GRADUATION PROJECT VISUAL COMMUNICATION (BACHELOR OF DESIGN)
Vol. 1 of 1
Project Title:
Documentary series template for endangered folk artforms of India Name:
Yash Shrivastava Project Mentor:
Lolita Dutta
2019
The Graduation Project Evaluation Jury recommends YASH SHRIVASTAVA from Visual Communication for the Master’s/Bachelor’s Graduation Degree of Unitedworld Institute of Design, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, India herewith, for the project titled The project is complete in every aspect in accordance to the guidelines set by the institution.
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Yash Shrivastava | Graduation Project
COPYRIGHT Š 2019
Student document publication, meant for private circulation only. All rights reserved. No part of this document will be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, xerography, photography and videography recording without written permission from the publisher, Yash Shrivastava and Unitedworld Institute of Design. All Illustrations and photographs in this document are Copyright Š 2018 by respective people and organizations. Written and designed by Yash Shrivastava under the guidance of Lolita Dutta Printed and Binded at Kansara Bindry May, 2019
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ORIGINALITY STATEMENT
COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and it contains no full or substantial copy of previously published material, or it does not even contain substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgment is made in this degree project. Moreover I also declare that none of the concepts are borrowed or copied without due acknowledgment. I further declare that the intellectual content of this degree project is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project’s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged. This degree project (or part of it) was not and will not be submitted as assessed work in any other academic course.
I hereby grant the Unitedworld Institute of Design the right to archive and to make available my degree project/thesis/dissertation in whole or in part in the Institutes’s Knowledge Management Centre in all forms of media, now or hereafter known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act. I have neither used any substantial portions of copyright material in any document nor have I obtained permission to use copyright material. Student Name in Full: Date:
Student Name in Full: Signature: Date:
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Contents Gratitude Preface Mentor Me Institute
Synopsis_________________________18 Project context Background Design Brief
Timeline_________________________22 Pre-research______________________24 Conversation with Researchers Mind-map Conflict
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Opinions to the word coined.___________34 Legacy of Records Fading colors Shadow loom large in search of new hues hit abroad , flop at home
Introduction to Pithora________________43 The People Pithora in mordern world
The Visit____________________________48 The Premise Inititatives concerning the issue Existing initiative
With art from Malaja to London________56
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Artform breakdown: community study ____________________60 The story I heard Arform Relevance Geography History of tribal Agroculture The Ritual
Why did I choose to make A film?_______80 Ideal Medium?_______________________82 What is Narrative?____________________86 Components of A story Types of Narrative what people look /hear/read in a documentary.
Timeline Structure___________________94 Shot listing Unique Selling Point Screenplay format Disrupt + rhythm
Preamble/ Identity__________________102 Typeface Variation Logo Typography Screen Positioning
Title Sequence design________________108 Inspiration Concept Sketches Approach Final Sequence
Rule of thirds_______________________138 Scripting___________________________142 Content division
Sound Design_______________________146 Promotional Collatorals______________150 Print/outdoor Digital
Rig/Crew/production report__________ 160 Reflective Note_____________________ 162 References_________________________164
Frame & Block______________________134
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Gratitude
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I am extremely grateful to Hari Bhai rathwa for having an extraordinary generous attitude and being patient with me. The whole rathwa family for their time and efforts of interaction. Despite having a communication barrier the family did not resist to be enthusiastic. Special thanks to Bhasha research center, Baroda for putting valuable insights and literature. Naran Bhai Rathwa for his book “Babo Pithoro” for referencing ritual and stories behind the myth. Thanks to Ravi Popat for his thoughtful directions and unconventional narratives approach. Your insights are always helpful. The most sincere and heartful gratitude to my mentor Ma’am Lolita Dutta whos knowledge and perspective helped to shape my ideas into reality. My family, for trusting me with my decisions and having faith in my work. My friends Shivangi, Jayashree, Marmik, Sibanu, Rishav, Tirth, Rohit, Yash who have been in constant support and awesome critics.
Special thanks to Vaibhav Soni, for making me learn film terminology and guiding me with the grammar of films. Midnight conversation over ‘‘must-watch” films left an impact. Thanks to Raz Gadhiya for flat animation and Kiran Eapen for illustrative explorations. It was great learning. Thank you Chandresh and Gulshan for the precious camera handle assistance. Frame brainstorming sessions really worked out. Sambit Kumar Pradhan for brilliant voiceover, your enthusiasm, and knowledge motivate me. Sheshadri Iyengar for bearing with the title sequence and providing me technical guidance. I am overwhelmed with the kind of response and support I have received. I hope this initiative functions for the cause.
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Preface
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An afternoon in March 2018, lecture on photostory and dilemma of choosing the right handicraft to document for submission. While going through different handicrafts I came across one which was later found to be endangered. I decided on going to the artist home for assignment. After extensive photography session and a couple of days of environmental perception, the artist exclaimed “what is the use? this is anyway endangered.� Words were enough to trigger thoughts over initiatives to preserve/document endangered art forms. As per UID’s curriculum, all the final semester students are required to undertake a degree project with a client organization or a self-sponsored one. This comprises of comprehensive project based on predetermined conflict. Students are encouraged and are expected to select project closely allied to their area of interest and
the discipline of study. The final project is an opportunity for students to demonstrate their expertise as independent practitioners of design For the same, I have worked on a four-month extensive researchoriented project integrated with cultural anthropology. The document aims to provide a comprehensive and reflective study of the process context deconstruction, concept building, visualization and execution aspects of a documentary design project. Sincere efforts have been made in documenting as much authentic content as possible. References from reliable and authorized sources. Staying true to the basics the document has been written in an informal manner with the voice of an expressionist. I hope it communicates the critical aspects and engages the reader to understand and enjoy the process.
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Mentor Ma’am Lolita Dutta has been a design professional and academician with over 35 years of experience. Her professional work has been in the ambit of exhibition and graphic design. She has worked with several ministries in the Govt of India, diplomatic missions, and both the private and public sector. As an academician, She has been responsible for curriculum development and have lead teams and taught at all the top design institutes. She has lectured and conducted workshops written for journals and has currently been writing a book on design. She has been a speaker , moderator at the Jaipur book mark, the Jaipur literature festival, 2017 and 2018. Apart from being an active academecian she follows her heart and sets an example of perfect life balance for her mentees. Travel, writing, working with mixed media, and cooking are some of her artistic additions.
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Me It was 11th of July in monsoons of 1995, in a government hospital, Jabalpur (M.P.) my heart pumped its first beat. My name is Yash Shrivastava and I think I want to be a filmmaker someday Having being raised in a middle-class environment I have learned a lot of fundamental lessons early age but still wasn’t exposed to many. The journey from a small town like Gwalior to design hub Ahmedabad is what I name a “transition� and I have tried extracting the best. I did not plan to be in this field though. My mom did try to step in 1992 for jewelry design. Back in her days, taking decisions was not easy. She has always been motivated about creating new stuff and my father has always been into reading literature and writing amazing pieces as his leisure.
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I guess these were the characteristics which were prominent in here but were unidentified. I must say, this journey has been overwhelming. I have discovered an unexplored part of myself which after being a reserved introvert all these years, feels great. I feel privileged to be a part of this exhilarating industry. Every part of it has been a challenge, a challenge I am made not to be afraid of. The design has changed perspectives of looking at things. It has made me more aware. The culture does not restrict you to any particular job. Over time I have evolved criticizing my own draft and creating a better one which has contributed in progression and improvisation.
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me
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The Institute Unitedworld Institute of Design (UID) is one of the premier Design institutes of India. The institute aims to create globally sought after professionals who can exhibit their creativity and trigger novel trends. UID’S pursuit for excellence has made its name shine with an extraordinary record of success in a short span.UID offers a diverse range of UG and PG courses in the area of art & design.
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These programs are designed with strong professional emphasis and in close partnership with the industry. Every course has been structured to deliver insights into the importance of individua l and collective creativity, be it a theoretical assessment, design practice, curatorial evaluations or artistic considerations.
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Synopsis Design Brief Project Context Project Background
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Design Brief
Create a format for a documentary series to be streamed online in the form of episodes, to let people experience and understand the endangered artforms.
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Project Background
Being a multi-cultured country India has developed a variety of art forms and handicrafts. These handicrafts and art pieces are results of all the tremendous stories and legacies of people and practices that have been happening overages. Every Handicraft has a unique place and purpose of existence which contributes to our heritage and celebrates our diversity. In the twenty-first century, we are hardly aware of the culture and rituals that our ancestors and creators use to embrace. Every region in India has its identity and handicrafts plays a very vital role. A lot of them are still practiced and preserved by concerned ones, but in a country of 1.2 billion people, we still are on the verge of losing a significant number of handicrafts. The west-influenced market has marked itself a loud retailer. These local artisans are only surviving because of the lack of opportunity seeking in the preservation of the particular handicraft. Every E-commerce vendor is looking for a huge profit which is not possible if the art form is not cultured properly. Artisans are fearmongering which is leading to a significant degradation number of communities practicing handicrafts.
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A lot of Artforms have been preserved in order to make them available to next millennials. Preserving them just to be accessible is not enough. The generation needs to understand the value and importance of these art forms. One of the endangered handicraft that I am going to start with is Pithora Paintings which were originally practiced by Rathwas and bhilalas from central Gujarat and some part of Madhya Pradesh. AIM: To research and document about all these handicrafts and stories behind the origin and history, with a contemporary juxtapositioned manner.
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Context
Focusing on How a handicraft compliments the artisan’s life. To emphasize the integrity of handicraft in artisan’s family In India, we almost have 35 about-to-die handicrafts which need to be preserved and promoted so that the next generation can take it to a different level of understanding of culture, heritage and Diversity that we already have among ourselves. Some of these artforms have their legacy way back to the beginning of humanity and are about to vanish in the probably half decade. As a developing country we have gone through a major technological boom in last 10 years which has not only flooded the lives with immense exposure but also has made people socialy responsible and connected.
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The Timeline : Plan of action It is pretty evident that you produce only thirty percent of what you actually imagine. Timeline is a way of motivation and consistency. Making a timeline is always easy but following it is a challenge. Nevertheless it kept me on track for extensive research and quality product. Representation of my work flow is as follows.
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Jan 09
Feb 12
Mar 19
Apr 24
May 14
Proposal
Context Building
Conflict analysis, Understanding the subject, debriefing, research.
Design Audit
Studing contemporary narratives, Fieldstudy, video/photo documentaion
Visualization Scribbles -motifs development, timeline , Shot Listing
Assembly Visual language development, first cut, sound explorations
Final Cut/Promotion final sequence retouching, collatorals
Documentation 23
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Pre-research Conversation with men with authority Mind map Conflict Parellel Initiatives
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Conversations with Experts.
