New Series For VOOT Select Was Shot At Home Using iPhones, MacBooks

A typical set looks complete with lights camera and people operating them. Two or three people surrounding the star cast, where one does the makeup and the other takes care of the clothes that actors are wearing. There is also one individual who is called the ‘focus puller’ who takes care of the camera position. The boom boys take care of the boom rod which has a mic and it records dialogues. There are also trolleys, jimmy jibs, tracks, and men in harness to assist the shooting. Francis Lawrence, the award-winning Austrian-born American filmmaker, once said, “I think the movie business and film crews are a little bit like the circus, in that we travel around like a pack and we’re a big family for a finite period of time. We roll into someplace, cause a bunch of damage, and then roll out.”

Now in a situation like this when directors and people in photography are not able to keep close contact and are locked in their respective homes with no fancy lights, sets, or cameras, it is only the mobile phone cameras that they are left with as their lens.

Viacom18 has just announced the release of ‘The Gone Game’ that will run on its premium offering, VOOT Select. The story begins with a mysterious disappearance as the nation goes for a lockdown. Now the mysterious part of the scenario is whether this is a normal disappearance or there is a mystery relating to it. The show has been produced by Bodhi Tree Multimedia with many thrilling adventures in it.

“Early into the lockdown, we realized that full-scale production will remain a challenge for some time. So, we started putting our minds on what we can do during the lockdown,” says Ferzad Palia, head – VOOT Select, Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18.

Each actor used his/her iPhone and MacBook to film the scenes. The DOP first took a tour of the characters’ house and then, depending on the lighting, suggested the time of the day when the filming could take place. “The director, DOP, and creative producer connected with the actors on Zoom calls,” revealed Sukesh Motwani, of Bodhi Tree Multimedia.

If someone lacked an iPhone, the production team arranged one for that person. “We selected that device as it enables us to use certain professional software,” informed Motwani

The situation was such that whenever the DOP required more lights, the actors would ask their family members for help. This was not a sort of  DIY (Do It Yourself) video that they were shooting for their next content upload on YouTube or TikTok, but this was a  serious business, a show that they were making for VOOT Select.

VOOT Select is a subscription-based offering by Viacom18 which has been launched this year and is available at a price of Rs 99 per month and Rs 499 per year, and it competes with Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, SonyLIV, ZEE5, and ALTBalaji to make money from customers

“This is a full-blown show, surrounded by mystery,” says Palia, adding, “When we look back now, the way we pulled it off, the director, the cast, and the creative team deserve a lot of credit. Every shot was far more detailed and difficult to execute. The actors had to do their own makeup and styling, and they were filming themselves. It must have been a difficult time for their families.”

As of now, the platform has made its claim that they have a premium offering in their subscription. The quality maintained during the production has been the focal point of the increased sales. Premium platforms also mean that it will bring in more cash and almost 100 crores for a show.

Here, the DOP was shooting with mobile cameras from a remote location, “If I had not told you, you would not realize that the scenes were shot under the circumstances we mentioned. The story itself did not require too much of outdoor shoot. There has been no compromise on lighting, or quality,” asserts Palia.

So, does it redefines premium? “Premium, for us, has never been throwing ridiculous amounts of money. It has always been (about) the story. We did not make this show just for the sake of making something during the lockdown. In fact, I think this is one of the best stories we have ever told,” Palia opines.

For the makers too, it was a different experience. Bodhi Tree Multimedia pitched the show after the lockdown began. It was a “unique experience”, says Motwani.

With the episodes, the cast and crew got used to the new techniques and procedures.

Motwani express that things would have turned out better if they had got good sets and usual workstations. But the final product, he says, is a commendable one that can live up to expectations.

Motwani reveals that there wasn’t much difference in the cost of production, “There wasn’t a set, but then there were long hours and days. If we saved on sets, we spent on people. So, it all got balanced.”

Right now digital platforms contribute to eight percent of Viacom18’s Rs 4,000 crore turnover.

The VOOT Select premium offering is the network’s attempt to up digital’s contribution to 24 percent of the Rs 8,000 crore turnover by 2024. For it to happen, VOOT Select will need to rake in paid subscribers. Will ‘The Gone Game’ help? Well, it remains to be seen.