The Art of HUSTLING as Producer: Balancing the technical triad of People, Process and Profits

“The Art of HUSTLING as Producer: Balancing the technical triad of People, Process and Profits”: Webinar on ‘Producing, Costume Design and Acting’ with Ms. Elahe Hiptoola at Annapurna College of Film and Media, Hyderabad

Speaker Bio: Ms. Elahe Hiptoola is an Indian actress, producer and Executive Producer born in Mumbai and she contributed as an executive producer for several Hindi films like Bollywood Calling, 3 Deewarein, Lakshmi Hyderabad Blues 2, and Iqbal. She has also done supporting roles in movies like Iqbal, Aashayein, Morning Raga. She is also the founder of ‘Lamakaan’ in Hyderabad, an inclusive cultural space that promotes and presents the best of arts, literature, theatre, debate and dialogue with a commitment to being open and accessible. This makes her a cultural entrepreneur in truest sense in addition to being a resourceful visionary and cultural change agent, in my opinion J

The one hour session dealt with myriad macro issues and select micro nuggets, revolving around the structural dynamics and inherent dilemmas in film producing; commonalities and differences between indie #filmmaking and studio/commercial filmmaking routes (Elahe is in a league on her own for creating the genre now known as “Hinglish” with low budget hit Hyderabad Blues and later the follow up, ‘Rockford’ and ‘Bollywood Calling’); frugal filmmaking ethos with choicest of anecdotes and war stories from the making of "Hyderabad Blues"; select hacks for costume design and lastly and definitively, a peek into her PRODUCING PHILOSOPHY, wherein and whereby she discussed about how to make financially fruitful, societally truthful, critically impactful and creatively tasteful films? (Majority of her films, directed by Mr. Nagesh Kuknoor have this producing philosophy; Nagesh and she are a Director-Producer team)

Energetically, reflecting on producing films over her 22+ year career in Bollywood (and Beyond, as well), Elahe is at her chirpy best and has these things to say in her trademark ebullient fashion:

Producing and most specifically line producing is the most asexual (gender neutral) job on the planet.

In terms of audience reception, Actors always get the maximum of accolades with minimum of efforts relative to other important stakeholders like producers who spend more amount of time in a project. Actors can afford to be self-serving and myopic, but everyone in the team must submit themselves to the penned script and directorial vision

No Job is too small and is no person too big enough, in a film set. Film is a director’s medium.

In her projects, the key to being a great line producer is superb simple: stay organized, frugal/minimal and super-efficient. Pay attention and meet with someone from every department every day. Track everything on continual basis and keep digital copies, mindful of exigencies and contingencies.

When a director’s vision of a film is clear, people enjoy working in the service of their vision, she quipped recounting the resounding success of Hyderabad Blues.

Producing has been almost solely a male preserve, so far and while there are clearly many barriers to opportunity for women producers, she believes in the power of women at the top calling out issues and pushing for change.

Never make the mistake of confusing the communication structure with the organizational structure/hierarchy in film set. Communication and the exchange of ideas need to be unhindered for a team to be successful unmindful of the hierarchy.

 Echoing the famous and oft repeated saying ““Nobody knows anything” (attributed to William Goldman) in her own words, she says that not one person in entertainment industry knows for a certainty what's going to work. Every time out it's a guess and, if you're lucky, an educated one. Mindful of this, it is better to produce movies that one wants to watch personally and likes oneself. Do your own thing. Her producing ethos may as well be summarized as “Believe in your own beliefs. Make your own movies. Break open the convention and associated trends”.

Costumes are one of many tools the director has to tell the story. Costumes communicate the details of a character’s personality to the audience, and help actors transform into new and believable people on screen. Harping upon the strategic importance of ‘Costume Design’ (by talking about her movie ‘Iqbal’, according to her costumes must work within the composition of a scene. Everything in the frame is designed to help tell the story, including the people, sets, set dressings, props and costumes. Costume Design also has an utilitarian (functional) perspective and aesthetic perspective in a film.

  “Good films can be made only by a crew of dedicated maniacs,” David Lean once said. While a director usually gets the most amount of praise, one can’t forget the backbone of a production: the collaborative crew that makes up the many moving parts and according to her, she wants only and only that crew (specifically associate directors and production executives) which have steadfast dedication, unwavering commitment and relentless work ethic to make quality movies.

The conversation additionally touched upon countless technical aspects related to ‘ Line Production’ relating to that of ‘Recce/Tech Scouting’, ‘Location Management’, ‘Production Schedules’, ‘Bound Scripts’, ‘Production Boards’, ‘Daily Production Meetings’, and her personal journey, learning and associated disenchantment and of working for select big projects in Bollywood.

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