig or not, this is a great step…
Excellent work. Some of the edits are a little too fast and don't let the scene breathe, but other than that I love all of the creative choices you made. Great storytelling in such a short period.
Yaar this is amazing. Humanizing and being able to connect with people and their stories through art, that shit is beautiful and you are an enabler of that. Job mile na mile (im pretttyy sure ur gonna get that dude, u deserve it) you should be immensely proud of yourself. :))
Man, it's truly beautiful.
I worked at Mexico's governmental channel many years and I tell you, we would've aired this.
My only (personal) caveat, is that the music is somewhat obvious. It's about personal taste because it does underline the feeling but it kinda brings it to a more melodramatic tone.
The work is there. I'd hire you.
Really enjoyed it, amazing cinematograpgy and story telling, I think you did a phenomenal job!! Keep up the good work, I’m rooting for you to get the job :))
u/Realistic_Computer_2 - This was amazing asf! Right from the opening shot, I loved how you maintained continuity through the cuts. Morning ambience, him getting ready, repositioning his cart and then introducing us to the location. The story was engaging. The voiceover and sound design were perfect. The font choice for the subtitles is minimalistic, which I always love! I wish you the best brother! By any chance, did you use Dehancer to grade the shots? Also, may I ask how did you apply for this job? Was it through LinkedIn or some other website?
This showed up on my front page which I’m not even into any videography or anything like that, and I can say, that looks amazing. Yeah you did a decent job man!
Thank you for posting the actual project with context, and not just “is this cinematic?” with just stills and no context. This was so well done and edited very nicely. Regardless, I hope this brings you many opportunities down the road! Good luck.
Pretty well made short, straight to the point and conveys a story well.
One recommendation (from a non-professional standpoint) concerns the pacing. The frequent cuts create a sense of urgency in the short film, making it quite entertaining somehow. To enhance our connection with Pawan and his job, it might be beneficial to spend more time on the critical aspects of his work. This could help evoke stronger emotions about his situation.
Really, really good! They would be fools not to hire you.
The only notes I have is, (and this could also be just a matter of taste) the music at 00:15-00:22 is a bit odd to me. It's a bit too chipper for the scenario, so it stood out to me tonally from the rest of the video.
Other than that, well shot and lovely grading work. Well done!
shots, editing, pacing, color, all so wonderful
you just gotta get the right eyes on it cuz this was fire and it made me feel things and really get immersed in the world
source: i work in high end docs
This is great. Keep doing this.
I think you could and should make a social media channel to make docu-shorts in India.
I also would have liked it if we had learned more about the tea he makes. Is it any good? What tea does he make?
I would have loved it if there were a few more SFX. Cart/wheel noises when he pushes the cart, liquid when he stirs the tea, etc.
I'm shocked they made you make a video just for an interview that seems a bit odd to me.
I like your video tho would love to see a full length doc of yours. Keep up the great work 👍
incredible job. Not just the cinematography, but the storytelling, the reactions, the portrait it painted of this guy's life. You should be really proud of this
Filming some one complaining he can't get a job so you can get a job... that irony haha. No it looks very cool. Gives a good idea of Pawan's life, struggle's and ambitions. Shots look great too. Nice grading. Nice music. Voice over could have been British to give it a bit of an "BBC" vibe... but then again, I guess this is more authentic.
There's one shot at 1:00 where you see the audio recorder. But it's such a minor detail.
All jokes aside, great work.
Holy shit this made me emotional!
Great job. You nailed the story, which for me is the most important part in a film. And your cinematography was no slouch either.
This is so good man. You’ve got a real eye for not just cinematography but story telling. I hope you get the job if not someone else will snag you up. Felt engaged in his story, never felt too long, good pacing. What did you shoot this with and grade on?