We are not even aware of the fact that a lot of our heritage commodities have dissolved in the era of westernization. I am here as a design student of visual communication is aiming to spread some light over the issue of Endangered Artforms, their, and sustainability in the current scenario.
A project makes no sense when done alone. So I decided taking it to different people for perspectives over the same conflict. Further mentioned are some of the people who I went through to collect their views over the art form.
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Naran Bhai Rathwa Writer - “Babo Pithoro” How long has Pithora art been into existance? When we see Rock paintings from an early age, It seems to be the start of the Pithora paintings. Here in Karaj Hill in Chhota Udepur one can find about five pieces of cave paintings done inside the cave beneath Karaj. Early man did all those Paintings and now Baba Pithora paintings have gone through a huge evolution since then as it carries the essence of Cave paintings. We can say this with certainty because Cave Paintings also had usual agricultural elements like rocks, pants, animals along with human activities depicting life. We can find a similar orientation in Baba pithora Paintings. What part of the house is painted ? what is a mannat? The paintings take place over the main walls of the house, like the one against the sacred spaces. Walls against storerooms or kitchens where grains are stored are often considered to be the ideal wall to paint. Space is specially built with the intention of having a painting over there. It is termed as “Otlo” Why does it start on a tuesday and has to end on thurday? 26
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On Tuesday Lipan happens. Pandu is used to cover the wall. It is basically name given to white mud. After application of Chuna painting starts on the second day. In the start of the process, the owner of the house is made to paint the first horse of baba ganeh followed by the complete painting done by Lakhara and Bhuva (Badwa) sings the songs of ritual. The ritual takes a complete night of Thursday to complete. Although it all depends on the mannat (The wish). some keep it for 3 days whereas some keep it for 9 (Jwara crop mannat) What is the significance of mahuda tree and sacrifice? flowers form mahuda tree are used to brew alcohol and is also used to make paints which include brewed liquor and cow’s milk. Since the mannat has its own rules which I believe every rathwa follows, The sacrifice has to happen. However, it depends upon the family to choose what to sacrifice. Why do they keep mannat? When they face problem like cattle not producing milk or crops not yielding properly it becomes a matter of priority and we believe mannat is the solution.
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Madan Meena Director - Bhasha Research Center what all steps have been taken to preserv these endangered artforms as an indipendent publishing house? Pithora paintings are ritualistic paintings. we cannot define them just as other paintings on canvas. It is a part of ritualistic custom and it has evolved in that manner, unlike any other regional art form. Tribal artforms were never made to deal with the commercial market. Pithora paintings are done by lakharas and the approval is done by a badwa (a community priest). basically, it is not in the hands of the artist to decide the authenticity of the painting, it is approved by the shaman while he has a spirit in his body which checks the painting.we need to understand the process of the painting from the start to empathize with the community and figure out the cause. We have no right to hinder their culture without knowing in and out. Since the artform is practiced within a small community, what are your views over preserving it so that the next generation is able to experience and understand? first of all, we need to study the factors affecting Pithora Paintings and similarly endangered art forms. If you go to Chhota Udepur and Vadodara district and
study the pattern of community, you will notice that in the last 4 decades people have switched to mainstream religion like Swaminarayan as a part of major Seven panths which has led to a degradation of practitioners. Adiwasis have been bombarded with the intensity of beliefs and protocols of the mainstream panths. Adiwasis are simple people and are easily manipulated These Panths never tells tribes to follow their own evolved culture. they impose their religious philosophy over these tribal communities. The proliferation of these Panths and being actively influencing the innocents have started people to think twice before following their own beliefs. This panth will always teach them that the consumption of alcohol and chicken is harmful but they do not understand the significance of the alcohol or chicken tribal culture. So today in Tejgarh there is only one family who believes in making pithora paintings during religious occasions rest every family has started following the mainstream panths and hence these paintings have so got extinct. There are hardly newly done paintings left. You might find some in remote areas around Chhota Udepur but they are on the verge of disappearance. s
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Synthesis
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Conflict India is a cultural superpower. But there is no disputing the fact that a crucial element in the diversity of India comprises its cultural heritage. Indian arts and crafts have developed over millennia, and today not just each region, but even micro-regions have their own unique traditions. Whether it be performing arts or woodwork, metal casting or dying, the range is varied, and most forms have a highly developed theoretical basis, documented. And yet they are today being challenged as never before. They are also living traditions, which became a way of life for those involved. For a Theyyam practitioner, it was not just a performance, but the individuals’ entire life and livelihood revolved around it. The slowly changing modes of life allowed the traditions to continue over generations, though occasional challenges like the intrusion of the colonial economy had already altered some aspects of the artisanal mode of production beyond recognition. The current forms of economy, with their overwhelming desire to establish similar patterns in production and indeed our lives, are leaving very little space for these cultural forms to coexist. 30
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As a result, each passing moment is seeing the death of these age-old arts. As fathers encourage their children to study, and not follow the family traditions of being a kabutarbaaz, or a handloom weaver, there is a gradual, and imperceptible movement towards the obliteration of these heritages, which may remain only as museum pieces. Kalchattis or stone pots are an art form of Tamil Nadu no longer in vogue. Kalchattis were used in cooking in ancient Tamil Nadu. It gave a unique taste to the food and was quite popular once. Kalchattis are no longer used by people, even in rural areas. They have been replaced by terracotta and brass pots say an art expert. The Indian government, both post, and preindependence has been arguably the chief benefactor or patron of these traditional arts. But as the challenges before the nation, especially after 1947, have had more pressing issues to be addressed, the last five-odd decades have seen gharanas end, kothas wound up, machines replace human skill and artistry, and the artists themselves become construction laborers.
Yes, today there are agencies, government or otherwise, which are making efforts to preserve these forms. Exceptional films have brought alive the works, and lives of these artists, eg Susman or Anjuman, but except for a lucky few, there has been little change. The University of Mumbai has the country’s only department for performing folk arts. Though just begun, the course is attracting city students to it and that bodes well for these dying performing folk art forms, says Prakash Khandge, director of the Lok Kala Academy. These are living arts, and those not in sympathy with their preservation argue that they too must learn to adapt. But in a vast majority of the cases, it is an entire way of life in question, and to alter that in many cases just means the end of that form. Skills are often learned and perfected over the decades, and to dilute the learning process, is often a distortion that changes the form This is not to say that there aren’t exceptions. It is almost unthinkable that a progeny of a leading artiste not take up that art form. But for the average artiste very few seem interested in ensuring that their children continue the tradition.
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Factors affecting degradation of craftemenship westernizsation
Education/awareness
Exploitation of rural Resources
Ritualistic barriers
Lack of acknowledgement/ identity
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Initiative concerning the issue
While there are a number of factors that are limiting furtherance of an art form, varying almost by art and region, there is an overriding factor too - the lack of viable economic sustenance, which has often created bitterness amongst the artist themselves. The subject is alive, perhaps best indicated by the fact that the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad organizes a national seminar on the subject, which addresses issues like crafts as and for employment generation, traditional identity vs economic viability and ethnicity and marginalization of crafts among others.
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Here they looked at in detail at some of the arts, some on the verge of being lost forever. A status report on some of Indias major arts and crafts. This is by no means a comprehensive list. We have not taken up any of the textile forms, which merit a larger space by themselves. However, Ministry of textiles did release an updated PDF on “Identified Endangered artforms of India� which started about 35 Artforms from all over the country which is marked endangered.
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Opinions to the word coined Further, are some of the active socialists, journalists by profession, activists who have raised their voice in their articles and public speeches regarding the concern of the issue. All of them have pointed out different artforms and have delivered over the timeline of the respective art in the bigger picture.
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LEGACY FOR RECORDS
Satya Naagesh Ayyagary Phychological counseller - Hyderabad Andhra Pardesh has a rich treasure of arts and crafts. And as in other states, while some are surviving and even flourishing, others are on the verge of extinction or already extinct. The reasons range from lack of patronage for the performing arts, diminishing commercial viability to shortage of trained artisans. Among performing arts, Burrakatha, which involves three artistes a narrator, a wise analyst and a jester for comic relief is a dying art in the state. Burrakatha was a popular medium for story telling from mythologies like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata to historical stories of various kings and their valour.
While earlier, it was regularly hosted during Dussehra, Ramnavami and Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, one hardly sees Burrakatha performances now, except in some rural areas. Interestingly, the government used Burrakatha to spread the message of family planning and even to communicate their policies and programmes. But today, barring an occasional government-sponsored social message, this rich art form is rarely seen.
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Sulekha Nair Feature Editor : Firstpost.com - Mumbai
FADING COLORS
Chitrakathi painting is an ancient form of art. It developed during the 16th or the 17th century in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is an oral form of narrating the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, through story boards painted with vegetable dyes. The tradition was carried out by families in Paithan and Sawantwadi in Maharashtra. The families toured the country with the painted cards which graphically told the story of the epic. These paintings are to be seen today in museums only. Or, when you come across that rare artist who preserves the art form and follows it, albeit with changes. For instance, in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Chitrakathi has been now styled on leather puppets which retell the ancient epics. The tradition of painting is no longer followed there. In Sawantwadi, known for its wooden toys, the stories are now told through them. “In Mumbai, Jayashree Patankar is the sole artist who is carrying on with this tradition of painting with vegetable dyes. I havent heard or met any other artist in Mumbai who follows this art form. Patankar learnt the art form during a visit to Pingurali village in Sawantwadi district.
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I have seen Chitrakathi paintings in museums in the country and was taken up by the art. When I saw it in Sawantwadi, I decided to do it the traditional way.� Nair quoted. Patankar is a trained artist from Sir J J School of Art. Curiously, she does not do Chitrakathi with epics. I think the paintings conveying the epics were in keeping with the times they were done in. I feel, Chitrakathi should reflect the times that we live in. So I tell modern stories through my paintings. Like Aaj ka Raja, which shows a modern day Ram going off to work in a train or a car and then working with his computer. Using vegetable dyes, the paintings are done on 8x10 canvases. Patankar has had exhibitions of her work in Mumbai. I feel this art form should be preserved. There is an urgent need to do so, before it becomes part of folklore or history, avers Patankar.
