Mahdi Ahmed

This evening, I finished revising INDHIRAAS (DECADENCE) for DV Production. Since I first started writing it many months ago, I couldn’t help pinning my hopes that INDHIRAAS will be a real crowd pleaser, but if done the way I have written. My hopes are still pinned and I have my reasons.

Firstly, actor MUA guaranteed that he’s going to transform himself mentally and physically like the character I have written which was tailor made for him. Secondly, director BAARU SHAREE, though verbally, agreed to helm and his decision still remains intact when I met him two days ago. Thirdly, producer MUHAMMAA is willing to make this project his number one priority of his production company for next year. Last but not least, the storyline, though violent, is emotional, intensely dramatic and has some neat twist and turns. However, the most important reason which depends on how committed MUA is, I decline to reveal any further. With all these reasons, I don’t see why I shouldn’t pin my hopes or even raise it higher or the highest I can.

Now that I have made huge revisions, the screenplay looks more potent than it did when I first wrote it. I did spend more time polishing the scenes between MUA and his love interest which has now turned more intense, not to mention more flirtatious as well. I really wish I could write more about every single scene I have changed but not without spoiling the story which is tightly kept under wraps.

Currently DV Production is getting ready to officially announce start of production. But this much I know. Production won’t commence before January 2011. Director SHAREE can only free himself for INDHIRAAS after January. Yet pre-production will begin sooner.

Moving on to a different subject, last night director FATTHAAH called me to inform that principal photography of LEYKARUNAIN (BLOOD IN TEARS) will start on, drum roll, 4^th January 2011. That’s actually earlier than he first planned. He will officially announce start of production somewhere around last week of December, 2010. He even updated me on casting. Actors for principal roles are almost finalized except for one. He is currently negotiating with a newcomer who was only seen in few video songs that were released recently. More on this later.

I guess that’s all for now. I am pretty excited now that hopefully two screenplays of mine will go under production next year. Then there’s SAZAA (PUNISHMENT) which will be released on 29^th March 2011. Still staying with March next year, inshah Allah the biggest excitement of my life will also be released, which is neither a film nor a screenplay.

Cheers!

Okay, I have done revising LEYKARUNAIN (TEARS IN BLOOD) for now until director FATTHAAH has a read and confirms that the screenplay doesn’t need further revising. Like I said in my last post, it’s not a rewrite but a simple revision to necessary scenes, its arrangement and the dialogues. FATTHAAH won’t even realize that I have done anything at all.

I had to revise a total of five major scenes including the climax. Like I said before, these revisions added more power to the development of characters, gave more depth to the relationship between concerned characters and the flow of the whole screenplay was made more smooth.

Even from the first write, I was worried about the climax. It doesn’t rely on a surprise twist ending that I always try to have in my screenplays. LEYKARUNAIN has a more thinking person’s ending where the climax relies on an intellectual chat between two characters I don’t intend to reveal here in case I might accidentally spoil the storyline and face a lawsuit from the producers.

Anyways, I did tweak the climax here and there and now I feel the ending is better and more comprehensive. But I have, I should say readjusted the ending so that if FATHHAAH finds the ending anticlimactic, he can easily re-edit the same ending in a more linear fashion to what I have written in the first write. Yes, I have played everything safe.

Last night, FATTHAAH reported that, someone very close to him has read the first write and concluded the screenplay moving and very touching. Of course, I am delighted. I told him that it’s all up to him now to make this screenplay visually moving and touching. He smiled confidently.

Cheers!

Today at UN Building, ONE DAY ON EARTH was screened. This little documentary received a warm reception from all the UN staff. The news made my day.

I have nothing more left to say except that I thank my loving wife and SANU from UNDP Maldives  for convincing me to take over the entire production. All the artistes from Dhivehi film industry who volunteered, thank you all so very much.

MUNNAVARU, thanks for convincing KANDI to lens.

KANDI, you did a remarkable job with the flipcam. Your creativity, I cherish.

SANU and her assistants, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you guys as a production manager and production assistants respectively any day if you all wish to change your careers in to film making. And yes SANU, you have what it takes to write a script. Now I’m jealous…

My wife, thanks for lending me your ever beautiful voice for narration. You were the only reason for me to helm this. I hope that you do continue to provide your voice for future projects, not just for UNDP but, (whispers) mine as well. Shhh, that’s a secret!

FATTHAH, you were so ready to help me when I needed it. Thanks and I might think of writing a screenplay for you, free of charge. Hang on, hang on… On second thought, how about for a special rate? I have more mouths to feed in future, if you know what I mean.