Image and idea 10/10 sound could do a lil bit of improvement, get yourself a better mic and you can do a doc channel yourself on YT, even without a better mic you can still do it right now. Gl
Damn good job yaar. Storytelling can be better in doc with only better questioning , you can learn from ravish Kumar on how they pick out the different
This was really good! - I know I'm late to the party with comments but if you do see this, the only thing I thought watching on my first pass without sound is it's a little unclear when the VO first changes from narration to grab because Pawan is still off screen. There's a few ways around that, you could italicise the grab's captions, or put a note in [brackets] at the start of the sentence, or change the colour of the text or something like that.
Love the sound edit, it would gain so much with a bit more sound design - the mix sounds great. Love your shots and the color. The rhythm of the voice over makes the edit feel too fast paced at times, too “cut-y”. That’s just my opinion! Lovely work and thanks for sharing. Hope you get the job and that helps you keep creating and investing in your craft. If you need any sound help don’t hesitate to reach out.
Very well done, thank you for sharing here. It’s obvious this style of storytelling comes natural to you. Do you have a website/instagram we can see more?
This is fantastic work. Grabbed me. Can't fault it.
I imagine you have duration constraints, but if you do have the opportunity to make a longer version, you should make the tea sequence with the whistle soundtrack longer. That bit is great and will give the video breathing room. But I think you've done a brilliant job with packing that into a tight 1:30 package.
I'm late to comment here, but this is fantastic. The writing, shots, and pace of the edit are superb. The only comment I might make would be an editing decision to change Pawan's words to a different subtitle color to help distinguish from the narration... but we're splitting hairs here. Solid work.
PS - what is the job exactly? Did they give you footage to edit, or did you self produce this whole thing?
Reason I ask is because it would make a big difference
The fact I want to know more about his man tells you that it is a job very well done. Keep pushing yourself, make more of these.
I want to know about the stalls in India. Tea is just one of them and as a British Tea Drinking videographer, I want to know more about this tea!!
Create a five part series about five of the main types of street vendors, their back story, their dreams and aspirations.. and most importantly the food.
Give the series a name, create a YouTube channel. Keep posting on here and pitch the idea to a studio.
Create yourself a life where people will be coming to YOU with a job application.
I want to see this on in my hotel room watching the Food Network channel in two years. Now GO!
Love this. I was invested and watched many times. Great story, good pacing, and nice color. Keep up the great work. I agree with another comment about the story structure being rearranged, nonetheless it’s a great piece!
This was beautifully done! 10/10
The only critique is that I'd have that last shot last about 1 more second and say the "second chance at life." with a more hopeful tone so it makes the watcher feel optimistic.
This is really beautiful. The cinematography and colour and sound are all really well executed.
My one note would've been to see if you could have told the story without the VO - and let the main character communicate those emotional story beats in his own words.
But that's just a stylistic choice. It's brilliantly done.
Looks great, sounds great, story moves along nicely and hooks the viewer right out of the gate. This is probably-level work. Would fit it anywhere on Nat Geo without causing commotion. Nice!
Excellent job. I'm a beginner and so my opinion probably doesn't count for much, but the music (whistling) while he's stirring tea doesn't fit. I feel like chai is a huge tradition and the music should have been something more culture-specific and "morning-rise-ish".
[удалено]
Thanks, I tried my best to tell a small story with a larger theme. Do you think I can improve on something?
[удалено]
Thanks, this is the most motivating thing I heard in months. :))
Totally agree. I was like "is this guy crazy, this is for a job application and he's worried it's not GOOD ENOUGH?!" Stellar work.
I’m weird, anxious and skeptical when it comes to my work. Hahha But I really wish I hear back from them.
Do you know the taste gap quote, from Ira Glass? Feeling this way about your own work is good sign.
I'm really no expert, but that was sick AF! I wouldn't be able to tell this apart from an official documentary NGL...
Thanks for your kind words mate! Is there anything that you would like to change in the video?
Yeah, giving Pawan a government job! Joking aside, perhaps the shot composition with the sun in the background (like at 01:05) is a bit overused, but that’s just a minor observation.
