India Up Close
Feb 16th – March 4th, 2018Old ways of life and new ways of living create constant tension in this evolving society. During our expedition, we will document first hand the personal challenges of locals in this transforming society. Deciding what locals hang onto and what do they let go is not an easy process.
By trip’s end, you will be adept at storytelling through a documentarian’s lens. You will have developed a unique and incredible perspective of India. And you will have recorded history for future generations.17 days and 14 nights.Limit: 12 participants
LAST MINUTE PROMOTIONAL PRICE: $6280 USD (SAVE 20%) – FOUR SPOTS LEFT!Includes:Airfare from Newark, New Jersey to DelhiFirst class hotels, double occupancy (950$ sup. single occ.)All meals (beverages not included)Admission to planned tourist attractionsTravel within India by bus, train and domestic flight.
The diversity of India is a thing of beauty.
The goal of this workshop is to capture India in a historically significant moment of time. We will help you discover the extraordinary video capabilities of your SLR camera. The reward is capturing the sights, sounds and stories of India by balancing local cultural experiences with evenings spent in first-class comfort.
Destination: Rajasthan, India. This is the land of Kings, or Rajas. It is one of the world’s most photogenic settings. We will bring motion to our story telling. Learn about the symbolism of the Taj Mahal. Immerse yourself into the eclectic energy of Delhi. Explore deserts and jungles. Make the moment stand still in timeexotic tales as you learn techniques for capturing moving images.Record the joy the pain and the energy of the moment. Tell your stories while learning techniques for capturing moving images.
Our first days will be used to acclimate to the change in time and culture by experiencing India’s capital city of Delhi. We will start the day with camera basics. It will be the beginning of a progressive understanding of how films are made with today’s still cameras. You will learn how Documentarians interact with locals and investigate stories of interest.
Very early in the process we will start our exploration of editing software. By the end of the trip, students will be comfortable pulling selects and editing short video clips from their days work.
We explore Rajasthan by plane, train, bus, camel and elephant. We will experience local culture in both its preserved form and its new interpretation.
We will also experience the life of kings. Our accommodations were once-upon-a-time palaces. They are beyond comfortable and these oasis will also be our classrooms. Each day of shooting and immersion will alternate with a day of review and editing.
We won’t need to look far for subjects. Palaces, fortresses, temples and national parks all give testament to a rich historical past. We will ride the famed Indian railway. We will stay in luxury tents as we go on a safari hunt for Tigers. We will experience the silent beauty of the desert. All of this is practice for adding motion to our shots. We will tell the stories of those we encounter during our expeditions.
This workshop combines the thrill and comfort of a first class guided tour of India with the educational experience of learning to tell video stories with your personal SLR camera. Perhaps most importantly, you will gain experience you can leverage for the rest of your life. We not only learn what and how to shoot as you edit your work into engaging pieces. We will capture history in the making. By trip’s end, you will be adept at storytelling through a documentarians lense. You will have developed a unique and incredible perspective of India. And you will have recorded history for future generations.
Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary can be learned.
You will be part of an exclusive and supportive group of 10-14 ‘CineWrights in Training’.
“There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have seen the Taj Mahal and love it, and those who have not seen the Taj Mahal and love it. I would like people to watch the Taj Mahal and fall in love with it.”Former President Bill Clinton
Delhi – Agra –Ranthambhore – Jaipur –Pushkar – Udaipur – Jodhpur – Dechu – Amritsar
Day 1 – New Jersey / Delhi (Flight)
Arriving in Delhi. You are welcomed at the airport by an official India Pundit Travel guide, with flower necklaces.