MUA, you were there with open arms and open doors, to your studio I mean,  when I panicked. I hope I didn’t sound like a cowboy from Brokeback Mountain. Thank you so much for all the help you rendered for the post-production. Awesome, man!

Wait a minute! Did I sound like I have given an acceptance speech after receiving an Oscar or something? See what happens when your day was made.

Thank you all and cheers!

On 10th October 2010, people across the world participated in the ONE DAY ON EARTH project capturing an unprecedented global video snapshot of a single 24-hour period. Participants, ranging from teenagers with cell phones to Academy-Award nominated documentarians using the latest HD cameras, filmed the world from their own perspective. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with ONE DAY ON EARTH to help the project reach participants in 100 countries with low bandwidth, making it a truly global initiative.

A group of talents from Dhivehi film industry volunteered to help UNDP Maldives produce their ONE DAY ON EARTH. Administratively from UNDP Maldives, AMINATH IBRAHIM aka SANU managed this project. She through my wife, who is her colleague at UNDP Maldives, somehow convinced me to helm it.

I had only five days for pre-production. Without any delay, I helped SANU write a short script from the perspective of UNDP Maldives. I must say she wrote a pretty impressive piece. The very next day, I went through her script and prepared a shooting script including a shooting schedule so that anyone who took over the KODAK HD flipcam could do an easy job.

Just three days to go, I approached KID PRODUCTION head, HUSSAIN MUNAVVAR who is also a cameraman to lens. However, due to time constraints and with a day to go, he arranged me IBRAHIM WISAN aka KANDI who is promising, talented and had several big budget films under his belt as a cameraman. We met at newly opened GONUTS WITH DONUT as I explained him the entire shooting script. He was more than happy to volunteer.

Later that night I sat with SANU who assigned herself as the tenderfoot production manager. I briefed her on the shooting schedule, how to handle one and introduced her to KANDI since shooting was to begin before sunrise next day.

Shooting went as scheduled. I checked with SANU on the progress of the shooting. She was enjoying her new found job so much so that I thought she would opt a career change. At the end of the day, it turned out to be a pretty good shooting experience for her and her assistants. As for KANDI it was just another walk in the park. The whole production team did an admirable job shooting nonstop from sunrise to sunset.

Two days later, SANU gave me the raw materials for editing. I went through them for labeling. The artistic side of KANDI was clearly seen in every frame even when he had to shoot with a camera much, much smaller than he usually handles, not to mention with limited functions and a light weight tripod he had to use that almost tumbled even if someone blows lightly at it, from a considerable distance. So three cheers to him.

Since I was not informed of a deadline to submit the final cut, I took everything too easy. I kept delaying editing. But about ten days later after handing me over the raw materials, my wife informed me that SANU wanted the final cut a day before 10^th November 2010.

After twelve days of some worrisome editing, I managed to do a very rough cut on my wife’s VAIO using Premiere Elements which constantly kept giving me a low memory warning and several not responding messages. When I was unable to continue, I did a backup of the project and asked producer-director, FATTHAAH if he could help. He did try to help me but unfortunately, his system was unresponsive and troublesome as well. I panicked. I called actor-editor, MUA immediately. As usual, he was cool enough to turn a cucumber more greener. He asked me to bring my project to his studio, DV PRODUCTIONS.

Things were not going too good at his studio either. But after several software crashes and uncountable reboots, MUA was able to export a rough cut with a narration track that I recorded using sound recorder. My wife was too eager to provide the narration since it was a rough cut.

I submitted the rough cut for comments. I met SANU at UNDP Maldives where she gave me a list of amendments. She insisted my wife do the narration for the final cut too. Though my wife agreed, we had another issue to settle. We were still brooding over what music to use. My wife kept telling me about a song which was produced by UNDP Maldives in association with local artistes called RAKKAAVETHIBIYYAA DHIVEHIRAAJJE  (if stayed alert, Maldives). I listened to it. Though it was a song on our environment, I felt it was not just catchy but perfect as well. I used the melody throughout the eight minutes of this short documentary and the first part of the complete song at the end credits. I then did a better recording of the narration for the final cut. MUA helped me with all the technicalities including refining the narration recording, color grading and trimming the final cut plus all the needed importing and exporting.

This afternoon I viewed the final cut with my wife before she gave it to SANU. My wife was a tad sad that I didn’t include a shot of fourteen storey government office building, Velaanaage for the high rise line said in the narration.