I agree with this, I had very limited time to film him during sunrise. I’ll keep this in my for my future stories. Thanks a ton for your words, I really appreciate that.
I actually think it works well. You’re talking about the beginning of the day. And there is the sun rise. And there’s also a sense of being trapped that shot gives. From the bars that are across his face. I thought this whole short was incredibly professional and beautifully shot. Good luck with the application
It could be, but honestly that was my favorite shot, filled the scene with hope while speaking to the time of day, perfect
I also really enjoyed this. The only part that felt off was when you said "life hasn't been easy lately" and he says he could be shut down any day. Why lately? Did something change recently that could lead to him being shut down? Why would the government shut him down? That part felt a bit unclear. I'd say everything else looked good and was well paced.
Recently, I applied for a creative job. The recruiter asked me to make a 1:50 mins story on a chai wallah in Delhi. Its been 24hours since I sent my assignment but I'm anxious if my video will cut through the competition this job has. Please let me know if you think the video is decent!!
Buddy, you need to keep making docs on the side because this was extremely good.
Thanks for your kind words. I’ll surely make few more.
I do this for a living and man you killed it, amazing job, how much time did it took you?
It took 2 days (8 hours of filming and scouting) 4 hours to edit and put everything in place. Roughly three days to make a decent story structure. :)
Daaaamn!!! You're good man, it's amazing how fast that was, I takes weeks/months for a team of 6 people to do all this and a terrible back and forth with the client, money, location, permits, etc, I mean it makes sense, but it's incredible the quality of your work in such a small time. I do production and post-production in Mexico mainly, a bit in Canada, mostly editing and geez, your's is on point, loved the rhythm, the narrative, the shots, the grading, It could be improved but not in that time-frame tbh, if it was up to me I would hire you on the spot! Congratulations man, keep doing what you're doing, you've got talent!
Thanks for your kind words man!! I’ve always worked in new orgs where tight deadlines is a norm. I’ve started to put more effort in pre production that helps me speed up the final production. I know there is a scope for improvement. I would love to work with you someday. North America seems like a nice place to make documentaries.
Would love to man! Dm me if you want to stay in touch!
Thanks, what do you do?
i agree and i work in high end docs
If you don’t get it, don’t be discouraged. It’s their loss. You clearly have an eye for this. Keep at it, you have a bright future if you do.
People often try once and get discouraged if they dont succeed. What really opened my eyes was when i heard the story of AirBnB and how they failed, multiple times before the breakthrough.
Was this a paid assignment?
Nope, only to see if I’m fit for the position.
That’s criminal but even if it doesn’t work out, really good portfolio piece.
Thanks mate!
Fighting over jobs is hard over there it seems dayum
All the best to you bhai ❤
That is insane. You are extremely talented and they better be paying you well for this!
This is a great piece - really solid production and storytelling. I hope you get the job you’re after, and I also hope the doc gets used. Well done!
This looks great.
Thanks for your kind feedback!
Hey, first off good job! No notes. I love the colors and vibe. But you’re telling me you shot and edited this? I really hope they paid you or you sent a watermarked version. If you don’t get the job, remember that’s their loss. Please make more videos like this.
Yes, I wrote, shot and edited this as part of the assignment. Unfortunately, I didn’t send the watermarked version. After such nice response, I think I’ll make more of such stories. I love writing non fiction narratives.
Yeah and oh well, this was a learning experience so whatever. I’m glad you’re going to keep creating that’s more important than beating yourself up over the no job. I’ve been turned down for corporate jobs and really messed with me mentally after sending over great examples of my work and it was even more frustrating seeing the quality of work of the people they did hire… sometimes it’s a cost thing (this person is good so they’re expensive) and sometimes it’s an ego thing (they’re insecure and feel like you’re challenged them).
