SAAFA holds seminar on Digital Video Movie Making PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR TWO MOREARTICLES
The Future of Digital Cinema
Stanford, CA:A panel discussion on “The Future of Digital Cinema”- addressing the rapidly growing industry of Digital Video film making, was hosted by SAAFA - South Asian American Films and Arts Association – a not-for profit organization, at Stanford University on Saturday, Nov 1, 2003. The panel discussion included a few digital format filmmakers and a veteran film laboratory professional.
“Our main focus areas for SAAFA include film screenings, panel discussions, educational workshops and outreach programs” said SAAFA Founder-Organizer Vivek Kumar, adding “We planned today’s panel to gain insights into business aspects of digital film making and also address some of the traditional and emerging challenges faced in the digital realm.”
The speakers included David Schendel – documentary producer - Yank Tanks - a treatise on Old American Cars of 1950’s, somehow still being maintained and run on the streets of Havana, Cuba, despite of the fact that there are no new parts available locally for decades; Matthew Moore - Instructor at SFSU, who has made successful narrative films (Bayou Blues, Police State) on low budgets; and Mark Olesko, an Instructor at Academy of Art, San Francisco, who spoke on making a complete feature movie for a total budget of $5000, using some creative ideas - like bartering services, using technical facilities at night etc.
The panel, which was moderated by Dave Kapoor, Festival Director - DV EXPO in San Francisco, also included Pakistani - American Physician-turned-Film-maker Hassan Zee, who spoke of his upcoming movie - Night of Henna - shot entirely in Digiital format. Hassan said, “We often filmed the same shot in 10 different angles - as Digital media is cheap compared to 35 mm”. He mentioned that the total budget for the movie ended up in the $500,000 range - which would have been a lot more if shot in 35mm and announced the release of the movie shortly.
Jim Moye, Laboratory Manager at Monaco Labs, SF-spoke of his extensive experience in film processing and challenges of transferring digital format to film for viewing. He brought out the fact that although digital media and digital cameras are easily obtained as of now, 90% of the screening rooms still show Celluloid Film medium. Moye added “ It costs over $150,000 for a digital projector as opposed to about $30,000 for a Film projector. Also, only 4,000 screens in USA and 50-100 worldwide can play full digital format, while there are 35,000 screens in USA and 75,000 screens worldwide showing film. So Film medium is here to stay for a long time, especially as computers, digital formats, and software keep getting obsolete so fast. The life of digital media is less than 15 years whereas film is at least 50 years.”
However, Mr. Moye along with all panelists agreed that the Digital format has lots of advantage including cost effectiveness and empowering an average person to become a film maker, and overall technology was also improving very fast.
Each of the panelists also showed clips of their works, including aspiring film makers, Madhusudan and Meghana, of San Francisco who showed clips of their movie “Khwaab”- for which they hope to get financed very soon.
For more info on South Asian American Films & Arts Association: www.saafa.org Ref: Jim Moye- Lab. Manager- Monaco Labs- San Francisco; - John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO)-quoted in ABCnews Sam Rao Western Union and Indian Postal Service team up to Offer Expanded Service
“The Post Office you left Behind Is Not the Same Anymore!"-
Fremont, CA:At a joint presentation on Friday night Nov 7, 2003, at the Indian Palace, Fremont; Western Union and the Indian Postal service announced an expansion of cash transfer business to reach major parts of India. Western Union, a subsidiary of First data corporation- a Fortune 500 company, has 12,000 outlets in India, of which currently 4,200 are resident in Indian Post offices, according to Srinivas Kasturi, Regional Marketing Manager, South Asia, who made an impressive presentation. Kasturi said “Our studies reveal that 92% of the cash remitted is picked up within the same day, and now direct service to Indian Post offices are being offered from New York, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco Bay area in the USA; and London and Birmingham in U.K.”
Alok Pande, Assistant Attorney-General Indian Postal Service- Indian Civil Services Batch of 1994- said, “the Post Offices you left behind is not the same anymore- they have undergone a metamorphosis. We are using cutting edge technology and computer modems to facilitate inter bank transfers.” adding that the Indian Post office was virtually a “semi banking system”. Pande added, “We are never out of cash with over Rs.200,000 crores in deposits and have 110 million account holders and directly work with SBI and RBI and have tie ups with ICICI and Citibank, etc. “
It should be noted that in 2001-02, the Indian Postal Department lost Rs.15 crores to independent services. Further, the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a United Nations body that coordinates postal policies among 189 countries, reveals that by 2005, 86 per cent of the world's communication would be conducted over phone, or via e-mails and faxes, leaving under 15 per cent for paper letter deliveries. Further, seven in every hundred Indians will have phones by December 2003, fifteen by year 2006.
Deputy Consul General (SF) Akilesh Mishra outlined the history of the first Indian Post office, inaugurated in 1854. He reminded the efficiency of the Indian postal services which handles 14 -15 billion pieces of mail per year, with the ratio of people serviced per postal employee is 3,600 in India compared to only 360 in USA. Mishra also pointed out that post 9/11 realities had created an urgency to tighten up Hawla transactions- the vast underground of informal money transactions. He revealed astonishing remittance figures for the population of about 28 Lakh NRI’s abroad. Regular annual remittance to India was about $14,000 Million, of which only $4,000 million was being done via legal avenues. Mishra urged all people to use legal, safe and legitimate services like Western Union and Indian Postal Service only.
