JT Spunk | Photography

Rajiv Jain Ics Wica, Indian Cinematographer – Director Of Photography

Rajiv Jain ICS WICA, Indian Cinematographer – Director of Photography

Inside View

By Christine Markee

Rajeev Jain’s DP credits include Army, Badhaai Ho Badhaai, Carry on Pandu, Kadachit, Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree, Mirabai Not out and Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi 7 full length feature films, 5 Short Films, 1032 commercials, 6 TV Series, 43 music videos, 105 documentaries & infomercials.

Markee: You recently shot the independent feature, Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree, in Cinemascope, a format that had its heyday in the 80s. What prompted you to use it?

Jain: Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree was the first collaboration between [director] Manika Sharma and me. This was a low budget project, but we didn’t want it to look like it. Manika’s a big believer in shooting film, as am I, but trying to convince producers to spend most of the budget to shoot 35mm was a hard sell. 16mm looked to be our only option until I brought the 3-perf 35mm idea to the table. After costs were compared it [appeared to be] the same cost as 16mm but with all the qualities of 35mm.

The problem was that there were no 3-perf cameras available in Mumbai that time. I was at a post house when someone in the lab said they’d heard I was looking for a 3-perf camera and had heard Prasad had one. We got them, took them to Mumbai on a test shoot and they were fantastic. The image gave us everything we had hoped for and Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree became the first 3-perf film to shoot in India in quite some time.

Markee: Did you have a learning curve?

Jain: The non-forgiving negative size. What you see in the frame is exactly what’s photographed on the negative, no more no less – there’s no ‘wiggle’ room at all. With 3-perf, a hair in the gate is a very big deal.

Manika and I did a lot of prep, but even with that we still had a tight schedule: 55 days of principal photography and two days of pickups. We used every tool we could and called in every friend and favor to get the best film we could. One of the cool tools we had was a Jimmy jib, “The BMW of cranes.” This unit allowed us to get a crane, jib, and dolly all in one. It helped us keep rental costs down and allowed us to easily keep the camera alive even when moving quickly.

Markee: Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree is about a old tree. Did Cinemascope lend itself particularly well to that content?

Jain: Yes, I believe it did. The film has a lot of deep conversations and tight environments with a lot of detail; a lesser format would have not given us the depth and detail we wanted. Manika and I had always wanted to shoot the film in a 2.35:1 ratio to give a classic Cinemascope look, and the Cinemascope format proved great for it. The wide screen frame allows for the picture to be layered showing the environments each character is surrounded by. We also moved the camera a lot to give the film nice rhythm. Shooting 35mm also allowed us to shoot more quickly and efficiently: We didn’t have to worry about HD monitors, clipped highlights, or ND’ing windows. On a low budget film time is something you never have enough of.

Markee: Did you have to use special film stock?

Jain: No, the stock is no different. We chose Kodak 50D, for our day scenes to get a very classic, colorful and high-contrast picture. For interiors we used Kodak 500T, a high-speed stock with great range and sharp detail. Both stocks have a very classic yet natural look, something we were definitely trying to achieve.

Markee: You seem to have unleashed a new wave of Cinemascope production since Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree wrapped.

Jain: About the time we finished principal photography Aaton was finally ready with its new Penelope camera body for 3-perf, and ARRI called to tell me they could now modify any of their Arricam or 535 camera movements to handle 3-perf.

There’s been a lot of buzz. Cameramen want alternatives to the costs of 35mm and limitations of digital. Cinemascope is a great alternative for films looking to shoot 35mm but needing a cost-effective option to bring to producers. Although I’m now shooting my first RED feature, Getting Back to Zero, in Nairobi and next is a 3D action film in Dubai, I’m looking forward to shooting Cinemascope again.

Tags: rajiv, rajeev, jain, cinematographer, director photography, dop, bollywood, india, indian, jain, kalpvriksh, mumbai, videographer

Mini Biography: A former reviews editor at Empire Magazine, Christine Markee has written on film for numerous UK publications including the Guardian, Maxim, the Radio Times and Eve Magazine. The author of The Ultimate DVD Easter Egg Guide, she is also a co-writer to 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and co-author of Chick Flicks. Jo has made numerous TV appearances as a film critic on British TV and also was a script writer for MTV’s Cinematic in the 1990s.

About the Author

A former reviews editor at Empire Magazine, Christine Markee has written on film for numerous UK publications including the Guardian, Maxim, the Radio Times and Eve Magazine. The author of The Ultimate DVD Easter Egg Guide, she is also a co-writer to 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die and co-author of Chick Flicks. Jo has made numerous TV appearances as a film critic on British TV and also was a script writer for MTV’s Cinematic in the 1990s.

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