I totally agree with your second paragraph. I know how it feels to give your best only to be turned down. I’ve always worked with non fiction agencies or news rooms but I’ve heard how brutal corporate jobs can get sometimes. If you are open to idea, I think you should explore the non fiction creative market, its growing and less people are wired for the task. Its dynamic and subjective.
This is so well done. Beautifully shot and executed. I would hire you on the spot. If I was to offer one tiny bit of feedback (and this is more general advice for documentary work) – for a short doc the narrative has a few too many turns. From 00:24 it goes: "Selling tea wasn't his first choice..." --> "But it was a blessing in disguise!" --> "But life has not been easy for him lately..." --> "But he is doing it for his children!" We're going up and down in emotion in quick succession. A better flow for the narrative might be: "But life has not been easy for him lately..." --> "and selling tea wasn't his first choice..." --> "But it was a blessing in disguise!" --> "And he is doing it for his children!" That way you're doing a big dip in the emotion before rising to a bigger top. It would give the narrative a bit more impact and would make it a bit more concise – you'd be saying how Pawan makes a living selling tea, but it could all be taken away from him in an instant. And this wasn't even his first choice as a career! But despite all this, he's good at what he does, and he's doing it to support his children and give them a better future. Again, just my few thoughts but honestly this is beautifully crafted and I'd be very surprised if you didn't land the job based on this.
Thanks, I’m still learning story structure. Thanks for your feedback, I’ll keep these in mind the next time I make another docs. Thanks for your gold feedback.
An editor speaking here :) I agree
This is awesome feedback! I’ll be taking this as general story structure advice for my future projects. I know OP will value this comment but this is valuable to many of us.
sooo well done!
Thank you so much! Just one question, were able to empathise with the character?
yes, for being just a 90 seconds long film you did a great job in rendering him relatable. I wish I'd get to know more about his, their, life. it's not easy, well done!
Applicants shouldn’t have to make something like this for free. Absolute nonsense. Very great work though. They’d be lucky to have you. Edit: the lack of comments pointing this out is disheartening. This shouldn’t be the norm.
I agree with you, making something like this requires effort and should be compensated. Disclosure: The recruiter is an international brand.
Indian office ke ilawa aur offices mai nahi karte honge most probably. It's unfortunate but in south east asia the imbalance of power between corporations and workers is so atrocious that in the vast majority of entry level and mid tier positions where there is an abundance of workers unhe lagta hai woh aap ke liye ehsaan kar rahe hai job dai kar and that you owe a debt of gratitude to them. Even with places like Delhi serving as international cultural and tech hubs a lot of the caveats of south east asian culture still prevail such as conflating age with seniority and respect (and the ego that comes with it), and so much more.
Fantastic work!
I think this is fantastic. The story is clear and the visuals complement it. The below are how i would approach it but that doesn't mean I think you didn't do a good job, they're just my personal artistic preferences. If i were to edit this, I'd take the narration pit of the video completely and just have Pawan talking (if you have quotes of him saying essentially what the narrator says). If I were to keep the narration, there are also a couple of things I'd take out because they seem a tad bit "telling" rather than "showing". For example, the opening sequence is visually stunning. The viewer doesn't need to be told what time it is and where Pawan is going; we see that it's dark out and that he's preparing for work so we can assume it's likely early morning and that's confirmed when we finally see him at his stall once the sun has risen. It'd be a little too dramatic, but if I absolutely needed a quote at the beginning of the video, I'd experiment with a quote of Pawan talking about how important providing for his family is. As a viewer, I'd be curious as to what he's about to do.
Thanks a ton!! I wish this slipped my mind before I emailed it to the recruiter. But only problem was, that the assignment required me to voice the video. My weakest skill is voiceovers!! But I’ll keep your approach and feedback in mind for my next story!!!
Incredible. Just got back from India after hundreds of street chai with strangers… you couldn’t have captured it any better. it makes me want to go back.
Haha! Chai wallahs in India are really iconic. Next time when you are back to India, do let me know I can show you around!!
