Galen Knowles, a movie producer from the US who specialises in documentaries and educational films, interacted with his Pakistani counterparts at a local hotel on Tuesday evening.
They discussed the mode of projecting the story and the content and especially getting the movie on top Netflix without undergoing any financial strain. Knowles named a number of institutions which producers have to consider under the present conditions, like the stock market.
“What is relevant today may not be relevant tomorrow,” he said, referring to the constantly changing conditions of institutions that may figure even remotely in the production of movies as well as in the preferences of the viewers.
Knowles also discussed the strategy of production, taking into consideration matters like the box office. He classified social issues as the most vital and complex of issues, facing movie producers as also the market research aspect. Many valuable pieces of information came to the fore during the discussion.
A certain owner of a production house who was participating in the discussion informed the participants that China was becoming the biggest market for the production and import of films. As such, he said, it was essential to study the Chinese market. He further informed the participants that India too was penetrating the world market.
Other participants who were all owners or employees of production houses came up with their suggestions and queries. Angeline Malik, of Angelic Films, narrated her experiences while the shooting of a documentary on the Kalash folk in the Kalash Valley, Kafiristan, KPK. She narrated the peculiarities that were encountered while filming a totally diverse culture.
Knowles began working theatre as an actor ending up as a lighting designer and technical director. He directed and filmed over 450 hours of documentary footage and edited into an award-winning film, 73-minute film that has premiered at 14 festivals around the world. He also shot and edited several commercial projects for the weather channel.