Katthai - Endangered Folk Stories
Arindam Sinha - Jamshedpur South Jharkhand, particularly its majority Oriyaspeaking district of Seraikela-Kharswan, is home to the rich but slowly dying tradition of famous Chhau dance. It is also home to two of the four major recognised Chhau styles the Seraikela and the Kharswan styles. The other two Manbhum Chhau (also known as Purulia style) and the Mayurbhanj Chhau have their origins in the adjacent districts of Purulia (West Bengal) and Mayurbhanj (Orissa). A Chhau team generally comprises 10-25 dancers and musicians who carry a large number of musical instruments. While one group of experts says that the term Chhau could have been derived from chhaya, indicating shadow or mask, another group associates it with a certain colloquial Oriya term meaning a war dance rather than a masked dance. According to Chhau exponent P C Rauth, foundergeneral secretary of the 30-year-old Singhbhum Sanskritik Nrityakala Sangh, while the other three Chhau forms, including the Kharswan-style, are performed by a group of dancers, the Seraikela-style Chhau is usually performed solo or as a duet. Also, while the individual dancer in the Seraikela form hides his face behind the character represented by a mask, the Kharswan Chhau blends with it the local
martial dance form Parikhanda Khela, thus making it a vigorous martial art form of dance. Chhau dance is performed in Jharkhand as a ritual during the last four days of Chaitra (usually falling on April 11-14) to invoke the blessings from Lord Shiva for a bountiful harvest. Rich and colourful costumes add charm to Chhau dance which make a lively presentation of stories from epics, mythology, legends, historical episodes and even dramatic scenes from actual life.
SHADOW LOOM LARGE
Though the Jharkhand government runs the Seraikela Chhau Nritya Centre in Seraikela town and a number of Chhau exponents as well as students are associated with it, most feel, it is not enough to support the art form as a majority of the artistes live in the villages of Seraikela-Kharswan district and as such hardly have access to the centre. It is only passion that has kept the art form alive, as individual artistes hardly get anything even when the team is invited for a performance, rues Rauth, popularly known as Nanaji. Corporates like Tata Steel, says Rauth, occasionally sponsor troupes like his, but its hardly enough. 37
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Dilip Bisoi Senior Journalist - The Indian Express Raghurajpur is a village of artists and art is a way of life here. Be it performing arts or fine arts, the village boasts of talent of national repute. So, no wonder it has given birth to famous Odissi dance gurus like Kelucharan Mahapatra and Gotipua Nritya guru Mguni Charan Das.
IN SEARCH OF NEW HUES
In this village, everyone is an artist practising one or more of nine art forms Patta Chitra, Talapatra Chitra (palm-leaf painting), Matha Chitra (painting on tussar silk fabric), wood carving, stone sculpture, papier mache mask (mask made of paper pulp), cow dung toys, coconut painting and Ganjapa playing cards. But, it is the art of Patta Chitra which put Raghurajpur on the world art map. Seven artists of the village have so far won the Presidents awards for their excellence in patta painting and palm-leaf painting. The word patta means canvas in Sanskrit and chitra means picture. This miniature painting art form is defined by its rich use of colour, its creative motifs and designs, and its portrayal of pure and simple themes, depicting a combination of folk and classical elements.
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The artists use brushes made from mouse hair and colours prepared from vegetables and mineral extracts. They use mostly bright green, red and yellow colours for their work. The classical art form flourished under the patronage of kings and art connoisseurs. Everyone in the village used to be busy in artistic creation throughout the year. While male artists would be busy in painting, women were engaged in preparing the material. Patta Chitra, however, lost its shine with the advent of modernity. Artists found it difficult to eke out a living from the art in the absence of patronage from the temple administration and art lovers. So, many of them fled the village in search of jobs. The colourful murals painted on the front doors and the outer walls of the village houses faded in neglect. Raghurajpur became a museum piece. A gallery of ancient art form which attracted curious tourist
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Realising the tourism potential of the village, the Government of India accorded it the heritage village status in 2002. And, since then Raghurajpur is on the way of recreating its past glory. Now, a lot of focus is being trained on to the place and the exquisite art and craft churned out of here, says Santosh Sarangi, director, Orissa Tourism Department. The state tourism department with the financial assistance from the Centre has spent Rs 58 lakh to make the village touristfriendly. Adds Biranchi Narayan Mishra, joint director, Orissa Tourism Department, The tourism initiatives will certainly help bring back the past glory to the village.
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Shreya Basu Senior Journalist @BigWire - Kolkata
It is almost impossible to believe that the end products of a soft-stemmed plant growing in the marshy areas of Burdwan have found their places in the Eastcoast Museum of New York and Anthropological Museum of Frankfurt.
HIT ABROAD FLOP AT HOME
Talking about Shola plant, the rising demand for sholar protima and sholar saaj in the West is really remarkable, although the art form itself originated from the interiors of the villages of West Bengal in the late 19 century. The poor clay modellers used to colour their idols with chalk, turmeric, vermilion and lac, and decorate them with the easily available fibrous Shola, which grew abundantly there. The artisans used to peel off the back of the Shola plant the white flexible inner part, when dried in the sun, becomes as thin as paper. These were easily cut and turned into different ornaments for the idols during festivals like Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja, Saraswati Puja, Kali Puja and Jagatdharti Puja. Later on, urbanisation, the popularity and sober look of the sholar saaj spread to the cities also.
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But how can these generations of malakar (as the Shola artists are called) thrive throughout the year just on the earnings from the puja months, which are the prime time of their business. Bengal celebrates thirteen festivals in twelve months, and in every festival 60-70% clay-modellers use expensive Shola for decoration. Moreover nowadays, shola saaj is not the only fruit of Shola. To popularise this folk art, the malakars are trying their creativity at carving idols, puppets, toys and wall-hangings alsowhich are appreciated moderately outside West Bengal, and greatly outside India. So, in a way the malakars are never out of job, says a malakar, Mohanbansi Rudrapal. To popularise the art form, the Centre has taken up a two-fold scheme. Under the first scheme, Shola farmers are divided in several self-help groups (similar to cooperatives) and provided subsidy as per requirement. The other scheme involves inviting malakars to communicate with the government, which in turn, will help them to sell their products inside and outside India.
However, it would be wrong to depend completely on the government to market the products. Artist Indrajit Basu is all for arranging exhibitions on Shola art in every state and invite all art lovers, to promote the slightly declining market for Shola items. But who will take this huge responsibility is still unsure.
Yash Shrivastava | Graduation Project
Introduction To an art-form that holds historic evidences of being among the most ancient tribal forms. To know about it lets look at different components of knowing psychology of people practicing.
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A land with many reasons to celebrate, a land with the unparalleled spirit, always on the run; this land of Western India is named Gujarat. Very traditional in its roots yet one of the most forward societies of the country, Gujarat has left many things behind. But down the memory lane, we realize that old arts are still running in its veins. One such art being the Pithora Paintings. The Pithora paintings trail back long into history and find their roots in the cave paintings, thousands of years old. This is the most prevalent and characteristic art tradition of the Rathwa community, who live in Central Gujarat, 90 km from Vadodara in a village called Tejgadh. The Pithora paintings are crude and it is this crudity that adds to the beauty and simplicity of the paintings.
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The People I chose Pithora paintings as my first endangered art-form to start with because it was within my reach. The place and the people have undoubtedly amazed me.
The name of the tribe has been derived from the term “rathbistar” which means the forest and hilly areas. Thus the people who are the inhabitants of the rathbistar are called Rathwas. They are also known as Rathawa Koli. They recall their migration from the adjoining state of Madhya Pradesh. They are mainly distributed in the Chhota Udaipur, Jabugam and Nasvadi talukas of Vadodara district and also in Halol, Kalol and Baria talukas of Panchmahal district. According to 1981 Census, their total population was 3,08,640. According census 2001 the population of Rathwa was 5,35,284 out which 273296 were male and 2,61,988 female. The Rathvi is the medium of communication within the family and with kin members while Gujarati in relation to others and for writing Gujarati script is used. They communicate with the outsiders in Hindi also. The traditional dress of the adult male members are langoti (loin cloth), kachuta and the phenta (headgear). Now young people wear pant and shirt. The female members dress up with the ghagaro (lower garment) and cholia (upper garment). The women wear kala (armlet) made up of chandi (silver) but kala, (armlet) of men is of iron. They also wear fasi at the wrist which is made up of silver. They wear biti (finger ring). They have tattoo
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Marks on their body. They have been included in the list of the scheduled tribes. The Rathwa are occasionally non-vegetarian. They take meat fish, eggs and chicken. They take rotla (homemade bread), rice, dal (pulses) and sabji (vegetables) as a staple food. Pamolin oil is the cooking medium. Seasonally available vegetables are consumed. They take non-alcoholic beverages kadhi (buttermilk) and chhas (butter-milk with spices). They also take home brewed alcoholic drinks, and smoke tobacco. The community has various petha (clans) like Hamania, Thebaria, Mahania, Kothari Baka, Fadia etc. which are exogamous. The Rathwa perceive them as having the middle order rank in the local social hierarchy but other communities place them at a lower level. They suffix father’s name and the community’s name to their names. The Rathwas are endogamous. A man can not marry his maternal uncle’s daughter and father’s brother’s daughter. Child marriages were practiced in the past, but now-a-days, the average age at marriage has increased to twelve to twenty years in case of girls and
Katthai - Endangered Folk Stories
Twenty to twenty-four years in case of boys. Marriage alliances are negotiated by the parents or by the elder members. Marriage by elopement is also practiced. Sometimes, they also choose their life partners in the fair. Monogamy is the common form of marriage. Sindur (vermilion) on the forehead is the symbol of married women. The bride-price is given to bride’s father at the time of marriage. They follow patriotically residence after the marriage, sometimes new residences are also formed, immediately after the marriage. The major reasons behind the divorce cases are either Maladjustment between spouses or impotency. Divorce compensation is given to wife. Children are liability of mother in divorce cases. Only the husband can divorce. Widower-widow and divorcée remarriages are permissible, but elaborate rituals of actual marriage ceremony is not performed. Nuclear families predominate over extended type of families. Avoidance relationship exists between bahu (daughter-in-law) and sasur (husband’s father). Joking relationship is permitted between elder sister’s husband and wife’s younger sister. Sometimes the conflicts in families arise on the division of ancestral property. Male primogeniture is the rule of inheritance. The eldest son succeeds the father as head of the family. Inter-family linkages are based on the mutual co-operation.
but in the political sphere, they have hardly any role. The overall family expenditure is controlled by the male members of the household. Women have a status lower than that of their men. The first delivery takes place at the pregnant woman’s natal home. Pre-delivery restrictions are observed and she is not permitted to do hard work in the advanced stages of pregnancy. Forty to forty-five days pollution period is observed after the delivery of the child. Naming is done after one year. The mundan (shaving of head-hair) ceremony is performed after one year only in case of a male child. The actual marriage ceremony is preceded by sagai betrothal). The marriage rituals take place at the bride’s residence in a mandap (marriage booth). The Pujara (sacred specialist) officiates at the rituals. Four /eras (clockwise circumambulation) are performed by the couple around the sacred fire. A feast is arranged for the groom’s party by the bride’s father after the completion of marriage rituals. The marriage is consummated at the groom’s residence.