Day 2 – Delhi
Breakfast at the hotel.Entire day dedicated to visit India’s capital, Delhi.Delhi, 14 million inhabitants, is distinctly divided between the old and the new city. NEW DELHI with its wide avenues, fresh and clean, OLD DELHI with its small streets buzzing with human activities; decorated temples, monument and bazars. Eight imperial dynasties, and one republic made the present city.Discovery of Old Delhi Red Fort which was built by Shah Jahan. Going around the wall that surrounds it, you will see the gate of Lahore, telling the history of our time. Fifty years ago, Pandit Nehru proclaimed India’s Independence here. In front of the Red Fort opens the main shopping street Chandni Chowk where we find silver jewelry, crafts and sweets. This vibrant street is filled with people day and night. We visit the Mosque JAMI MASJID. It was built by SHAH JAHAN between 1651 and 1656. This impressive building is the largest mosque in the whole Indian subcontinent. It has three large doors, four corner towers and two minarets 40 m high, with vertical stripes of red sandstone alternating with white marble.The Raj Ghat, where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.Afternoon visit of NEW DELHI. Visit of Connaught Place, the business and tourism district ; India Gate, the 42m high triumphal arch; and the Parliament, which consists of three poles designed by British architects as well as the Rashrapati Bhawan or the Palace of the President. Lord Mountbatten, the viceroy of the Indies, was its last English occupant!Visit of the tomb of Emperor Humayun, son of Babur and Akbar’s father. Building made of red sandstone inlaid with white marble which stands in a garden designed by a Persian architect in the sixteenth century.Visit of the minaret “Qutab Minar” built in 1200 by the Muslim commander Qutab-uddine Aibek from Turkey. Visit of the famous Sikh temple Bangla SahibNight at the hotel
Day 3 – Delhi – Agra
Breakfast at the hotel.Today you will go to Agra. Visit of Red Fort reflecting the refinement and power attained by the empire of the Mughals which extended over much of North India during the seventeenth century.You will also visit the Tomb of Itmad-Ud-Daulah, embodying the premises of Taj Mahal architecture.At the endof the day at sunset, when the rays caress the immaculate stone and the milky softness still tempers the shimmer of saris, you will visit the sumptuous mausoleum emblem of the city, the Taj Mahal. Few people come back disappointed, because it is really a pure masterpiece to which there is nothing to add, nothing to take away, nothing to change. This mausoleum was built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his deceased wife. In the beautiful Mughal gardens that surround it and have been created to enhance it, you will find excellent angles for taking pictures and film.Overnight in Agra.
Day 4– Agra- Ranthambhore
Breakfast at the hotel.Today you go to Ranthambore : In the heart of Rajasthan there is one of the most famous National park of India. In the past, it was the hunting ground of the Maharajah of Jaipur. Ranthambore was declared National Park in 1972. It is a part of “Project Tiger” to save and protect the animal. Situated between the mountain chains Vindhya and Aravalli, the Park consists of forests, valleys, hills and ponds, serving the needs for a various protected animals’ natural habitats. After lunch, we go on a Safari in 4×4 vehicles to see tigers, as well as monkeys, deers and birds.Supper and First night in Ranthambhore
Day 5– Ranthambhore
Breakfast at the hotel.Early morning 2nd safari to see the famous tigers. Back to the hotel and breakfast. Free time and class until late afternoon.3rd safari at the end of the day.Supper and overnight at Ranthambhore.
Day 6 – Ranthambhore- Jaipur (170 km/3hrs)
Breakfast at the hotel.Departure for Jaipur: the magnificience of the palaces is a testimony of the power the Princes had at the time they left Amber’s fortress to establish in Jaipur. Surounded by hills and steep mountains, it is one of the most pittoresque and colorful city in India.Afternoon visit of the city’s craftshops. Jewels of precious stones ; clothes painted by hands. Ideal shopping for unique presents. Here, the famous miniature paintings celebrate the beauty of Rajastahn’s women, with their long hair and dreamy eyes.Movie night in Raj Mandir featuring ‘Bollywood’ style films.First night in Jaipur
Day 7 – Jaipur
Breakfast at the hotel.In the morning, visit the Amber Fort, which is accessed by elephant or jeep. Amber was the capital of Kashwaha rajaput maharajas from the 12th century until it was replaced by Jaipur. The afternoon will be devoted to the bustling capital of Rajasthan that will seduce you with its grace and “rococo”style. The historic district has developed around the City Palace. A sprawling palace surrounded by gardens, pavilions and courtyards, of which only a few rooms are converted into museums. At the exit of the Palace is Jantar Mantar, the observatory of the Maharajas of Jaipur. Huge astronomical instruments in sandstone and marble testify to Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II’s passion for the sciences of the sky. Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds, finally, has a facade that stretches over tens of meters, gracefully exposing its moucharabies of stones.Diner and night at hotel.