SANU called me early this evening. She was ecstatic. She thought the final cut was awesome. However, she still wanted to correct a typo and credit for the song added at the end credits.

I called MUA immediately. He was all too available. We did the correction and the addition SANU asked plus inserted a shot of Velaanaage. My wife thinks the final version now looks more complete. She will hand it over to SANU tomorrow.

This is my involvement in direction since 2003, even though it’s a short documentary. I thank all those who volunteered for this project. Special thanks go to KANDI and MUA for their enormous support. I couldn’t have completed this project without all those who helped me, even if it was for just ONE DAY ON EARTH.

Cheers!

In my post of 29^th July 2010, I have mentioned about writing an unofficial sequel to ORCHID EYNAAGE MAA (ORCHID, HER FLOWER) for MOHAMED RASHEED aka DHARAA RASHEED. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen turn of events in my life, events that have directly effected my thinking cap big time, I had to quit this project.

During my last long absence, I did inform this to RASHEED. We had a very professional chat over the phone and he understood my status very well.

I was extremely pleased when RASHEED revealed that his next choice to helm the writing duty was original ORCHID EYNAAGE MAA writer-director, HUSSAIN SHIHAB. I simply couldn’t think of anyone else penning it. SHIHAB will understand the original characters more than anyone else can and I was fortunate enough to discuss with him on my take of the unofficial sequel. He just loved it and I even had his blessings. But if he takes over, I am just curious to know how he will proceed. I have no doubts that his take will be more fascinating.

Even though I have left the project, I told RASHEED that I am always ready to give any help he needed. I really think that this unofficial sequel is going to be really cool. SHIHAB, RASHEED and I share the same idea of including a remix of ANGAADHEYSHEY (INFORM), a song which was made popular by RASHEED himself in the original TV movie.

All the best to RASHEED and I hope that he convinces SHIHAB to write.

You only know what a fool you have been until you have done something foolish. Well, that’s human nature and I guess no one is immune to that. Not even me.

Tonight, I was made to realize that in my last two posts, I have written a bit senselessly about SEEZAN. But honestly, at the time I wrote them, it never occurred to me that I was going way over the line.

A little while ago only when SEEZAN called, have I realized that what I had written should have been kept to myself. But then again, I repeat, I neither write any of my posts with a malicious intent nor write them to hurt anyone or SEEZAN for that matter. I simply write my thoughts. What else people write in a blog, I wonder? Anyway, I sincerely thank SEEZAN for being so understanding. Not many people are like that these days. Isn’t that very noble of him?

Though I have apologized him in person, I’m doing it again here in my blog. I only hope that the good association I have with him over the years hasn’t been affected severely. And if any damage was done, I wish that it will be reconciled over time very soon. Once again my sincere apologies to SEEZAN.

P.S. As a professional gesture, I have removed the contents from my last two posts which SEEZAN felt displeased.

In my last post I forgot to mention that I am currently working on a short semi-documentary called ONE DAY ON EARTH for UNDP which comprises of footages only shot on 10^th October 2010 from a Kodak flip-cam on 720p format with 60 fps. Along with me three other artists from Dhivehi film industry volunteered for this project. HUSSAIN MUNAVVAR helped me find KANDI WISAN to lens while MUA is helping me with post production. I’m serving as the director. The rough cut was shown to UNDP staff yesterday for comments. Now I’m working with MUA on re-editing to the comments given by UNDP. I have to hand over this project before 9^th of this month.

Television drama, 3 NOVEMBER which I wrote and directed for Atolls ministry on 2003 was shown on channel MNBC ONE today. The drama was shown on the occasion of 3^rd November. On the same day in 1988, Male’ was attacked by mercenaries from Sri-Lanka to overthrow the government. At the time, I was studying in Colombo. The concept of this drama was how I experienced that day. This drama is shown from the perspective of a youth from Male’ who experiences that day while banished at an island for using drug. This event turns as a catalyst in unfolding his life when he fears about his loved ones at home as tension heightens due to lack of communication. And when he hears unconfirmed news that one of the hostages taken in Progress Light has the same name as his father, he slowly begins to realize he still loves his estranged father.

While this drama was shown this afternoon, I received several calls from ex-colleagues worked in this production. I was almost in tears to see my favorite scene where confused and terrified public gathers in front of the island office. I used no less than 85 extras, a week of rehearsals and a lot of help from my production team especially my cinematographer, Lathee to stage this scene. We wrapped up this scene 45 minutes sooner than the estimated time. We spent an hour and thirty minutes for the entire scene.

This drama was my last directorial effort…