Members' Personal Reflection #1 (Athiprayoon W.)

As for me, I personally like the whole idea behind the movie. What struck me most while watching are the quotes from two scenes.The first one from the principal saying that 'children is never useless, they are just used less.' and the second one is the conversation between the dad and his worker in the junk shop. Both seem to have the same core idea, Faltu means useless, but the children will never be used less if we know their worth and fix it or made it to be ready to use. Here is the point where I found what the father has said very inspiring. Besides, I absolutely support the idea of building the school for alternative education that encourage the students to pursue their dream and learn what they are interested in. Studying only for exam can be useless in the future if we don't even know what we really are capable of doing. As a result, our potential is also used less because of the different purpose of education---one for exam and one for life. 

It's Faltu (Useless)!

Yes! What's useless for others...I know the true worth of those things

But we made it fit to use.. 

Technically speaking, this is the first Bollywood movie I have ever watched. The movie is a enjoyable adaptation version of the Hollywood movies that is instructive in some degree with the representation of some the Indian sociocultural context in the scene of the students are being punished is where the subject of parents and gratitude are being brought up. This is the lesson that we can find only in Asian movie. Despite the fact that music is the significant characteristic of Bollywood movies, it doesn't mean that it have to turn all music scenes into music video by using too many camera movement. And that is the part where I don't like about the film. Moreover, the selection of the music in movie are also closely related to what the movie are trying to say. In other words, music is a tool for story-telling which can be observed in the following video.  

                          

My favorite scene is from the scene where FALTU students decided to go for the competition. At this scene, I found myself learning a lot from the 4 minutes show by FALTU. It shows the message about problems in education system such as focusing on grade rather than true potential of the child and the selective process of higher education based on percentage. All of which can  cause the high amount of pressure on children that can be harmful to their future. This scene has presented the the idea of education that FALTU seems to promote which is the opportunity to find yourself and to know your potential so a to break free from the system. Education system create a world apart which made the concept of no child left behind became just an ideal that far reach, because of the process of selection by score that legitimate the admission opportunity. At this point, opportunity is what is lack. Therefore, what we need now is power and support from communities and government to fulfill what is lack. 

Education is suppose to be for all---for all who willing to learn.

Athiprayoon W.

 Credits: - Photos from Movie F.A.L.T.U
               - Video from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLSMxghIPFs

Cinematography

Section 1: Movement 

In the making of one film, there are many types of camera movement that we can consider while watching these moving image. Since the word 'cinematography' ,according to Lacey(2009), means 'recording movement', this is one of the most important part in the making of each scene in cinema and television. 

     1.1) Crane shot 

High School Scene

FALTU College 

     The use of 'crane shot' is how the filmmaker shoots the scene by moving the camera above the air in order to create the sense of mobility in the scene and to give the audience the feeling of ubiquity. There are several use of crane shot and establishing shots in this movie to introduce the beginning of the new scene that are significant to the movie plot.This is how these two kinds of camera movement introduce the audience to the location where the main characters are present. For example, in the beginning of the movie, the use of these two shots guide us to the high school's classroom where the final examination has taken place. The second one is in the scene at the opening day of FALTU college where all the accepted students arrive.  

   

     

     1.2) Pan 

                            

                                

This is the camera movement that produces a mobile framing by moving the camera horizontally with a speed. This technique has been used in many scenes especially when the characters start singing and dancing. The Pan will move quickly through 360 degrees of a circle and cause the blurring in the scene which can be called as a 'whip pan'.

Athiprayoon W.                                                                              

Section 2: Quality

Shallow focus

In FALTU, the Shallow focus is used in the video scene where people are mounting the support for  FALTU college during its critical  period of being claimed as a fake college. The use of shallow focus in this scene gives the viewers feeling of documentary video. The shot will keep the sharp focus on one particular object or element in a scene by using 'close-up' shot which provide much attention to an individual's actions or thoughts.   

Section 3: Digital Technique 

Split Scene 

We found many uses of 'split scene' technique in FALTU's music video scenes. This is a technique that has been popularize among film and video production to show many simultaneously actions on the same scene by allowing one or more actors to appear twice at the same time.  

                                                                                       

                                                                                        Surathumrong S.

Section 4: Lighting 

4.1) High Key lighting

The High-Key lighting produce a very bright images with very few shadow on the subject. The bright light technique is popular among musical or comedy movies so as to give the entertaining atmosphere to the scene.    

