Bhubaneswar, April 9: Thirty to 35 short films are being made annually in the state, which is “considerably more” than what was made five years ago, says documentary filmmaker Chitta Ranjan Mohanty. Mohanty is also the secretary of the Odisha Short and Documentary Filmmakers’ Association.

Digitisation has been a boon for art filmmakers, says Bhubaneswar-based short filmmaker Amartya Bhattacharya.

“I don’t need a cast or crew. I can go out and start shooting at places that interest me. I use my camera to reflect my state of mind. This may sounds strange because we have been conditioned to believe that filmmaking is a complex process involving people, resources and money. But things have changed. In terms of logistics, filmmaking has become as simple as writing a poem or making a painting.”

Bhattacharya has made five short films that have been screened at many major national and international film festivals.

Experts feel that there has been a revolution in digital filmmaking with digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras such as 5D, 7D or 550D coming to the market.

A DSLR of Rs 35,000 provides the opportunity to shoot in full high definition format and gives freedom to experiment. Then, there is software available for video editing. Moreover, unlike film shoots, a DSLR catches the action without drawing public attention.

Unlike directors of yesteryear, who could see what had been captured only when the film was processed in a lab, a digital filmmaker need not worry about retakes. One can simultaneously see what is being shot and simply delete the superfluous shots.

Not only has making films become easier, video-sharing websites such as Youtube take away the problem of distribution. Moreover, festivals such as Bring Your Own Film Festival (BYOFF) provide a chance for filmmakers to exhibit their films.

About 10 filmmakers from the state screened their short films at this year’s edition of BYOFF in February. “

The digital world has democratised filmmaking,” said Sushant Mishra, co-founder of BYOFF. Mishra is making a documentary on Odissi music.

Though the quantity has increased, veteran filmmakers and academics feel that knowing the cinematic language is something few filmmakers are acquainted with.

“A filmmaker must know the aesthetics of interweaving what has been captured. Since the process has become so easy, young filmmakers refuse to work hard. One must master the medium to reach its pinnacle. They need to understand that not all films can be landmark ones. One must keep creating to improve,” said Himanshu Khatua, head, school of film and media sciences, KIIT University.