Day 8 – Jaipur –Pushkar
Breakfast at the hotel.Departure to Pushark. A sacred city for Indous, it is associated to Brahmâ. According to a legend, he killed a demon with a lotus flower. Upon falling, the tree petals of the flower formed three lakes. This calm and magnificent city gets animated on the full moon of November, during the Camel Trade Fair, one of the largest in the world. The event attracts thousands of villagers and tourists. It is almost a biblical scene, out of time and grandiose.Arriving at the hotel.After breakfast buffet, visit of Pushkar Temple, the only Indian sanctuary dedicated to Bramha, situated at the lake’s extremity.The modest temple, one of 400 in Pushkar alone, is at the top of a hill, accessible by marble steps. Facing each other, two rival temples (one of Saraswati, Brahma’s wife) and one of Gaya tri, her rival, offer a magnificent view of the city and a nice one hour walk.
Day 9 – Pushkar- Ranakpur – Udaipur ( 256 km /6 hrs.)
Breakfast at the hotel.Departure for UdaïpurOn the road, visit of the Jaïns temples of Ranakpur, among which the famous two hundred pillar temple, saved from pillage. Although most temples are dedicated to Adinah, we can see many representations of variou Indou Godesses in acrobatic postures. The Central sanctuary, amidst the forest of pillars, is constitued of twenty domes of different sizes. It is an extraordinary exemple of the raffinement of this period’s craftmanship.Breakfast at Ranakpur. Then we continue to Udaipur. Arriving before supper at the hotel.
Day 10 – Udaipur
Breakfast at the hotel.The entire day is dedicated to the city of Udaipur. Visit of the largest palace of Rajasthan. Surrounded by octogonal towers topped with domes, enhanced by gardens and terrasses, the central part of the palace is now a museum open to the public.Visit of the Dames of honneur‘s gardens, with its fountains, marble éléphants and ponds filled with lotus. Visit of the Jagdish Temple, dedicated to Vishnu, represented in the form of Jagannath, Master of the Universe.Breakfast in a local restaurant.In the afternoon, visit of the Nagda and Eklingji temples. Nagda has two temples dedicated to Vishnu, side by side along the lake. The Eklingji sanctuary comprises a group of eight hundred templions to Shiva, master of the lingam, divinity of the region.At sunset, boat ride on the romantic Pichola lake, in one of the most beautiful city of Rajasthan. Visit of the Jagdish temple.Supper and night at the hotel.
Days 11, 12 – Jodhpur/Dechu
Breakfast at hotel.Going to Dechu to see the desert. Visit of nomad people living in the desert. Shisha ritual demonstration. Camel ride. Ride on the dunes with Jeeps, to see the sunset.Two nights sleeping in the desert, in 5 stars tents.Show under the stars of traditional dancers and singers from the desert. Traditional meal served during show.
Day 13 – Amritsar
Breakfast at hotelArrival in Amritsar – Sacred city, the religious capital of India.Attending the evening Ceremony de Palki Sahib Ou Granth Sahib.Sacred chanting and purification of the great doors. Blessings of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib statute, with offerings.Supper and night at the hotel.