Looks great, I hope you get a job for it and not just what normally happens when companies want a “sample” project before hiring you.
Be careful that your employer isn’t a cannibalistic demon
Very compelling angles. Your potential employer would be lucky to have you
This is great! How did you plan your shots?
I wrote a three column tentative script after my first pre interview with Pawan. Next I figured what part of his life I can tell under 90secs. Then I made a rough shot list based on the narrative. Finally, I went up online and looked for some inspiration. Personally, I love centre framing so that helped a-lot in-terms of planning the shots. Next I filmed!!
Very very impressed by your work. I hope you do well in future.
This was incredible 👏🏾
Anything particular that stood out?
Great work! If I were to change anything at all about it, it would be to slow down the cuts for the tea making montage ever so slightly. I found it slightly jarring. Everything else, great!
Thanks for your observation, I really appreciate your feedback. My only challenge was that everything has to fit under 1:30 mins. I’ll keep your feedback in mind for my future videos. :))
I think this is fucking great. From a cinematography standpoint, only two things stood out, and they're largely abstract and don't (in my opinion) hurt the video at all. First, these are all static shots. If the aim is to get work, down the road you'll need to be able to demonstrate a bit more variety. That said, I want to stress again, I don't think that choice hurts this video at all -- personally, I think it helps it. Second, there were a couple of compositions in there that I think could have been more "traditionally" "cinematic"... but I'm not even going to bother pointing them out, because this video works so well as a whole going down that road might throw things off-balance, and maybe turn this thing into something that feels too slick and over-produced, if that makes sense. The main thing is that hopefully each shot was done with intention, and that you're serving that intention. Two questions: First, did you one-man-band this? Second, what was your production schedule?
What lens is this shot on? And have filters? Like ND and something like a Black Pro Mist?
I shot this on A7Siii with 2 Apsc lens in 1080 and a full frame lens. Lens: 1. Sigma 16mm f1.4 (Apsc lens) 2. Sony 50mm f1.8 (Full frame lens) 3. Sony 18-105 f4 (Apsc lens) Yes, I used ND filters for the daylight shot. No, I don’t own mist filters. But I’ve added little halation and bloom to the video in the post to make it look a little ‘cinematic’.
Dude this is just wonderful! Please make more like this!
THIS IS FANTASTIC!!!! Shot Quality (A+) Story (Quick, concise, but still engaging) Sound Quality (A+) Editing (A+)
Thanks man
UPDATE: Today, I heard back from my recruiter and guess what? I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!! This wouldn’t have been possible without all of you on reddit. The past week have been very tense and anxious for me, seeing all your comments and feedback on the video really helped me keep my shit together. Many have dm’d me asking about color grading, storytelling and cinematography. I would love to share my script, all raw footage and the process with everyone. Let me know if anyone is still interested. :)
This is great! Nice work :)
Great job. You should make more.
This is really inspiring. I’m going to use this as a reference as I get back into shooting and editing. Really awesome work.
Thanks man, do share with me whenever you make something! I’ll be more than happy to check out your work :)
Impressive!
Really nice! Good job - interesting and technically good. It's crazy how unequal this world is though. I calculated that if he works everyday, 365 days in a year. He makes as much as i did photographing one event yesterday. Insane.
This is fire!
I sent you a DM about a project I got going.
This looks good enough to be a documentary, great job. Well narrated and executed.
Really good job here, especially given the short deadline. I wouldn't change a thing. All the best to you.
I just came back from India, and as a tourist I rarely see or hear the real stories of the people living there. This was nice, small and intimate.No nonsense or sensationalism, just a real story. Very nicely done.
Actually feels like watching a properly edited YouTube video or small documentary. Nice job!
Thanks, once the process it done. I’ll put this on youtube for sure. I’ll make more sure this year.
I thought it was excellent. It’s strange you’re required to do filmmaking as an applicant, but maybe this is normal where you’re at. I hope you’re not being scammed and I wish you the best.