The dead are cremated. The widow moves around the bier of the deceased in an anti-clockwise direction thereby setting the soul of her husband free from marital ties. On, the third day after cremation the eldest son gets his head shaved. The Garma, barma, and terma (11th, 12th, and 13th day) day rituals are organized after cremation. On the day of terma, a feast is given to the kin members. The economy of the Rathwa is mainly based on cultivation. They are mostly small and marginal land-holders. Some landless people earn their livelihood as daily laborers and agricultural laborers. The agricultural laborers get remuneration in cash every day. They also collect forest products and sell them in the market. Occasionally they go hunting rabbit and other game.
The Rathwa women have a role in agricultural operations. Besides they have a significant role in animal husbandry, collection of fuel and bringing potable water. They also have a role in religious sphere 45
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Rathwas governing body along with Badwo (the priest) assembled for the ritual of Baba Pithora.
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The Rathawa have their traditional council. Knowledgeable persons are the members of this council, who are elected by a voice vote. The Sarpanch is the, President. The Police Patel settles the disputes in the presence of the community elders. The Police Patel holds a very important position at the local level. If the disputes are not settled amicably, then the Police Patel informs the police station for further action. It is customary that the police patrol must be present in each and every major event of the village. The Rathwa are the followers of folk religion. It has the elements of Hindu religion. They believe in their supreme deity, God Baba Deb who is also their village deity. They worship objects like horse, tiger, elephant, and camel which are prepared by the Kumbhar. The Pujara (sacred specialist), also called Gor performs the rituals. They have priests from their own community. They also participate in the festivals of Diwali, Holi, Dashera, Ujani, and Pithora with great enthusiasm. A section of the Rathawa community, influenced by the Swaminarayan movement, is called Bhagat. They are purely vegetarian. The other section is called Jagat who are non-vegetarians. These divisions are due to the impact of socio-religious movements, which have changed
as Bhagats from non-vegetarians to vegetarians. They sacrifice fowls before their gods at the time of festivals. The community people are famous for their tattooing marks on their body and Pithora paintings. They use the motifs of tiger, camel, elephant, etc. on the walls of their homes. A festival is observed on Pithora before Holi in the month of January-February in each and every village. A goat is sacrificed and other rituals are observed. This is known as the festival of Pithora paintings. They have their own folk-songs and folk-tales. The folk songs are sung by them at the time of the marriage ceremony. They perform dance and play music at the time of festivals and marriages. Traditionally the Rathawas neither accept nor exchange water and food from Vankar and Harijans but Harijans, Vankars, Masaba, Dhanka, and Bhilalas accept water and food from the Rathawa. The Kolis, Patels, Rajputs and the Brahmans are considered superior to them; so they do not accept water and food from Rathawas. The ritual based kinship like dharambhai and dharambahin exists among the community members. A few are engaged in police service, Border Security Force and as clerks in the government departments.
The traditional restrictions have been reduced to some extent. Nowadays, every community member shares the same water sources and have easy access to the facilities of road, schools, etc. Cultivator-laborer relationships also exist in the form of contract laborers and these relationships came into existence for the last four or five years. The community’s attitude towards formal education is partly favorable for the boys. The boys study up to secondary level whereas the girls study up to primary level. The girl’s drop-out from studies due to the socio-economic reasons, and the boys’ drop-out due to economic reasons. Their attitude is favorable towards allopathic Medicare. The children get mid-day meals from the schools. Lakri (firewood), cow dung-cakes and kerosene oil are the main fuel resources. They use organic manure as well as chemical fertilizers to increase agricultural production. Their attitude towards savings is not favorable owing to their poor economic condition.
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The Visit Chhota Udepur & Tejgarh
I am bad at catching morning public commutes. I missed the only bus I pre-booked. Let me tell you, I have this habit of not thinking twice which led to twowheeler trip to central Gujarat.
Traveling solo to Chhota Udepur was one heck of a trip. I had to take breaks every hour to stretch and resume. Had a nice lunch at Vadodara and scolding from parents because of course they were informed when I was having lunch. One thing that I do not regret going to Chhota Udepur on my scooter is that I was able to see a lot of those things which I would have skipped If I’d travel by bus. I did a pre-research about the place I was going to go and it being Tribal was pretty clear in my head, But I wanted this trip to happen this way and so I left without giving it another shot. Thanks to Sir Hardik Pancholi(Visual communication faulty) who has his house in Chhota udepur and was aware of “the Zone”. I had to pre-plan my stay and food with all the markings and checklists for the next three days in Chhota Udepur. there were numerous places in the area for me to research upon. Vaacha Museum of Tejgarh, museum of Chhota Udepur were main places to visit. Fortunately, I found an equipped library of the tribal museum where I spent my afternoons over reading and collecting artifacts and conversing with the local faculties about the artforms.
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I made my checklist and reminders for the next big day to Tejgarh. The place I stayed in was a lodge for students who often visit for research & coachings. The owner of Gurukripa Residency, Vijay Bhai helped me with local information and advice. Double sharing room with a window on the third floor. Wood planked bed and a thin cotton mattress. Somehow the individualism appeased me. The checklist included tasks of interaction as much as possible, as relevant as possible.
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The Premise Malaja is a small Village/hamlet in Chhota Udepur Taluka in Vadodara District of Gujarat State, India. It comes under Malaja Panchayath. It is located 99 KM towards East from District head quarters Vadodara. 6 KM from. 196 KM from State capital Gandhinagar. Tejgadh is a village in the Vadodara district of Gujarat, India. It is most noted for its Bhasha Research Centre (BRC) of which G. N. Devy is a founder member. The BRC runs the Bhasha Tribal Academy, which is a social service organization aiming for the development of local tribals. It also operates a museum showcasing tribal crafts and library. It is the home of the Rathwa clan of Adivasis, or Indian tribal people. Chhota Udaipur district (also Chhota Udepur district) is a district in the state of Gujarat in India. It was carved out of the Vadodara district on 26 January 2013 with its headquarters at Chhota Udaipur town and is the 28th district of Gujarat. 50
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The second step of understanding the community and culture was to visit the place and experience life. To get to the rock-bottom was my way of getting to have a life as raw as possible. Taking my Scooter was an advantage to commute to Tejgarh in the morning post breakfast. I went through a decent amount of authorized editorial material at Vaacha, Voice of the museum - Tejgarh Tribal Academy. The library is well equipped and updated with literature over lifestyles and facts about the communities and clans in the area. One of the books that I read was Being Tribal by Shireen Ratnagar.
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Existing treatment/Initiative
What is the NCTAC ? Museums have through the years been seen an institution involved in the research, conservation, and dissemination of information. India has 18 tribal research and training institute which run 14 Ethnographic Museums. Along with the museum of Voice at Tejgarh, they have a combined collection of nearly 20,000 artifacts like tribal paintings, ornaments, costumes, agriculture implements, toys, and religious objects, with each museum having collected artifacts from its own area of activity. Viewed collectively these artifacts present a unique picture of the diversity and culture richness of tribal India. The NCTAC project has been initiated by Bhasha research and Publication center with the support of the ministry of the tribal affair, the government of India and will span a period of 2 years from January 2007
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The main goal of the project will be to connect the audience to with the tribal contexts through the use of technology and multimedia. This is to be done through the installation of dynamic digital displays in the participating museums. These displays will carry a mix of films, photographs, songs and stories to help to viewer better and understand the richness of tribal life and the contexts of use of over 700 tribal artifacts that will feature in the dynamic collection. The Project hopes that these displays will serve as a window into the lives of different tribal communities of the country and will help bring together many geographically separated traditions of art and culture.
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The Ethnographic museum
Tribal communities inhabiting the world are many and not all maintain or encourage contact with the global village which we inhabit. Not enough is known about many of these communities, their customs, belief systems, language, social structure or indeed their very way of life and history. Some chose to live in isolation while others have traded and interacted with each other and the non- tribal communities in their vicinity for centuries. Tribal Research and Training Institutes (TRIs) are present in 18 states of India, including the newly formed states of Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh. 54
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The Ethnographic museums of these Institutions have a documented collection of tribal art and culture from the 1960s onwards. The museum’s collections contain not only physical examples of tribal art and items of daily use but also a wealth of photographic and audio video documentation of tribal communities. Research into the material culture, belief system and economic activities of tribal groups is one of the major activities of these museums which are currently engaged in upgrading and modernizing their display and documentation facilities.
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The NCTAC project components
The NCTAC was concieved with two major objectives 1. To form a network for interaction between the tribal research institutes and various independent researchers in the country and abroad. 2. To encourage tribal art and culture through the support and participation of the people of India. towards this end, the project is divided into 4 units. At the core of the development of the NCTAC dynamic display is the creation of an inventory for all the participating museums. The National Inventory will house data of artifacts collected by the TRI museums on a central server. The inventory will be made available to the museums and to the researchers on request. The dynamic display that is to be installed at each of the tribe; museums will touch upon the social and religious context of these objects through animated folktales, short films, oral narratives, song and dances, illustrations and the like.
The third unit is a website of NCTAC which will feature some of the artifacts from the dynamic displays. The website will also carry information regarding the NCTAC project and participating museums. The final unit is a National Catalogue that will feature a select set of objects and will be made available to all the tribal museums involved in the project for distribution to the visitor, tourism offices, etc. The NCTAC is made possible through the collective efforts of various organizations and institutions. The ministry of Tribal affairs. Government of India, Bhasha Research and Publication Center and the museum of TRIs. Many researchers, museums curators, philosopher, linguists, tribal Scholars, folklorist, designer, private organizations and individuals have given their time and expertise to the NCTAC to help develop cataloging and documentation systems.
The intention of the interactive is to go beyond the tangible objects into the intangible, the culture, rituals and their meanings, economic and daily activities that are a part of tribal life.
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with art from Malaja to London Mansingh Dhanjrajbhai Rathwa Renowned Pithora Painter
Let us all take a moment to express our gratitude to this soul full of life. A farmer who believed in his traditional values and culture. A man with the epitome of generosity and modesty. He has been painting Pithora for more than 30 years now and has gathered recognition around the world. I was fortunate enough to meet him on my visit to Chhota udepur. The evening was full of conversations and translations of his journey over the years.