Day 14 : AMRITSAR – DELHI (Flight)
Breakfast at hotel.After breakfast, tour the city of Amritsar for half a day. Visit of the Golden Temple, the Mecca for Sikhs. At the center of the city, visit of the Jallianwala Bagh, now a national museum of great historical importance. Visit of the ‘flame of freedom’, a colomn richly sculpted in red Sandstone, to commemorate the hundreds of civilians killed by the British general Dyer, in 1919.Departure for Delhi after lunch.Farewell superBus to the airport for your final destination
Day 15 : DELHI – NEW JERSEY
Group sizePrice per person (CAD)10-14 PAX$3760 Per Person15-19 +01 PAX $3572 Per Person 20- 24 + 01 PAX $3406 Per PersonExtra charge for single rooms $1100
CITIESHOTELS NIGHTSDelhiVivanta by Tajvivanta.tajhotels.com2AgraCrystal Sarovar Premierewww.sarovarhotels.com1RanthamboreAbrar Palaceabrarpalace.com2JaipurGolden Tulipwww.goldentulipjaipur.com2Pushkar Pushkar Resortwww.sewara.com1UdaipurFateh Niwaswww.fatehniwas.com2Varanasi HHIwww.hhihotels.com2AmritsarHoliday Innwww.holidayinn.com1
1. Reservations & Payments
A deposit as indicated on the registration page is required to confirm your reservation for the workshop. Final payment in full is due 45 days prior to the start date of your workshop unless stated differently in the course description.. Maine Media Workshops + College (“Maine Media”) reserves the right to cancel a reservation if full payment has not been received by the due date.
2. Cancellations
Please review our cancellation policy on our Registration page.
3. Basis of Rates
All prices are quoted in U.S. dollars; all payments must be made in U.S. dollars.
4. Insurance
It is strongly advised that you purchase Trip Cancellation, Baggage, Emergency Medical Evacuation, and/or Accident and Sickness Insurance Protection. Camera equipment, computers, and baggage are carried entirely at the owner’s risk. Maine Media shall have no responsibility for any lost, damaged, or delayed property, or for an individual student’s medical needs, accidents, injuries or illnesses. You can find our travel insurance recommendations here.
5. Itinerary Changes
The itinerary for your workshop is subject to change without prior notification.
6. Passports and Visas
A valid passport is required for all international travel. You are required to notify Maine Media as to the nationality under which your passport is registered. Participants are responsible for obtaining their passports and visas. To participate in the workshop, you must have a passport that is valid until at least six months after the date on which your trip is scheduled to be completed.
7. Medical Issues
All participants must be in good health. You must advise Maine Media of any health condition, physical condition, or emotional or mental condition that may require special attention or that may adversely impact the other participants in your workshop. All students are required to complete a “Waiver of Liability” form and submit it at the time of registration. This document may be found on the course description page.
8. Liability Waiver
Every participant is required to sign Maine Media’s Waiver of Liability before departure for their workshop. Click here to download.
9. Responsibility & Photography
To ensure a safe experience, you are required to obey local customs and be considerate when photographing people or sensitive locations. The faculty member for your workshop has the right to expel any person from the workshop for behavior that is in violation of the law; that is disruptive; or that compromises the group’s safety or enjoyment. No refunds will be made to any person expelled from a workshop. Maine Media shall have no obligation to pay any costs incurred by a person as a result of that person being expelled from a workshop.
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Portability, price and ease of use have placed the tools of filmmaking in the hands of anybody with a desire to communicate. Students will arrive in as a “moveable production studio,” that is to say with their camera and laptop in hand. An HDSLR is a good camera choice for its size, relative low-cost and superior image quality. But even an iPhone 6 Plus and the 7 Plus are viable tools for documentarians. And of course traditional video cameras are welcome.CineWrights in training should install Adobe Premiere Pro before arriving at the destination. You will learn the basics of editing starting from selecting shots to assembling a finished documentary.
Building a Complete Production Package:
For budding Cinewrights who do not own their equipment, Tom will be available for advice on building an equipment package before the trip.
Minimum Equipment Considerations:
A Macbook with Adobe Premiere ProA canon 60D HDSLR or iphone 6 plus or more recent modelAudio Package: Zoom recorder and microphoneHeadphonesBatteries and charger for camera and audio recorderRecording Media: SD, CF or tapePortable Hard Drive: SSD or 7200rpm
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