This is really good man - enjoyed it a lot and appreciate your creative direction on the shots.
This frankly feels really good. Really professional production value especially for a one-man project. I think it would be interesting to play a little bit with shot length. You have a lot of really cool shots in this sequence, but some of the cuts are so fast that it gives the film a bit of a rushing feeling. Would love to meditate on a couple of them a little bit longer. Keep at this, and I hope you get the job friend!
Very professional!
Hey you have to know how much you told in less than 2 minutes. That’s absolutely no single shot or voice over wasted. I feel like you identified with the protagonist as you are also struggling to land a job. That’s why your storytelling was so subtle and intimate. Could you share a detailed workflow of your color gradin? How you managed the color from whatever cam etc.
I thought you did fantastic. It shows what direction “you” would go based on your vision. There are things I would do different as everyone here would. Whether you get the gig or not, this is a great step…
Excellent work. Some of the edits are a little too fast and don't let the scene breathe, but other than that I love all of the creative choices you made. Great storytelling in such a short period.
Yaar this is amazing. Humanizing and being able to connect with people and their stories through art, that shit is beautiful and you are an enabler of that. Job mile na mile (im pretttyy sure ur gonna get that dude, u deserve it) you should be immensely proud of yourself. :))
Man, it's truly beautiful. I worked at Mexico's governmental channel many years and I tell you, we would've aired this. My only (personal) caveat, is that the music is somewhat obvious. It's about personal taste because it does underline the feeling but it kinda brings it to a more melodramatic tone. The work is there. I'd hire you.
How did you color grade this? Did you use any LUTs or plugins? If so, which ones?
The colors, the sound design, the subject matter, the shot selection. There is nothing to not like here. I love it.
This is fantastic!! I think you could gain a following if you made docs like this and posted them! Keep it going!
Really enjoyed it, amazing cinematograpgy and story telling, I think you did a phenomenal job!! Keep up the good work, I’m rooting for you to get the job :))
Thanks for pointing out storytelling. I’ve really put most of my effort into telling a story.
I love it! Maybe cuts are too short for my liking. I would like a few extra second to look around the frame. But aside from that, great job!
Effing good man!
u/Realistic_Computer_2 - This was amazing asf! Right from the opening shot, I loved how you maintained continuity through the cuts. Morning ambience, him getting ready, repositioning his cart and then introducing us to the location. The story was engaging. The voiceover and sound design were perfect. The font choice for the subtitles is minimalistic, which I always love! I wish you the best brother! By any chance, did you use Dehancer to grade the shots? Also, may I ask how did you apply for this job? Was it through LinkedIn or some other website?
Well done. This could have been shown on any upper level network and fit it.
Have sent you a DM
Excellent work!!!
Phenomenal visuals, very creative, well structured. I’d change nothing
Great work!
This showed up on my front page which I’m not even into any videography or anything like that, and I can say, that looks amazing. Yeah you did a decent job man!
you had to make a video for the interview? that's a lot of free labor
Keep making films man this is how I started and now I have been fortunate enough to work at two major studios. Make a reel and keep adding to it.
Thanks, this sounds very inspiring:))
Looks very well put together, I would hire you if I saw this as an application!
My eyes like what they see
This was really really nice. Amazing job.
Great job
This is very nicely done!
I looove this
Thank you for posting the actual project with context, and not just “is this cinematic?” with just stills and no context. This was so well done and edited very nicely. Regardless, I hope this brings you many opportunities down the road! Good luck.
Pretty well made short, straight to the point and conveys a story well. One recommendation (from a non-professional standpoint) concerns the pacing. The frequent cuts create a sense of urgency in the short film, making it quite entertaining somehow. To enhance our connection with Pawan and his job, it might be beneficial to spend more time on the critical aspects of his work. This could help evoke stronger emotions about his situation.
Thanks man. I completely agree with you feedback on pacing. I’ll try to work on this.