4.2) Low Key lighting

The Low-Key lighting is often use a strong shadow to obscure some part of the figure in order to create a suspicious look to the scene or the character. For example, this scene, the use of Low key lighting has given the image of the primary school principal as an intimidating figure. 

Sartrapai S.

Reference: Lacey,N.(2009). Image and representation key concepts in media studies. China:Palgrave macmillan. 

Theme and Issues in F.A.L.T.U

Continue from the previous post, here I would like to consider the most important point we have been missing. The Theme of the movie!!

 As we can see from the story synopsis, the main theme of this film is about youth, education and acceptance. For education and acceptace, it's also about how people define these two terms. The process of entrance examination in general that base on accounatability of the test score percentage is no different from the previous years of primary and secondary schooling by shifting from pass or fail to acceptance and rejection. Are these the only two ways of judgement that defines potential and abilities of students?  In addition to that, this is all about social value of how people in societies nowadays generally value people on their level of education, diploma, name and reputation of the school. This is the film about the joy of youth, about being young and bold, challenging the norms and conventions, orthodox and unorthodox, breaking the rules and life full of freedom.

Moreover, some of you may have noticed that the movie plot somewhat similar to an American comedy movie 'ACCEPTED' which theaterically released in 2006 directed by Steve Pink and starring by famous ; Justin Long, Jonah Hill, and Blake Lively.

Certainly, yes! F.A.L.T.U is the adaptation of the Hollywood production of 'ACCEPTED' movie!

 

Let's get back to the point. If education is really about opportunities, F.A.L.T.U and ACCEPTED can be the great examples. Somehow the films also points out the fact about what higher education these days has been missing which is an equal opportunity. Although similar to F.A.L.T.U many university across the globe, those with big name and newly emerged, are now providing the course online, but the problem is that those with greater reputation still carry out the admission and screening process based on the the same convention and standard as the normal admission. Therefore, it is difficult argue that our educational system is fair, equal and all about children opportunities.

All in all, this conclusion raises the question on my mind that

'Is education really for all?'       

By Athiprayoon W.

F.A.L.T.U Synopsis

'F.A.L.T.U' Official Trailer (HD)

  

Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC7yotgP4_A

    Synopsis 

A lively energetic Hindi comedy, F.A.L.T.U is a story about four highschool bestfriends Ritesh Virani, Niranjan Nayar, Puja Nigam, and Vishnu Vardhan who are in the critical stage of their life trying to get into any college in order to satisfy their parents' expections. However, among four of them Vishnu, the only one with the highest score (94%), is the only person that got accepted to the college he applied while the other three got rejected by all colleges!!

Of course, life isn't fair! so what should the rest of them do without anywhere else to go, so they came up with the most bizarre idea of creating their own fake college. With the help from Vishnu and Google Chand (Ritesh's relative), they successfully set up the fake university and given the name "Fakirchand and Lakirchand Trust University" or F.A.L.T.U. meaning 'Useless' in Hindi. They also hired Bajirao, a former elementary school teacher, as the principal. Everything seems to go as planned, but not until the university entrance day before the real chaos actually begin. Countless number of students from around the country show up at F.A.L.T.U by mistaken it as a real universities as they applied and got accepted through the university website created by Vishnu. The most surprising fact is that all of the prospective students of FALTU has one thing in common which is the fact that they all had been rejected by the universities they had applied. Later on that day, the shocking fact was announced to all of them that the college is fake after the parents left! And they had better keep it a secret, by all means! 

In the middle of shocking moment, now F.A.L.T.U become the only hope they got.  How can they turn down the hope of a thousand others, so they are forced to continue. F.A.L.T.U's semester begin with non-stop parties days and nights, but the pointless party-time finally comes to an end. When Ritesh go back to his home for a visit, he got inspired by his father's simple but insightful philosophy about his junk business. Ritesh decide to make a life changing decisions by making other students to study, but it isn't an easy task since no one want to learn from books. The situation got worsen and it also upset Bajirao and Google. However, things got better when Bajirao punish them by making the students come up with their hobbies and passions and write them down. This results in the greater idea of making F.A.L.T.U become the hub of multi talents learning. Unfortunately, the plan has been obstructed Vishnu's father, the influencial Mr. Vardhan who eventually discovered what his son and friends has been doing all along. Despite the obstacle, no one seems to give up their hope.

In the end, all F.A.L.T.U's Students decide to join the universities competition and won the heart of the audience, judges, and their parents. After all this tough time, they eventually got accepted by adults who value kids by their grades.

Happy Ending :) 

Athiprayoon W.