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Mansingh Paintings on Government buildings of Vadodara
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Artform breakdown Community lifestyle study The Pithora paintings trail back long into history and their roots in the cave paintings, thousands of years old. This is the most prevalent and characteristic art tradition of the Rathwa community, who live in the region bordering Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh states in India. While the styles vary with every Bhil group, they hold a deep social relevance. The stories or rather set of information for the next spread is not specifically leading to my first draft of information collection.
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Pithora paintings are characterized by the seven horses representing the seven hills that surround the area where the Rathwas reside. This is enclosed within a rectangular fence in the painting that denies this geographical area. This rectangle usually extends up to the Arabian Sea in the west, Bharuch in south and Indore in north and east. The wavy line depicting the river Narmada cuts through the painting. Things like fields, trees, farms, wildlife, birds, sun and moon are present in their relative positions in the map along with people and their ancestors. Even modern elements like railway tracks, airplanes, and computers feature in the paintings, thus making the Pithora paintings a real description of the world of Rathwa tribe. Pithora painting has various connotations. One meaning attached to the Pithora Paintings is the idea of a map. This tradition is supposed to have started in the 11th century when Bharuch was a center for traders from the North. The roads connecting Bharuch and nearby areas were difficult and even dangerous, so the tribes created a new profession for themselves – escorting Indian and foreign traders through this region in exchange for silver coins.
To ensure that the area remains mysterious and their livelihood stays safe, the leader of the tribe made a map full of codes. Thus, the seven hills became represented by seven horses and the mouth of the river Narmada by two tigers. The leader also ordered the escorts to make the same painting in their houses. The people who showed loyalty by painting the map at their home came to be known as “Rathwas” while those who disagreed, were called “Talavis”. The Rathwas then got rights to climb and dwell atop the seven hills.
It takes days to prepare for the final painting and the process and rules for the same are well defined. The wall is covered in cow dung or mud rest and after prayers, the painting starts on a Tuesday and ends by Wednesday. The painting is made by Pithora painters, or “Lakhadas” and the family members residing in the house are not allowed to paint. The completion of the painting is accompanied by song, dance, and celebration.
This practice went on till 1812 A.D. till the British rulers put a stop to it. Then the act of making Pithora painting became a ritual and Pithora became the god of the Rathwa tribe. Pithora paintings are sometimes considered very sacred. The Rathwas consult the village Tantrik (witch doctor) to heal illnesses and undo bad omens. If a wish made to “Baba Pithora” is granted, a Pithora painting has to be made in the main wall of the house, in consultation with the Tantrik.
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The story I heard
There are at least 50 varieties of Pithoras with the smallest measuring one and a half feet and the largest 145×10 feet. Originally started as a code, became a sacred space and now being sold, although very infrequently, as pieces of art, the Pithora painting makers have managed to keep its essence and unique style alive while evolving with the changing environment. King of Gods, Raja Indra had seven sisters. One day, one of his sisters, Rani Kadi Koyal went into the forest where she met Raja Kanjurana. She had an affair with him and after 9 months and 9 days, she gave birth to a son. Since she was still a maiden, out of fear of her brother, Raja Indra, she set the child out in a stream. That day Rani Kajal and Rani Makher (Indra’s other sisters) went to fetch water from the stream and found the baby crying. Rani Kajal fed milk of Akda / Banyan tree ower to the baby and bathed him with seven kinds of auspicious things. She named the baby “Pithora” and took him to the palace with her.
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As time passed, Pithora grew into a new boy. One day when he was playing, he broke Rani Kajal’s earthen pot. This made her angry and she scolded him saying, “As it is, your maternal uncle holds the share of entire kingdom…” She indirectly told him that Raja Indra is his maternal uncle. Hearing this, Pithora decided to nd out who his parents are. He went to Raja Indra’s court and introduced himself. After hearing his story, King Indra accepted him in the family with great joy and decided to nd a suitable bride for him. But Pithora needed to know about his parents if he wished to be married. So Raja Indra invited a grand court. He invited everyone; all the gods and goddesses, kings and queens, noblemen and respected citizens. When Pithora came in the court, he pointed at Raja Kanjurana and identified him as his father. After much rejoicing, a grand wedding ceremony was arranged and Pithora wed Pithori with much aplomb. All the gods and goddesses attended the wedding. They arrived on horses and elephants. Hence Pithora painting has gods arriving on horses along with Pithora and Pithori. Pithora is considered as a god by Rathawa tribe because he identified his father right after seeing him for the rest time.
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Artform relevance The northeastern corner of the princely state of Chhota Udaipur with a very thick forest covered within which lay 33 villages and populated by Bhils & Kolis had originally belong to the princely state of Alirajpur but was mortgaged to Chhota Udaipur in 1807 when the ruler of Alirajpur took a loan of a lakh of rupees from Chhota Udaipur and was unable to repay it. The ritual act in Tribal religion believes in blood sacrifice and not in Darshan/Puja. In older times all the rural people from Tejgarh-Chhota Udaipur were labeled Koli, Some kolis thus are those we call Rathwa today.
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Geography Rewakantha incorporates Rath and many regions of Pavagarh in the west and Ratanmahal in the East. According to Gazetteer of Bombay Presidency vol 6 there is endless “confusion of hills.”
The Mahudo (Bassia Latifolia)
Tributaries of Narmada with fairly high banks in the district.
It is actually believed to “belong to” one or other the tribal person who gathers it’s flower and seeds and cannot be cut down.
Rainfall in this area in less than 100cm per year Forest untill 19th centuary comprised, dense-dry teak or dry decidious forest with teak, tamarind, mango, bamboo, bor (Zizyphus jujube), charoli ( buchania lati folia), Khakhar and many other including “kaju badam” in MP.
Signatue of central Indian hills, Big leaves, shady canopy turning red after Holi.
Mahudo drops succulent flowers by the kilograms in April. The flower that can be eaten fresh or else dried and stored for the brewing of liquor. Mahudo can yield up to 300kg of flower in a season.
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History of Tribal Agriculture :
In Malaja, it is only Maize and rice that requires substantial animal manner and therefore requires the presence of animals. Tadavi says that the Rathwa village can stretch for about 3 miles in one direction even though there are just a few houses and population only in few hundreds. Falia - Cluster of Houses randomly according to the convenience. The Rathwa people still grow small millets like “Kodro” and “Samuel” said to be typical shifting cultivation. Kodro seems to be served more often than rice during the Pithora ritual. Until late 10th-century Herbivores/tigers/Panthers and Blackbucks.
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According to Tadavi (Tall toddy Palms) when you sight a tree on the horizon you know that there is a village here. This tree is the “Kalpavriksha” of the Rathwas. Tadfali: It is a delicious juice-filled fruit and the friends provide roofing material, for fans/mats/ containers fiber for rope-making. The berries (Doli) used for oil extracts and insect repellant. Chicken is the most regular item of sacrifice and are given as gifts to the shaman & Badwo. If the family calls “Laah” It may cook Chicken dinner for the helpers.
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Ritual: Brief The rathwas are highly welcoming to an outsider. I literally was asked to to stay at their place and was offered food numerous time.
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The Rathva community of Gujarat like most Adivasi communities of India has a revered cultural diversity. Rathva culture is full of colorful mythology, historical lore, music, festivals, rituals and preeminently their art. The Pithora painting form is traditionally performed on walls inside the homes of the Rathvas. It is part of an elaborate ritual performed to complete vows to gain the boon of the chief god of the Rathvas, Baba Pithora. In times of difficulty, Rathva seeks the guidance of Badva, the chief priest or shaman of the village. Badva performs readings based on the skills he has acquired through ancestral schooling and recommends undertaking a vow to paint Pithora in the home in order to gain a boon from Baba Pithora. The person who undertakes the vow is known as Ghardhani, or in simple terms, the homeowner. As and when the Ghardhani feels that his/her problems have reduced, they seek guidance from the Badva and express the desire to undertake the painting of Pithora in their homes. The Ghardhani and Badva invite a Lakhara (individual who paints Pithora) of repute in the community.
The Lakhara then visits and discusses with Ghardhani and Badva the details of the vow and thereafter prepares to create the Pithora Painting. The completion of the painting would signify the end of the ritual and fulfillment of the vow and is followed by a village dinner. In ancient times when Rathva homes were made of bamboo and grass, the Pithora used to be painted using natural colors mixed with Mahuda alcohol and cow’s milk. The wall to be painted would be tempered with ‘Pandu Maati’ or white clay. The Pithora is traditionally painted on three walls usually in the ‘Osari’ or porch of the main house. The traditional size of a Pithora painting is 11 x 8 feet. The background is usually white, with expressive vibrant colors used for the motifs.
Katthai - Endangered Folk Stories
Motifs
The motifs in the Pithora painting represent the mythology of the community along with an exclusive depiction of the most essential aspects of daily life. The protagonists of the entire painting are horses of the gods and goddesses and ancestors in vibrant colors. The painting is adorned with motifs from nature, daily human activities, animals, farming, trade, important members of the community, along with several new elements, which symbolically represent modernity. The chief deities that appear in the Pithora painting are Baba Ganeh, Baba Ind, Baba Pithora, Pithori Rani, Rani Kajal, Baar Matha no Dhani Raja Bhoj, Abho KunbiNakti Bhuten, Lakhari & Jokhari, and Purvaj na Panch Ghoda. Baba Ganeh is the first motif, drawn customarily on the right side of the painting. He is usually painted in blue and carries a ‘hukka’.
Important festivals and occasions commence with the worship of Baba Ganeh among the Rathva. Rathvas also worship Baba Ganeh as Ganpati Dada who always has an elephant’s trunk. In the Pithora painting, Baba Ganeh is characterized as a father figure. Baba Ind is the lord of rain and protector of all animals. He is the brother of Rani Kajal, Rani Kali Koyal and maternal uncle of Baba Pithora. In the Pithora painting, he is
portrayed as strong, young and brave with a parrot in his hand. Baba Pithora is the primary god of the Rathva. He is the son of Rani Kali Koyal and Kandu Raja. Rani Kajal brought him up. In his childhood, he hid in the wall and selected the wall as his seat, which is why his painting is installed on the wall.
In Pithora painting, he is portrayed as young, strong and manly with a parrot and an owner is his hand. Baba Pithora for the Rathva is a conglomeration of different gods, animals, nature, and all creations of the universe. Pithori Rani is the wife of Baba Pithora and daughter of Abho Kunbi. In the Pithora painting, she carries a fan in her hand. She is worshipped during times of erratic monsoons. In the painting, she is portrayed as celestial and a devoted wife ready to aid her husband in all his endeavors. Rani Kajal is the sister of Baba Ind and foster mother of Baba Pithora. She rescued Pithora as a child from the sea and looked after him. In the Pithora painting, she is painted on the left side and has a very important status as a mother.
