SHATTERED DREAMS
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
ABOUT ME
Mohammad Amir Ul Islam Gunjon
Director Of Photography (DOP)
Welcome to my portfolio. As a dedicated Cinematographer and Director of Photography, I have honed my craft over three years of intensive study in Film and Television production at University Of Greenwich. This site presents a focused exploration of my pivotal role in the graduation film "Shattered Dreams," showcasing my contributions in aesthetics, technical execution, and collaboration.
Navigate through each project phase, from preproduction to final delivery, to discover how my expertise as a cinematographer influenced our work. I share detailed insights into the creative processes and technical challenges I navigated, critically reflecting on my experiences and considering alternative approaches with the benefit of hindsight. Now lets dive into this narrative of professional growth and artistic exploration, and see how my university journey has shaped my capabilities and vision in the world of film and television production.
SHATTERED DREAMS
Shattered Dreams is a captivating film that explores the complexities of friendship, ambition, and betrayal in the world of ballet. The storyline revolves around two friends, Lily and Mia, who share a passion for ballet. As they compete for a role in a performance, tensions rise when Mia lands the coveted lead part while Lily is left as the understudy, struggling to hide her disappointment.
Motivated by her desire to please her mother and her refusal to settle for second place, Lily makes a choice to betray Mia. Under the pretense of celebration, Lily poisons Mia during a night out, triggering a chain of events.
The film reaches its climax with a scene as Lily steps into the spotlight, embodying the role she desired at the cost of her friend's life. Through storytelling and impactful visuals, "Shattered Dreams" delves into themes of envy and ethical dilemmas that arise when ambition overrides loyalty.
As Lily's performance unfolds on stage, viewers are left pondering the shattered dreams of both characters and reflecting on the consequences of pursuing one's ambitions at any price.
WATCH THE FILM HERE
MEET THE CREW
PRODUCER
DIRECTOR
FATEMEH
MANSOURI
STELLA
YORDANOVA
DOP
PROD. DESIGNER
GUNJON
AMIR
ELENA
VALENTINOVA
EDITOR
SOUND
ALEX
DOBRENOV
MAMADOU
BAH
1ST AC
LAXMI
NUNDOO
MY INTERVIEW
PRE PRODUCTION
My involvement with the team deepened when I joined them. Working closely with the writer director, I used my six years of industry experience to ensure the script and storyline were feasible. I also researched the best equipment to make the film visually dynamic, and during location visits, I used the Artemis Pro app on my phone to test camera settings.
To fund our project, we launched a social media campaign and raised money through GoFundMe, while also announcing our crew list online. Simultaneously, I prepared a list of equipment needed for the shoot. Besides this project, I gained additional experience by working in various roles on five other projects. Overall, my time with the team was extremely positive from the beginning.
We captured some preliminary shots using the Artemis Pro app to ensure our vision aligned perfectly with the real-world settings. This process allowed us to experiment with different camera and lens settings, providing a clear preview of how each scene would look through our main camera. These pre-shots were crucial for fine-tuning our visual approach before the actual filming began.
Equipments Used
Gimbal: DJI Ronin M R2
Camera: Red Epic W 8K
Drone: DJI Mavic Mini 4 Pro
Lens: Xeen Prime
14mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm & 85mm
PRODUCTION
During production, we faced a challenging start on our first day of shooting. Despite completing all the pre-production tasks like arranging the cast and securing locations, we found ourselves short of crew members for our set. Initially, I thought we could manage, but it quickly became clear that we couldn’t handle the workload without additional hands to carry production equipment.
After wrapping up our first day of shooting, I took on the responsibility of copying the files since we didn't have a DIT role. I took the memory card in my backpack and headed home. Unfortunately, my car was broken into, and a thief stole my bag containing the footage from the first day. This loss was devastating, and we couldn't continue filming the next day. We decided to take a two-day break to regroup and start fresh. A week later, we rescheduled the shoot, and to our surprise, we completed the entire day's shoot in just four hours.
Despite numerous challenges, we managed to navigate them professionally. Our filming schedule consisted of five days, and we successfully completed all the filming within this timeframe. The experienced cast guided us and showed us how to handle such situations professionally, drawing from their past experiences.