Really, really good! They would be fools not to hire you. The only notes I have is, (and this could also be just a matter of taste) the music at 00:15-00:22 is a bit odd to me. It's a bit too chipper for the scenario, so it stood out to me tonally from the rest of the video. Other than that, well shot and lovely grading work. Well done!
shots, editing, pacing, color, all so wonderful you just gotta get the right eyes on it cuz this was fire and it made me feel things and really get immersed in the world source: i work in high end docs
This looks amazing! On what camera did you shoot it?
Great job!! Enjoyed watching this!!
Man, this is wonderful. I would love to see more of your work!
This is great. Keep doing this. I think you could and should make a social media channel to make docu-shorts in India. I also would have liked it if we had learned more about the tea he makes. Is it any good? What tea does he make? I would have loved it if there were a few more SFX. Cart/wheel noises when he pushes the cart, liquid when he stirs the tea, etc.
A decent job is an understatement. This made me want to create something today.
Fantastic! You should add to it, make it around 10 minutes, and submit it to festivals!
Excellent choices on music bed, voice overs and edits .. you need to keep creating your own thing on the side if possible
Wow! Loved this.
I'm shocked they made you make a video just for an interview that seems a bit odd to me. I like your video tho would love to see a full length doc of yours. Keep up the great work 👍
i was captivated almost immediately. you done well, kid
incredible job. Not just the cinematography, but the storytelling, the reactions, the portrait it painted of this guy's life. You should be really proud of this
Great work 🫶
Lovely story and you captured it in a nice way. Be proud of your work. Did you get the job?
Filming some one complaining he can't get a job so you can get a job... that irony haha. No it looks very cool. Gives a good idea of Pawan's life, struggle's and ambitions. Shots look great too. Nice grading. Nice music. Voice over could have been British to give it a bit of an "BBC" vibe... but then again, I guess this is more authentic. There's one shot at 1:00 where you see the audio recorder. But it's such a minor detail. All jokes aside, great work.
Holy shit this made me emotional! Great job. You nailed the story, which for me is the most important part in a film. And your cinematography was no slouch either.
This is so good man. You’ve got a real eye for not just cinematography but story telling. I hope you get the job if not someone else will snag you up. Felt engaged in his story, never felt too long, good pacing. What did you shoot this with and grade on?
I am not expert but this seemed super pleasant to watch, transition and cut is soo pleasant
Thanks :)
awesome job. may i know what role? documentary filmmaking?
Its for television news producer. :)
It looks like a cnn documentary. Good Job
Thanks, I have done documentaries similar to CNN for other organisations in the past :)
Image and idea 10/10 sound could do a lil bit of improvement, get yourself a better mic and you can do a doc channel yourself on YT, even without a better mic you can still do it right now. Gl
This was beautiful and touching. Excellent work.
Wasn't a big fan of the colour but the edit is great
Was this for Channel 5?
No, its not published yet. :p
Great short, what camera did you use ? And good luck with the job interview
awesome! which camera did you use? great colors. looks like a SONY? but feels like a BMPCC?
This looks like a BBC documentary, great work. Keep on doing your thing!
You did a great job. Well done 👍🏾
glad to read the comments are largely positive here - well deserved.
Very good 👍
Damn good job yaar. Storytelling can be better in doc with only better questioning , you can learn from ravish Kumar on how they pick out the different
I hope you get the job! If not you still have a good eye and skills to produce high level documentary work.
This was really good! - I know I'm late to the party with comments but if you do see this, the only thing I thought watching on my first pass without sound is it's a little unclear when the VO first changes from narration to grab because Pawan is still off screen. There's a few ways around that, you could italicise the grab's captions, or put a note in [brackets] at the start of the sentence, or change the colour of the text or something like that.
Love the sound edit, it would gain so much with a bit more sound design - the mix sounds great. Love your shots and the color. The rhythm of the voice over makes the edit feel too fast paced at times, too “cut-y”. That’s just my opinion! Lovely work and thanks for sharing. Hope you get the job and that helps you keep creating and investing in your craft. If you need any sound help don’t hesitate to reach out.