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She is also worshipped as Kuldevi or the goddess of the clan. She carries a comb in her hand, which symbolizes her ability to cleanse the world. The temple of Rani Kajal is on a mountain near Mathvad village near river Narmada along the borders of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Baar Matha no Dhani (‘The Enlightened One with 12 Heads’) protects the Adivasi from all 12 directions. He possesses knowledge of the universe, and protects living organisms and nature, and is a very brave deity. In Pithora painting, he is portrayed holding Nagdevta (‘Lord of Snakes’) in his hands along with swords. Baar Matha no Dhani offered protection to Rani Kali Koyal, when she was in labor, which is why he is an essential and recurring character in most of the Pithora paintings. Several scholars compare this Rathva deity with 70
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Ravana from Ramayana, but the Rathva claim that they are not the same and are decisively different Raja Bhoj and his elephant: Raja Bhoj was a great, rich and generous king who was very benevolent to his subjects. He would organize a grand celebration of the Dussehra festival, and would himself join the procession on his elephant. In the Pithora painting, he is always portrayed riding an elephant with a huge Ambadi or an umbrella. Raja Bhoj looks after agriculture, livestock and rain on the earth, which is why he is also known as Raja Bavaji. Abho Kunbi and Mathari (the farming couple) are creators of the art of farming. They are also credited with teaching this art to the human race. They taught them how to sow seeds, prepare fields for sowing, till farms,
harvesting, and all associated activities related to farming and agriculture. Pithori Rani, the wife of Baba Pithora is the daughter of Abho Kunbi and Mathari Nakti Bhuten is portrayed on a white horse, placed on the left of the Pithora painting. He is the protector of the household and is very different from other gods and goddesses. His appearance is very nice and he is a very powerful deity. In the story of Baba Pithora, Lakhari and Jokhari wrote about his future on the wall, the chosen seat of Baba Pithora. It is since then the tradition of painting Pithora on the wall has begun, and Lakhari and Jokhari are portrayed in the painting.
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Lakhari and Jokhari (authors of future) according to the traditional beliefs, on the fth or sixth day after a child’s birth, Lakhari and Jokhari visit their homes to write their future. It is said whatever predictions are made on this occasion never fail to materialize.
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Motifs of Nature:
Purvaj na Panch Ghoda (ve horses of ancestors) in memory of their ancestors, the Rathva places intricately carved wooden horses either in the farms or in their homes. They recognize these artifacts as Khatrij Dev. The Khatrij Dev is the first deity to be worshipped on all important occasions and festivals. Every year, each family organizes a village feast in memory of their ancestors. In the Pithora painting, Purvaj na Panch Ghoda is a symbolic representation of the ancestors of the community.
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The sky, gods, earth, human beings, vegetation, animals, birds and all living creatures of the universe are comprehensively incorporated in the Pithora painting of the Rathva community. They exhibit a prudent understanding of the universe through the medium of their painting. The recurring motifs related to elements of nature are the sun, moon, and trees that are considered holy by the Rathva. The sun is a living god for all living beings of the universe. He is known as Huriyadev by the Rathva and is considered the universal guardian. The moon is considered a god and is also known as Handaryo Dev by the Rathva community.
They also recognize eclipses and signal these through their famous kikiyari howl. The branches of the Kadam tree are important in the ritual of the Pithora painting. The family of Ghardhani takes out a procession to the nearest Kadam tree to gather its branches; the dhol and pehi are played in the background. The Tad and Khajoori trees can be seen extensively in Adivasi areas. The tad tree yields a sweet fruit called tadkali which is used to make nira, which is a very healthy and medicinal drink and is the main ingredient for making the alcohol drink called tadi. The leaves of the tad tree were used for making roofs and walls of Rathva homes and used as a medium to write on. Similarly, the khajoori tree has many uses apart from its fruit khajoor (dates).
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Motifs related to animals :
The Adivasi has a vast tradition exemplifying their unique closeness to nature, living in harmony with the animal kingdom. A wide range of animals is portrayed in the Pithora painting of the Rathvas. The Saval Dharmi Ghoda(horses of civic righteousness) is an important element of the Pithora painting. In the cultural tradition of the Adivasi, there are several mentions of the great exploits of heroes, and Saval Dharmi Ghoda represents these heroes in the Pithora paintings. The Rathvas consider the bualo and cow holy animals. Their produce—milk, buttermilk, dung, curd, etc. —are extremely important in the lives of the Rathva. The Rathva’s believe that the goat was the first animal to be domesticated by their ancestors. The working class of the Adivasi community often rear goats to meet their milking needs. The goat is an important part of the Baba Pithora ritual since it is a common choice for animal sacrifice. The lion is the symbol of strength and religion; he is also the most powerful animal and a vehicle of several gods. Tiger is portrayed as the protector in the painting. Lion and tiger are portrayed atop the celestial gate, as they protect the inhabitants. The Rathva, Nayak, and Tadvi communities celebrate a ritual to entice the rain when people in the costume of camels go out in procession. This ritual is called untadi kadvi (‘bring out the camel’). 73
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Motifs related to human activities:
Deer are considered a symbol of beauty, naïvete, honesty and a lover of music by the Rathva. In Pithora paintings, sometimes a two-headed deer is also portrayed. Chicken is another common choice for animal sacrifice. The peacock features in the Pithora paintings as a vehicle of the goddess.
Pithora painting shows several human characters and scenes of daily activities: the Bhuva conducting ceremonies, the village tradesman, the hunter, policeman, village postman, alcohol making, buttermilk churning, women drawing water from wells or hand pumps, men and women dancing.
The Koyal bird features in the Pithora painting as a symbolic representation of Rani Kali Koyal, the birth mother of Baba Pithora and the most beautiful sister of Baba Ind.
Ashad has two interpretations in the Pithora painting of the Rathva. The rest states that it is a canopy for the procession of gods and goddesses while the other interprets it as a symbolic border of a village.
Mamo Karodiyo is considered the maternal uncle of Baba Pithora. Once upon a time, when Baba Pithora was on a quest to meet Baba Ind and needed to climb to heaven, he sought the aid of Mama Karodiyo who helped him climb up to heaven on his web. This is how Mamo Karodiyo found his way into Pithora paintings.
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Paint ingredients.
The process starts with the unmarried girls grinding the cow dung and the white chalk powder to paint the walls. Powder, earth and vegetable colors are mixed with cow milk, Mahua flower liquor, and chicken liver. to prepare the yellow, indigo, green, vermillion, red and silver dye for the Pithora Paintings. Whereas the brush is made by beating the ends of a bamboo stick or twigs. The ritual takes place strictly on a Tuesday and ends by Thursday. These paintings are made with the basic intention to appease or thank the Gods or for a wish to be granted. The head priest (known as Badwa) is summoned and the problems are narrated. Then after the solution is given by the priest, the ritual of paintings start.
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cow milk
Mahua Flower
+
Paint Ingredient.
=
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A Pithora painting can have up to 165 different types of motif depicted. Each motif is associated with an extensive literature signifying its importance within the painting. Each character is presented as a protagonist in an important event of the vast mythological epic of Baba Pithora. The motifs reveal the manner in which the Adivasi view their world. They represent the significance of elements of nature, ora, fauna and celestial elements, and their influence on their lives.
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Pithora Paintings in the Modern World
Like most tribal arts of India Pithora paintings too have caught the fancy of art lovers around the world. However the true proponents of this exotic art fear that rampant commercialization will lead to trivializing the ritual that is called Pithora Paintings, but the art lover in us can hopefully assure them that their art of sanctity will get its due respect. Like many other “preserved artforms� Pithora paintings cannot be preserved and practiced even after providing resources to the community. Religious shifts have taken place in a significant number. the change in number has affected the community which has led to a huge degradation of the number of families practicing ritual at major religious occasion.
Recreating motifs of a sacred art form irrespective of any meaning behind cannot be termed preservation. Artists along with their culture are struggling with the downfall but there is no one to blame for it directly. Communities have taken their subjective decisions by themselves. One will have to agree to the fact that there has been a massive brainwash about believing religion over the last two decades and hence tribes have migrated to a mainstream major religion. Although there has been a lot of activity of expressing concern and creating initiatives for it. There still is a leap between the latent artform and public domain. As a designer, I am aiming that void and exploring mediums of content to be preserved, acknowledged for the next generation to cherish.
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Why did I choose making a film?
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I would be lying If I said I wasn’t already daydreaming about making the film, going to places with almost impossible deadlines, last-minute plans and extensive storyboarding. From framing a shot to the disappointment of not achieving to finally executing a much better one and being acknowledged worldwide.
The months leading to the final semester are often filled with anticipation. Dedicating four months of your academic life to a single project is a big deal. When you belong to an academic area where you have a variety of mediums to communicate and narrowing it down to a single medium is overwhelming.
Taking photostory and filming as two of my main cues. why? Here is another incident during my visit to Surendranagar, Gujarat where I went for a photostory assignment, as I mentioned earlier. I was quite engaged with the process of documenting content in a contemporary manner with a cinematic inclination.
In my case, I was more inclined towards moving media. The film is one medium which makes any content believable. I’d want to add an experience here about my travel to rural places in India which has let me experience the raw. While shooting I had this voice back in my head about making a film which can evoke emotions or leave an impact over the viewer. The major reason for joining an advertising agency as an intern was to be among Mumbaikar creatives and learn the art of conceptualizing and selling it via making a film. I swear I was amazed by the vibe.
It isn’t every day that an undergraduate student gets to work on a complete final design project. A film is a challenge, Since it requires a team, a crew precisely, I have worked and collaborated with as many people around and have bought their time in a most productive manner. I have gone through all sorts of experimentation, trials, and failure but I hope you enjoy it from here like I did while making the film.
Let’s admit this, Films have always taken all our attention irrespective of the place. We tend to be more responsive and attentive while watching a film than reading an editorial piece.
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Ideal medium? Execution and delivery of the content areas sensitive as the content itself. The consumer in India is not the same ones a decade back. The preferences have drastically changed over the years. Post telecommunication boom Market is flooded with a variety of content creation methods and a lot is still being explored.
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6.0 4.5
4.9
2.4
1.2
Netflix
Estimated annual video content budgets of Netflix and Amazon (Original & licensed content)
Number of hours of live TV watched each week broken down by iPlayer Netflix and Amazon Prime Video customers (%)
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46
17
< 10 hours
Through online channels, Indian viewers largely watch movies, followed by news, TV shows and sports, amongst others, said the report titled State of Online Video 2018.
