Karachi, Karachi City, Sindh, Pakistan
$45 - $2000 / Day
Request QuoteHi My name is Ali. I am a film maker and educator from Karachi, Pakistan. I am interested in storytelling be it documentary or fiction. I am working with Producer Noe Mendelle of the Scottish Documentary Institute (SDI) on “Guddu” a documentary about a man obsessed about the Pakistani film industry. This subject very dear to me. We seem to forget that we had a very rich history of cinema in Pakistan. This is a small attempt in documenting something which shaped a large part of our pop culture in South Asia. I was fortunate to be a student of the only dedicated film school in Pakistan, the now defunct SAAMPT, I have worked in varying roles with other film makers including International Award winning director, Mehreen Jabbar and Commercial Director Asim Raza. One of my first student short films titled ‘Kurrachee’ was also short listed for Tropfest, Australia in 2013, It later won the Cineaste One Film Festival (COFF) 2013 in Karachi. Having a keen eye for human drama, I have made a number of documentaries for various organizations including Special Children’s Educational Institute (SCEI), The Indus Hospital (TIH), The Citizen’s Foundation (TCF) and done quite a lot of corporate work for multinational clients like Unilever, L'Oreal, Nestle among many other.
This is the story of Zahid Khan aka Guddu and his obsession with the Pakistani film industry. His tinned loft in the frantic metropolis of Karachi, houses a treasure trove of visuals that most Pakistani barely recognize.
Corporate Documentary for Amreli Steels for their flagship product Xtreme G500
Fashion Film for the brand launch for The Fashion Factory. A Pakistani brand which was recently launch in June 2017.
Produced for StrateX
Role - I was the writer and producer of this project Project goal - My challenge was to explain the features of the Work Force Management Suite, a technical software used by professionals and create an engaging and informative video, using animation. Solution - The client, Stratex had never created video content showcasing their product, so this was a great opportunity for me to help them put their best work on display. I worked closely with them to develop a script that talked about the software's features in a fun and appealing way. Feedback was taken into consideration constantly, keeping the technical audience in mind, which was actively seeking a solution to their problem which this software solved. The Audio-Visual Boards, I developed for this project clarified the script even further. Using stock images and icons to illustrate the ideas, I had for the look and feel of the video. The client was keen to sign off on each milestone because it was easy to follow along with how I wanted the video to flow. Since the brand guidelines were being developed when I started the project, I proposed an art style for the animation, which could be adapted and modified as the software evolved, increasing the shelf life of the video. Getting the tone of the video right is crucial. If it isn't, it might drive audiences away. I combed through hours of music tracks and made a selection and elicited the help of a voiceover artist, both of whom I knew were right for the project. The client had notes and since I was prepared for feedback, it wasn't an issue for me to make the necessary changes in the performance and music style. By the time the animation process started, the client had a very clear idea about how the final video would look like, simply because I took the time to create Design Boards. These Images showed the major graphical elements that were to come with each voice-over cue, making it simple to follow along. All in all, a rewarding experience for both of us. A true win-win.
Role - I was the post producer on this project. Project goal - My challenge was to take material from a very large and diverse pool of regional languages, arrange them in a meaningful way and find hard hitting stories for Greenpeace to use in their campaign to reduce fossil fuel consumption and make big polluter pay for their transgressions against the planet. Solution - I spent over a month and a half, translating, transcribing, and sorting the footage on this project, which was over 6 TBs. The floods affected all four provinces of Pakistan, which affected 33 million, so there were many regional languages. I enlisted the help of multiple translators, whose work I transcribed for all interviews, interactions, and Vox pops. After shortlisting, potential stories and characters, I went about crafting an edit, this took approximately a month. After sharing the first video, Greenpeace loved it. They shared great feedback and I was able to create the remaining videos within two weeks. Overall a great project in which I helped a client reach their goal and I played a small part in raising awareness on the presssue issue of climate change.
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