Camera settings that I used for this film:
Record File Format: Apple ProRes
Capture Resolution: 8K
Render Resulation: 4K
Dimensions: 4096x2160
Video Codec: Apple ProRes 422HQ
Frames: 24fps
Colour Space: REDWideGamutRGB
Gamma Curve: Log3G10
LUT: Kodak Killer
Using DJI Gimbal
As we aimed to give the film a dynamic look, I decided to use the DJI Ronin gimbal for the dance scene, which was intended to be highly cinematic. Leveraging the location, lighting, and smoke effects, we successfully created the desired visual impact. A minor bump in the photo without a gimbal could result in some completely useless images, particularly at longer lens lengths. What makes the gimbal function is the algorithm inside of it. It removes the tremor and increases the stability of the camera when shooting (Robbins and Driftwood, 2022). Despite the setup being quite heavy, I managed to capture steady and cinematic shots, achieving the visual style we envisioned.
After reviewing our first draft of the film, we received a suggestion to add a shot that would significantly enhance the storytelling. Just a few days before our submission deadline, I booked the camera and lens again to film a crucial scene showing someone putting white powder (poison) into a glass of wine. We returned to the original location and quickly recreated the scene with a red light in the background. This addition seamlessly matched the tone and aesthetic of the other scenes, enhancing the overall narrative effectively. Here are some behind the scene from that day.
POST PRODUCTION
While my major position on this project was Director of Photography, I became closely involved in many aspects of the production process. In addition to filming, I was responsible for colour grading and sound design. Using LUTs directly in the camera allowed me to see the look I wanted to achieve from the beginning.Its a kind of colour filter to alter the colours in the image (Vegas, 2015).
This seamless integration of LUTs carried over to post-production, where I maintained consistency by using the same LUTs after doing some colour corrections in Premiere Pro. This holistic approach resulted in a unified and visually appealing final product that matched the original aesthetic goal.
Here are some snapshot before and after colour grading:
BTS- GALLERY
OTHER PROJECTS
I have worked on several projects in different roles, which has really helped me improve my problem-solving skills. I've learned how to anticipate issues and find creative solutions, helping me avoid repeating the same mistakes in my projects. Working in groups gives students more chances to exercise critical thinking and can help them learn and succeed (Washington University in St. Louis, 2023).
Here are the names of the films I've worked on, the roles I played, and some behind-the-scenes photos and videos from those days:
Girl You Be A Woman Soon - 1st Camera Assistant
The Truth About The Whale In The Sky - 1st Camera Assistant / Gaffer
That Inner Voice - Sound Recordist
Love Bytes - 1st Camera Assistant
MY SHOWREEL
Throughout my journey studying Film and Television at the University of Greenwich, I have completed several notable projects. Here are some links to the projects I have worked on.
Project Name: Two Lives
Role: Cinematographer & Editor
Year: 2022 2nd Year
Project Name Name: Vanished (Music Video)
Role: Cinematographer & Editor
Year: 2021 1st Year
In addition to my academic pursuits, I have achieved success through personal projects. You can view some of my work at the following links:
Project Name: AFC CROYDON
Role: Cinematographer & Editor
Year: 2024
AFC Croydon vs Tooting and Mitcham Social Media Coverage 2024
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Robbins , A. and Driftwood, J. (2022). Why Do You Need A Gimbal? [online] www.zhiyun-tech.com. Available at: https://www.zhiyun-tech.com/en/news/detail/1436?type=website&page=news&source=detail#:~:text=Without%20a%20gimbal%2C%20a%20tiny [Accessed 12 May 2024].
Vegas (2015). Color Grading: What are LUTs and How to Apply Them Correctly? [online] www.vegascreativesoftware.com. Available at: https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/gb/video-editing/what-are-and-how-use-luts-in-color-grading/#:~:text=color%20grading%20panel-.
Washington University in St. Louis (2023). Benefits of Group Work. [online] Center for Teaching and Learning. Available at: https://ctl.wustl.edu/resources/benefits-of-group-work/#:~:text=Group%20work%20creates%20more%20opportunities.