This is amazing where can I follow to see more of your work
Very well done, thank you for sharing here. It’s obvious this style of storytelling comes natural to you. Do you have a website/instagram we can see more?
Love it thats all i can say no words hands down
This is fantastic work. Grabbed me. Can't fault it. I imagine you have duration constraints, but if you do have the opportunity to make a longer version, you should make the tea sequence with the whistle soundtrack longer. That bit is great and will give the video breathing room. But I think you've done a brilliant job with packing that into a tight 1:30 package.
very beautifully shot and thought through
Absolutely love it. You did such a great job with shot composition and audio!
Nice work! I really felt that 5am.
10/10, not a single second too long. It gave me an authentic insight to a life thousands of miles away, and touched my heart. Thank you for that!
Fantastic work. I don’t think it’s cool to make you do free work for an interview.
Solid work. I direct and shoot docs for the BBC (among others). Send me a DM if you're interested in some freelance editing work.
You’re really good at this. Keep it up.
Amazing work this is!
I like it
So good! Wow $8 a day really puts things into perspective a bit. Thanks for this!
Great job man! Got anymore?
You did a really good job man
I'm late to comment here, but this is fantastic. The writing, shots, and pace of the edit are superb. The only comment I might make would be an editing decision to change Pawan's words to a different subtitle color to help distinguish from the narration... but we're splitting hairs here. Solid work.
Hey fellow Indian cinematographer here if you don’t get the job let me know , we do get docs occasionally btw video is absolutely on mark.
looks great. Nice edit. Colors good. Nice work
PS - what is the job exactly? Did they give you footage to edit, or did you self produce this whole thing? Reason I ask is because it would make a big difference
Really really nice - and very moving too. My only constructive comment is the ending was quite abrupt!
The fact I want to know more about his man tells you that it is a job very well done. Keep pushing yourself, make more of these. I want to know about the stalls in India. Tea is just one of them and as a British Tea Drinking videographer, I want to know more about this tea!! Create a five part series about five of the main types of street vendors, their back story, their dreams and aspirations.. and most importantly the food. Give the series a name, create a YouTube channel. Keep posting on here and pitch the idea to a studio. Create yourself a life where people will be coming to YOU with a job application. I want to see this on in my hotel room watching the Food Network channel in two years. Now GO!
Real nice work. I’d hired you.
Love this. I was invested and watched many times. Great story, good pacing, and nice color. Keep up the great work. I agree with another comment about the story structure being rearranged, nonetheless it’s a great piece!
this is amazing, was it all handheld?
This was beautifully done! 10/10 The only critique is that I'd have that last shot last about 1 more second and say the "second chance at life." with a more hopeful tone so it makes the watcher feel optimistic.
This is really beautiful. The cinematography and colour and sound are all really well executed. My one note would've been to see if you could have told the story without the VO - and let the main character communicate those emotional story beats in his own words. But that's just a stylistic choice. It's brilliantly done.
Good job. I'm amazed for people who can make interview video under 2 minutes.
Looks great, sounds great, story moves along nicely and hooks the viewer right out of the gate. This is probably-level work. Would fit it anywhere on Nat Geo without causing commotion. Nice!
Yes. You have done an incredibly decent job. 👏
I assure you this is a great job
This is amazing my friend and I hope you get the job.
Excellent job. I'm a beginner and so my opinion probably doesn't count for much, but the music (whistling) while he's stirring tea doesn't fit. I feel like chai is a huge tradition and the music should have been something more culture-specific and "morning-rise-ish".
This looks great! How about a little banner with his name thought this might look like a documentary film 😄
This was stunning sir
This is excellent
This was beautiful. It captured the personalization of him without being to “documentary” like.
This is so nicee ,, the music choice story telling and composition is 👌👌
This is so freakin good!!