American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 18

Production Slate Colonial Drama and Futuristic Comedy In a scene from Before the Rains, Moores (Linus Roache, left) and T.K. (Rahul Bose), his right-hand man, chart the path of a new mountain road in India that will bring Moores great wealth. Tragedy in India by Jean Oppenheimer An adulterous affair between an English spice exporter, Moores (Linus Roache), and his Indian housemaid, Sajani (Nandita Das), sets the stage for tragedy in Before the Rains, a drama set in India in 1937. Equally in jeopardy is the plantation owner’s right-hand man, T.K. (Rahul Bose), whose knowledge of the illicit relationship makes him an accomplice in the eyes of his fellow villagers. Torn between loyalty to the tradition of his culture and allegiance to Moores and the opportunities he offers, T.K. serves as a thinly veiled metaphor for the promise and perils of British Colonialism. Before the Rains was directed and shot by Santosh Sivan, ISC (The Terrorist, AC April ’99) amid the lush 18 July 2008 forest and majestic mountains of Kerala, a state in southern India. Sivan was born and raised in Kerala and brought with him a special feel for the surroundings. “The landscape hasn’t changed much since the 1930s,” he says. “People have worked hard to maintain the ecological balance in the area, so nature hasn’t been tampered with. “Before the Rains is very much about the land,” he continues. “Rather than use telephoto lenses, I wanted to go with a wide kind of feel, where you have people, frogs and insects in sharp focus in the foreground while the background is slightly blurred.” He favored 16mm and 18mm lenses for these shots. Sivan, who attended the Film and Television Institute of India, points to the late Subrata Mitra, the great Indian cinematographer who worked with Satyajit Ray, as perhaps his greatest influence, especially in terms of framing. “In Ray’s films, people are almost always seen in relation to the landscape and the sky; they are either dominating the landscape or being eaten up by it. I wanted to achieve something similar in Before the Rains.” The story’s themes were a major influence on the visual design. To help underscore the clash of cultures, Sivan tried to incorporate contrasting images and/or colors within the shots. Some occurred naturally, such as the contrast in skin tones between the pale Moores and his Indian mistress. At other times, production design and wardrobe were crucial, as in the contrast between Moores’ neutral-colored attire and Sajani’s bright saris and sparkling jewelry. ¢ Before the Rains photos by Alphonse Roy, courtesy of MIP/Roadside Attractions.

American Cinematographer - July 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - July 2008

American Cinematographer - July 2008
Contents
Editor's Note
Global Village: Torn from the Flag
Short Takes: On a Tuesday
Production Slate: Before the Rains WALL-E
Batman Looms Larger
A Not-So-Super Hero
Spy vs. Spy
Laugh Factory
Post Focus: CineSynce Streamlines Dark Knight Effects
New Products & Services
International Marketplace
Classified Ads
Ad Index
In Memoriam: Burton "Bud" Stone, Honorary ASC
Clubhouse News
ASC Close-Up: Bill Taylor
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - American Cinematographer - July 2008
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Cover2
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 1
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 2
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Contents
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 4
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 5
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 6
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 7
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Editor's Note
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 9
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Global Village: Torn from the Flag
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 11
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 12
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 13
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Short Takes: On a Tuesday
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 15
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 16
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 17
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Production Slate: Before the Rains WALL-E
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 19
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 20
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 21
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 22
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 23
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 24
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 25
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 26
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 27
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 28
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 29
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Batman Looms Larger
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 31
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 32
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 33
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 34
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 35
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 36
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 37
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 38
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 39
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 40
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 41
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 42
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 43
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 44
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 45
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - A Not-So-Super Hero
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 47
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 48
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 49
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 50
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 51
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 52
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 53
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Spy vs. Spy
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 55
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 56
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 57
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 58
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 59
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 60
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 61
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 62
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 63
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Laugh Factory
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 65
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 66
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 67
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Post Focus: CineSynce Streamlines Dark Knight Effects
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 69
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 70
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 71
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 72
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 73
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - New Products & Services
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 75
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 76
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 77
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - International Marketplace
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Classified Ads
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Ad Index
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 81
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - In Memoriam: Burton "Bud" Stone, Honorary ASC
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 83
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Clubhouse News
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 85
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 86
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - 87
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - ASC Close-Up: Bill Taylor
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Cover3
American Cinematographer - July 2008 - Cover4
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