Western Union President (Americas) Bill Thomas, spoke via video message and spoke of first starting services in Indian in1994 with 75 locations, and recently inaugurating the 100,000th kiosk worldwide, at the GPO in Mumbai with services offered in 8 Indian languages.
Pande also revealed a new service to be introduced within 6 months- for pre-paid credit card holders in India, with immediate payment solutions.- beneficial to the 99% of the population without real access to the internet. Other interesting services coming up are a tie-up with Netlinx Co. of Hyderabad, for e-post; where an email letter can be printed and sent via mail to those without access to computers, literally within minutes. Pande also announced ambitious plan for a “Semi Banking” plan where transfers directly to checking and savings accounts are in the offing via Post offices with 2000 dialup modem locations and 150 V-Sats (Very Small Aperture terminals)-using Satellite technology.
Every State was covered, e.g remote villages in Assam (24 kiosks), Himachal Pradesh (43), Jammu Kashmir (18) with service available in Ladhak too ; Jharkand (22) and also business centric states like Gujarat (347), Kerala (400), Tamil Nadu (536) and Maharashtra (611) etc.
Srinivas Kasturi, mentioned that Western union service was a RBI approved service with a maximum cash payout of $2,500 in one transactions and up to 12 transactions per year. Replying to a question, Kasturi clarified that there was never any fees charged to the person collecting the money, as all transaction fees were collected from the sender. He also reiterated that the Western union Service was meant for individuals and not for Corporations- all complying with the Government of India regulations.
Attendee Vincent Bose Matthews who hails from Kerala, and also has a Check cashing business in SF Bay area was impressed. He like several attendees looked forward to do business in the new era of Western Union and Indian Postal Services- using computers and modern technology.
For more information: Western Union www.westernunion.com or 1-800-435-2226 -Bharatiya Dak (Department of Posts): www.indiapost.org
Sam Rao
Election Campaign for CA-20th Assembly District - Fremont Area
“Manayan sounds like Narayan”-
San Jose, CA:Three-term Mayor of Milpitas Henry Manayan is confident! Running for elected office for the fifth time in his young political career, he aims to be the next Assembly member from the 20th Assembly District. The assembly district covers entire cities of Milpitas, Fremont, Union City, Newark, with portions of San Jose (east), Castro Valley, Sunol, Pleasanton and parts of Hayward too. Included in the 20th District is a substantial population of Asian-American voters, including Indian-Americans.
“We have never lost an election so far, and with this track record, even the past election campaign consultants of the current retiring Assembly member John Dutra, have signed on to my campaign ensure my victory,” says a smiling Manayan.
No Stranger to the ethnic community in Silicon Valley, Manayan- who has Filipino and Japanese heritage, has always been a staunch supporter of the Asian-American community. He has won key endorsements from a myriad of elected officials and community leaders ranging from chair of Afghan Coalition to the CEO of SiliconIran to several prominent Indian-Americans. “We have consolidated the ethnic vote early” said Manayan, “We just launched our official campaign, and will be hitting the streets very soon.” (www.manayanforassembly.com)
“Fremont is an important area for us, and since it is more central to our entire district, we will be establishing our campaign HQ there within an month”, said Manayan, adding “As I have been a part of this community for several years, and have been able to deliver a lot of projects, the people of the 20th AD know this. Unlike my other opponents who have limited experience or have moved into the district, just for getting elected.” referring to Ashok Bhat- who recently moved to Fremont from San Francisco.
Manayan has been on city council member of Milpitas since 1994, and during his tenure as Mayor from 1996 to 2002, has- managed to deliver the Light rail extension extension, ending at the Great Mall, Milpitas. While, the BART extension to Milpitas/San Jose stalled, he promises that project will be one of his Transportation/Mass transit priorities. His other priorities being Job creation; Retaining the Businesses and workers in the area-including issues of affordable housing and improving Education. Oxford-Educated Attorney Manayan has also worked as adjunct professor at Mission/West Valley College, and has the endorsement of several School Board officials in the area as well.
In terms of fundraising, Manayan has raised $120,000 so far and aims to raise about $420,000 -the maximum voluntary cap signed by a few of the assembly contestants. “Fundraising is always important, since even a small mailer costs $15,000 per mail-out. Apart from fundraising, the campaign can use help in registering voters; walking precincts, stuffing envelopes, signs and spreading the word.” said Campaign Manager Gina Marie Antonini. Mayor Manayan adds ” This week itself you will see our supporters, including members of the firefighters and police officers association at local grocery stores etc.”
While some in the Indian-American community believe that they should rally around Indian-Americans in the election fray- many see the candidate who has a proven record of helping Indian-American causes and also being a staunch supporter as the only pre requite. Especially after wannabe politicians like Indian-American Vik Bajwa- who raised $40,000 from the community but got only 1,093 votes for Governor of California. Hence a large number of Asian-Americans and Indian-Americans have rallied around Manayan-who they think will best represent them in the district.
Even folks like Senior Citizen Mrs. Sharma, of Milpitas said” I have seen him come to all our events. Bechara Bahut Mehanat karta hai-(Poor man works very hard). Even his name Manayan sounds like Narayan (God) to me.”
INFORMATION:
Primary Elections are on March 2nd, 2004.
Year 2004 is also the Presidential Election year. For information on Manayan- www.manayanforassembly.com