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The amount of time Indian viewers spend watching online videos is far higher than the global average of six hours and 45 minutes each week in 2018 which itself marks a 58 percent rise from the 2016 figure, according to the report from Limelight Networks, a global digital content delivery platform.
2017
2015
53
52
Indian viewers are now watching online video content for an average of eight hours 28 minutes each week, more than the time they spend viewing TV every weekâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;eight hours and eight minutes, according to a new survey on Thursday.
Amazon
2013
Streaming wars : hours of live TV watched each week
The Indian scenario
2.7 $b
The Billion-dollar race for streaming supremacy
21
16 Netflix 10-20 hours
iPlayer > 20 hours
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Young adults use streaming services most to watch TV % of U.S. Adults who say__ is the primary way they watch television
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70 61
59
52 31
28 9 7-17
37
7
5 18-29
30-49
15
10 50-64
5
7
65+
Ages Cable or satellite subscription
Online streaming service
Digital Antenna
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The American scenario
About 6 in 10 young adults in U.S. primarily use online streaming to watch TV. The rise of online streaming services such as Netflix and HBO Go has dramatically altered the media habits of Americans, especially young adults. About six-in-ten of those ages 18 to 29 (61%) say the primary way they watch television now is with streaming services on the internet, compared with 31% who say they mostly watch via a cable or satellite subscription and 5% who mainly watch with a digital antenna, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in August. Other age groups are less likely to use internet streaming services and are much more likely to cite cable TV as the primary way they watch television. Overall, 59% of U.S. adults say cable connections are their primary means of watching TV, while 28% cite streaming services and 9% say they use digital antennas.
Among the other findings of the survey: Women are more likely than men to say their primary way of watching TV is via cable subscription (63% vs. 55%). Men are more likely than women to say their primary pathway is online streaming (31% vs. 25%). Those with a college education or more are more likely than those with less education to say their primary way to watch TV is online streaming.
Additionally, 37% of the younger adults who prefer watching the news over reading it cite the web, not television, as their platform of choice. Social media is also a rising source of news: Two-thirds of adults – including 78% of those under 50. Of course, there are major economic and corporate implications in these shifts. A 2015 Pew Research Center survey found that 24% of Americans did not subscribe at all to cable TV, and 15% were “cord cutters” who at one point had cable, but then opted for an internet connection as their pathway to video content.
Roughly a third of college-educated Americans (35%) say they mainly watch via streaming, compared with 22% of those who have a high school diploma or less.
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What is Narrative? The narrative is the choice of which events to relate and in what order to relate them â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so it is a representation or specific manifestation of the story, rather than the story itself. The easy way to remember the difference between story and narrative is to reshuffle the order of events. A new event order means you have a new narrative of the same story.
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Components of Story Central Plot Narrative Plot
Storylines
Event
Sub Plot Chronology
Story
Ally Protagonist
Relationships
Opponent
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Types of Narrative in documentary film-making Accoding to American theorist Bill Nicholas there are 6 types of Documentary Narratives.
1. Performative Documentary
2. Poetic Documentary artistic, Subjective expression
3. Observational Documentary
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____
____
A performative documentary acknowledges the emotional and subjective aspects of documentary and presents ideas as a part of a context having different meanings for different people and are often autobiographical in nature.
A documentary that has a topic which is personal to the people involved, usually the presenter and interviewees.
A documentary where the filmmaker is a neutral observer. (from the outside looking in) Life is lived and observed. It can then be seen how people/animals react in different situations. The filmmaker is normally out of shot so they cannot influence what is happening. Nothing is rehearsed or staged, this means the camera crew have to rush around, resulting in poor shaky looking footage. Usually wildlife documentaries. (David Attenborough)
Tongues United (1990
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It emphasizes some aspects of the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life and presents these via music, camera shots and angles and the editing. It can also be quite artistic in the way it is presented. Music is key as it develops the mood and tone of the story being told including the messages and values hidden within.
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4. Reflexive Documentary (awareness of the process)
5. Expository Documentary (voice of god)
6. Participatory Documentary Subjective, Artistic Expression
____
____
____
A documentary where the audience engages with the content of the documentary as it happens, they acknowledge the issues of realism and representation and modality judge them when they arrive. It shows the constructive nature of the documentary showing not necessarily the truth, but a reconstruction. (‘a’ truth, not ‘the’ truth). The audience are made aware of the process throughout and the audience are made aware of the editing, sound and recordings.
Documentaries in this style are usually non-fiction films. There is direct access to the audience. There are social issues assembled into an argumentative frame with a narration voice-over emphasizing what is happening with argumentative logic.
A participatory documentary is where the events and situations presented are influenced and altered by the presence of the filmmaker. A brilliant example of this is Super size Me (2004), “born in brothel” . “the decline of western civilization.” “Period. End of sentence”
A good example of this is An Inconvenient Truth (2006) and Before the flood.
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What people look for in a documentary. Primary footage :
Archival footage:
Still images:
Scenes shots / created by the filmmaker specifically for the film. - Location, Narratorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insight, interviews and frames
Scenes shots / created by other source and used by the filmmakers. - Newsreels, home videos and other matreial used by permisssion.
When photographs are used instead of video
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10%
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What people hear in a documentary. Dialogue: :
Diagetic Sounds:
Non-Diagetic Sound:
Two or more people talking to each other (scripted/staged in some cases
Sound that comes directly from the location being shown.
Sounds added later. Music and Sound effects (mood&Purpose)
Narration: One person describes the important aspects of the topic.
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What people read in a documentary. Subtitles and Labels:
Graphics:
Credits (pre/post):
Words that adds additional information to your images and videos
Images, charts and graphs to compliment spoken words.
acknowledgement to people involved.
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Critical aspects
Sequence
Transition
Cohessiveness
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Timeline skeleton Tentative timeline structure
TITLE SEQUENCE
CREDITS
12 - 15 min*
Number and placement of the particular section/content may change depending upon edit requirement. 94
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Codes for sequences
About ritual
Origin | b-role
A
D
Bringing in premise/ brief history
Artform
B
Element breakdown
E
About the painting/significance
Community lifestyle | Resolution
C
Significance
Deconstruction of the meaning, describing every information
Facts | credits
Agricultural preferances / Cultural elements
Ambient Slow-motions estabilishment
F
Textual content
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Shot Listing Sequence A
Sequence B
Estabilishment
Myth & Painting
Village well with girl
woman carrying hay
family member painting
children playing
wide shots of huts
follow through falia
baby sleeping with bee
trees
doors of huts
wood cutting
fields
hut interiors
men smoking (Side/front)
paint brushes
cultural elements
girl with goat
old lady looking at camera
talk about ritual
cattle in shade
pithora painting on wall
preperations
lady wahing clothes
bulb flickering
girl with chulha and smoke
community gathering.
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Sequence C
Sequence D
Sequence E
habits & perspective
Painting Elements
Community & Lifestyle
body gestures
process
traditional visuals
clothes
ingredients
ornaments
juxtapositioned shots
textures
kitchen objects
painting macros
colors
ritual shots
day2day activities
splashes bizzare areas painted
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Sequence F Resolution
happy shots satisfied faces laughter/giggles characters with painting in hand community shots facing cameras.
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USP Segregated artforms in seasons with respect to their nature and demographic significance Can mark the presence in mainstream public domain i.e. Online streaming content. Tone of Voice A brief compilation of regionally endangered artforms irrespective of its communal presence.
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Unique Screenplay Setting identity for the documentary
Title sequence
Introduction to premise
Slo-mo ambient sequence
Artist insight
VO
The colored boxes represents points which are mandatory in the documentary and in exceptional cases they may vary the order. This particular tmplate is designed to switch from one sector to another. 100
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Fact (One liner)
conclusion
pre-intro
Order may vary
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Disrupt + Rhythm Nature of narrative
As the documentary is poetic in nature, the style of edit is disruptive i.e. it does have unexpected jumps but would not ruin the continuity & mood. It will keep interest consistent. It is rather a contemporary style of approaching a narrative. Unconventional narratives have always been underrated commercially but have always grabbed attention and has created a sense of surprise. Films like Punch-drunk Love are a perfect example of Disrupt + rhythm
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Preamble We all are made up of earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mud. Brown is not just a shade to be acknowledged. It holds our history, our legacy, our heritage, and culture. It has always reminded us of our roots and has protected us like its own child. Kathai is an ingredient (Brown color) used in Paan (Indian mouth freshener). It is responsible for the flavor which sets the identity. Similarly, the initiative of documentary series about the artists & artforms is a reflection of our cultural ethos and essence. A Tale/story in Hindi is Katha.
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Name
Kathai - Endangered Folk stories
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Typeface variations
Ka t ha i After exploring a lot of serif fonts the following six variations were short-listed. The attributes which were tried to incorporate were : Earthy, raw, rich, traditional, ethnic, historic, minimal along with colors with shades of reddish-browns and browns. Keeping it direct with sub-heading â&#x20AC;&#x153;endangered folk-storiesâ&#x20AC;?
VOICE OF RAW INDIA
kathai artforms straight outta heritage
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Logo
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Typography Primary font that has been used for title and facts is Mainandra GD and secondary font as Futura Extended.
Mainandra GD A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 for Factual content
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FUTURA EXTENDED A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ( ! , . : ; â&#x20AC;? ? & - ) Title sequence and credits.
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Screen Position
16 : 9
D E S I G N AT I O N
One liner fact NAME
Kerning : 5 Placement of the opening credit may change in sync with background visibility and composition.
Designation : 45 pt Name : 55 pt
Size : 40 pt Time : 5 sec
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Title Sequence A series/sequence of visuals which comprises of opening credits and talks briefly about the contentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ideology/philosophy. It sets up a mood required for the viewer who is going to watch it. It acknowledges featuring actors/artists along with people who initiated and executed the project.
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Inspiration Mandala
In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing the attention of practitioners and adapts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.
A circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. In common use, Mandala has become a generic term for any diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically, a microcosm or universe. The basic form of a mandala is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in a general shape of a T. Mandalas often have radial balance.
Familiarity with the philosophical writings of India prompted Jung to adopt the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;mandalaâ&#x20AC;? to describe these circle drawings he and his patients made. In his autobiography - Jung wrote. I sketched every morning in a notebook a small circular drawing, which seemed to correspond to my inner situation at the time. Only gradually did I discover what the mandala really is: the Self, the wholeness of the personality, which if all goes well is harmonious.
According to art therapist and mental health counselor Susanne F. Fincher, we owe the re-introduction of mandalas into modern Western thought to Carl Jung, the Swiss analytical psychologist. In his pioneering exploration of the unconscious through his own art-making, Jung observed the motif of the circle spontaneously appearing. The circle drawings reflected his inner state at that moment.
