BEHIND THE SCENES AND Q&A > GUNS
GUNS
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Q&A WITH SHALINI TRIPATHI
1. Where did the inspiration for this video come from?
I grew up in the south, so I understand gun culture. But since moving to New York City, I've had many conversations with lots of people who don't understand it. It was after one of these conversations that I got the idea of creating a series of shorts illustrating facts about guns to help my New York friends understand the other side a little better. 2. What were your film making challenges? I don't have any formal training as a filmmaker, so almost every aspect of filmmaking feels like a challenge for me. I'd like to start by saying that the directing part wasn't hard because all the actors involved - Andrew Joelson, Kevin Lalka, Andy Mills, Lee Rosenberg, Catherine Wing, and Sarah Wolff - are fantastic performers. I have the most trouble with the technical aspects of filmmaking, like camera operation and editing. I was very lucky to have Jim Turner shoot these for me, since he's a great DP. The biggest challenge for me was editing, since it's a process I am still learning. 3. How did the Magnet Video Lab help you grow as an artist from Season 1 to Season 2? Everyone in the lab is very supportive. It's cool working with the group, because filmmaking is such a collaborative process, and everyone has their own skill set to contribute. Getting feedback from everyone from the writing stage through rough cuts was incredibly helpful. In terms of my growth as a filmmaker, I have to say the biggest thing the lab did for me was that it gave me a better idea of what I could accomplish in the time we had. For Season 1, I filmed a complicated narrative short, and I had no idea how difficult it would be to edit it, so I couldn't get a final cut done in time to release it. In fact, I'm still editing that video! Because I was so overwhelmed with the editing of that Season 1 short, I decided to do something much simpler in Season 2, so I chose to do these shorts, which scaled back post-production significantly. Even though these shorts were easier to edit than my Season 1 short, I wish they looked and sounded a little smoother. If there's anything I'm learning as a member of the Magnet Video Lab, it's that film editing is one of the most difficult things I've ever tried to learn. 4. What's next? The thing I find so intimidating about film is that it's a medium which doesn't really require much dialogue. I came to the lab as a writer - I've written a few plays and I write and perform sketch comedy. So my stuff tends to be very, very dialogue-heavy, which is something you can get away with in live theater. For Season 3 of the Magnet Video Lab, I'd like to return to a narrative form, but I want to challenge myself and do something that's purely cinematic, like a silent film. Hopefully, I won't drive myself crazy. |
VIDEO
Shalini Tripathi: writer, director, and editor
Jim Turner: DP Dan Dobransky: Graphics Starring Ned: Kevin Lalka Boss: Catherine Wing Shalini Tripathi: writer, director, and editor
Jim Turner: DP Dan Dobransky: Graphics Starring Woman: Sarah Wolff Man: Lee Rosenberg Shalini Tripathi: writer, director, and editor
Jim Turner: DP Dan Dobransky: Graphics Starring Red: Andy Mills Blue: Andrew Joelson Barkeeper: Jim Turner BEHIND THE SCENES GALLERY
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