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Taking Mandala (represents the universe of stories) as base composition. according to the basic structure it consists of two basic shapes, a circle enclosed within a square. Since we already are looking at it in a confined area of 16:9 The final form is taken to be circular. Incorporated elements of endangered artforms (first season)
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Visual Elements representing their respective artforms from the first season have been animated with basic tracking (Eased) To animate each frame I had to remove that element (which is to be animated) from the main illustration and exported Targa Sequence at 30 fps in order to decrease file size. So that it can be treated with additional 3D properties in 3Ds Max.
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Flora Tracking 4 sec (Camera follow)
Motif Tracking 5 sec (Camera follow)
Goat rotate 4 sec (Camera Follow)
Animal trail 3 sec (Circular motion)
Human steps 4 sec (Camera follow)
Ganjeefa green pattern 4 sec (Circular motion)
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Blue Flora Tracking 4 sec (Camera follow)
Ganjeefa Yellow trail 4 sec (camera tilt)
Yellow flora track 4 sec (Camera Follow)
yellow pattern tracking 4 sec (Camera follow)
yellow boundary 4 sec (Camera follow)
Mughal head 4 sec (diagonal cam tilt)
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+ Perspective
+ Yellow Ambient Light
Gaussian Blur
Stabelisation + Light-leaks + Crop-rotate + Time Correction + Anxiety
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Hold on! Let me reveal nature of sequence narrative The opening title sequence of any series of visual content that includes a unique treatment based on anthropological conclusions often has a trail of metaphors depicting gist of core conflict. We stream a lot of online fictional/real content that talks about its conflict in indirect visual narrative. Sequences like these will often leave you with curiosity to watch and know more. This style of the narrative will take you through metaphoric details (Macro) with visual appease and reveal the larger picture in the end. Game of Thrones, Westworld, The Crown, Daredevil, Sacred Games is some of the examples with the same style. Here I am trying to create a universe of endangered artforms composed in harmony and unity.
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Final Sequence
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Frame & block for its respective sequence
Framing and blocking play a very crucial role in a Filmmakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. If the director is unaware of the terms or has not directed before it ends up wasting a lot of time. The frame is a pre-defined vague idea of components inside a still at a particular time. Block is determining where the Subject/actors will be on the set and the first camera position. Following are some frames blocked in order to complement the content nature and cinematics.
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Yellow tinted part of the frame is visual movement through the frame. It is responsible for act of engagement. It helps in focusing on critical information. Blocking is done to avoid unnecessary elements which are contributuing to the overall composition.
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Rule of Thirds The rule states that you separate an image into nine equal parts, dividing it twice vertically and twice horizontally. Points of interest should now be placed along these lines or their intersections. By following this rule, the image becomes more interesting, by creating tension and energy. Rule of thirds allows a viewer to understand and synthesize information comfortably. One can see the frames made consciously in order to achieve the rule of thirds.
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Stills from film.
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Script / Storyboard In order to produce content, it is advised to be ready with questions on spot and let the subject(Actor/ artisan) speak about his story by himself. However, Script is necessary to authenticate spoken information. It also helps in monitoring content and channelizing it in the right way. (pre-script/outline) – Often with documentaries, the script can’t really be written until after the footage has been shot and one can start piecing the story together based on what he/she has “discovered” with the camera. However, writing an outline at the beginning can be an invaluable guide to point you in the right direction, especially to be able to look back as a reference when the chaos of shooting can get you off track.
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Sound Design “Mixing is a game of tetris, of constantly trying to find space for everything.” -Jurgen Scharpf
One thing that unites the films, beyond their indie sensibility and storytelling prowess, is the imaginative use of sound design and music, something highlighted during the class that featured each of the film’s directors, composers, and sound mixers. Kiser -(student at New York Film Academy) opened by saying, “I think most people don’t think of documentary films as having interesting sound and music,” but the filmmakers behind Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable and No Greater Law demonstrated that this wasn’t the case, and shared their stories, as well as tips for other filmmakers. Here’s what they had to say.
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Folk Intruments
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The right music. Background score for documentary intro-outro.
For a perfect look & Feel of delivery of the content in Sound holds utmost importance and relevance. A Story needs the right kind of music to create an intended experience. The Faran Ensemble was formed in 2009 by three musicians sharing similar musical vibes and values, who decided to embark together on a spiritual quest. Their journey, expressed in music and sound, reflects the beauty of nature, traveling through different sceneries, from the clean and quiet desert to luscious green hills, sometimes even passing through the hectic noise of the city. Their instruments belong to the ancient traditions of the east, allowing the musicians to combine mystical sounds with modern influences. In their music, Mediterranean landscapes weave an enchanted soundscape, a magic carpet to take the listener on a voyage to faraway lands. The ensemble’s name, Faran, refers to Wadi Faran, a dry desert riverbed which in winter fills with water and life and in summer is silent and pristine. The Faran crosses three countries but ignores all artificial human borders. 148
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The piece called “The prophet of emotion” from the last Faran’s Album “Fata Morgana” !!!
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BG score and Voiceover
Pithora painting shows several human characters and scenes of daily activities: the Bhuva conducting ceremonies, the village tradesman, the hunter, policeman, village postman, alcohol making, buttermilk churning, women drawing water from wells or hand pumps, men and women dancing. Ashad has two interpretations in the Pithora painting of the Rathva. The rest states that it is a canopy for the procession of gods and goddesses while the other interprets it as a symbolic border of a village.
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Promotional collaterals Whatever had I design will only make sense when it gets percieved the way it is suppose to, by my audience precisely. The documenatary series that talks about endangered artforms briefly in 12-15 minute of episode will need a online/offline platforms to get into public viewing spaces in order to mark itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence. Here I have chosen 4 critical places where the promotion can leave a huge impact.
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Web-Banners
Billboards
Methods
Thumbnails
Film Posters
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Netflix Landing page interface
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Rig & Crew Addressing each effort that not just includes people behind but tools one used. Since the project was my final design thesis, I could collaborate much but to an extent, one has to. While making content I have to be aware of the kind of information I am gathering and using what medium. Details and specifications of products are as follows. Crew on field Yash Shrivastava Chandresh Rai Gulshan Kumar
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Gear 1. Cam A : Sony Alpha 6300 (Mirrorless) with 16-50mm E-mount lens. 2. Fotowelt Steadycam HD-2000 3. Cam B : Canon EOS 750D with 18-55mm & 55-250mm (tele lens) 4. Vanguard Aluminium Tripod Espod CX 203 AGH 5. Rode On-camera Microphone
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Reflective Note There is no doubt in getting to work on a complete design project in the final year of college is a big deal. My journey all these months have made me stronger than ever before.
Tasks from talking to different people about the Topic and getting insights both in context and techniques added to an interactive experience. I have come across a lot of techniques which I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t aware of.
Film-Making was always my area of interest. I am usually inclined to moving media when it comes to communication. Though having null ethical leaning procedure in the past I did gather my Filming experience alongside graphic design.
From storyboarding to final still is a long journey, I am happy and grateful to the people I collaborated with whose contribution was extremely valuable.
During the start of research in January, I went on exploring the region, artform, and community in Chhota Udepur and Tejgarh. The solo ride was indeed the most memorable one.
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References 61% of young adults in U.S. watch mainly streaming TV. (2017, September 13). Retrieved from https://www. pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/09/13/about-6-in-10-young-adults-in-u-s-primarily-use-online-streaming-towatch-tv/ Billboard - Free PSD Mockup | Download. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://mockupfree.co/product/billboard-freepsd-mockup ByNiveditha, P. (2016, November 12). Pithora paintings from central Gujarat. Retrieved from https://www.openart.in/history/pithora-paintings-central-gujarat/ Estimated budget of leading streaming companies [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.in/Netflix-and-Amazon-are-estimated-to-spend-a-combined-10-5-billion-on-video-this-year/articleshow/58118696.cms Frapporti, F. (2009, April 29). Retrieved May 19, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx5r3j6FyF0 Background score
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Indoor Advertising Poster MockUp. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://graphicburger.com/indoor-advertising-poster-mockup/ List of Identified as Endangered Crafts. [Editorial]. (n.d.). Ministry of Textiles. Retrieved from http://texmin.nic. in/ MacBook on Home Desk Mockup. (2018, August 27). Retrieved from https://www.mockupworld.co/free/macbook-on-home-desk-mockup/ Mandala [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.richardcassaro.com/esoteric-meaning-mediterranean-mosaics-ruins-future-science-deep-europes-past/aec74fdc947d145cd8673a9c04df3a57/ Meena, M. (2019, January 29). Endangered artforms of India [Personal interview].
Mythdesign. (2008, September 13). Retrieved May 19, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRMUCgQa8cw&t=4s Network, I. (2018, August 01). Retrieved May 19, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm-T_q5Zaq4 Reference to render final design in 3D Nijhawan, S. (2017, May 24). Indian Art Forms That Could Disappear Forever If Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Not Saved. Retrieved March 10, 2019, from https://www.indiatimes.com/culture/who-we-are/9-indian-art-forms-that-could-disappearforever-if-they-re-not-saved-250533.html
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Noun Project. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://thenounproject.com/ Icon references
Patel, H. (n.d.). Motifs in Pithora Painting. Retrieved from https://www.sahapedia.org/motifs-pithora-painting
Pithora Paintings. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ethnicpaintings.com/indian_painting_styles/pithora-paintings.html Rathwa, N. B. (2019, January 29). Ritual Significance [Telephone interview].
Ratnagar, S. (2019). Being tribal. Delhi: Primus Books. @ vaacha tribal academy, Tejgarh
RF, A. (2019, February 20). Retrieved May 19, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkQdCmcwcoU Title sequence background score Roebers, T. (2010, October 25). Retrieved May 19, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVPLIuBy9CY Document rhythm inspiration Sahapedia. (2016, December 28). Retrieved May 19, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYLBMWjhRqs
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Shah, H. (1980). The ritual painting of the God Pithora Baba: A tribal ritual in Central Gujarat. Basel?: Publisher not identified. Shilpa. (1970, January 01). KAWAD â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Traditional Storytelling from Rajasthan. Retrieved from http://shilps882. blogspot.com/2011/03/kawad-traditional-storytelling-from.html Tribune News Service. (2017, May 14). Wall art, the traditional way. Retrieved from https://www.tribuneindia. com/news/spectrum/arts/wall-art-the-traditional-way/405486.html
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Colophon
This document has been written and designed by Yash Shrivastava. It has been set in : Minion Pro Type family Designed by Robert Slimbach Released by Adobe Systems
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