Jubaer Talukder, filmmaker and content creator, speaks candidly about his journey from not knowing anything about cameras to becoming one of the country’s most sought after content creators
Please tell us a bit about yourself. Were you always passionate about filmmaking? How did it all start?
I am an indie filmmaker who runs a small video production company called Monochrome Limited and makes content on youtube as a hobby.
Honestly, I did not have any idea about cameras, photography or filmmaking till starting my undergrad. Mostly because DSLRs were very expensive back then, and there was no way my parents would allow one. So to me, it was an ‘expensive hobby’ back then.
It all started when I convinced my parents to get me a DSLR camera if I get into a good engineering university. Fortunately, I did, and they bought me a camera. But like most others, I did not use it much right away.
Six months after I started my classes at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), we made a short film. I thought to myself, I have a DSLR that I hardly use, so it’s time to make some use out of it. I also knew how to compile two clips into one video. So with that very little knowledge of video editing, I volunteered to film and edit that short film. That was the first time I made a complete video with my friends. It wasn’t perfect, but we managed to qualify at the 9th international children’s film festival with it. Then I just kept making more videos because I loved the process very much—that’s how it all started.
Which video are you most proud of among all your work?
There are several videos that I am equally proud of, but I want to mention two of them. The first would be my first music video project for Tahsan Khan, Protibadi Gaan’. I am especially proud of this because I undertook it without any prior experience. Yet, I managed to nail it without messing up anything, which is a common occurrence in this line of work.
And the second one is a KOKO KRUNCH commercial I recreated from a famous filmmaker Daniel Schiffer. I am proud of this because it was shot using a phone worth BDT 25k and basic lighting. The original one by Schiffer was shot using a 300K camera rig and pro lighting.
With your tutorials, you have been helping young people embrace their creative potential by providing them with your expertise. Why do you do what you do? What is the most rewarding part of being such a successful YouTuber?
I think I am into tutorials because it’s essential to have a passion for something. And to be able to be passionate about something, you need to know the fun part of things first. So I want to bring out the fun part of filmmaking to everyone. I do this by sharing how one can make fascinating videos using what they have at their disposal, allowing them to focus more on ideas and less on equipment. I want to be the guy who helps people to see the fun part of filmmaking.
I think the most rewarding part of being a YouTuber is the direct connection with the audience. It’s rewarding to know my content inspires strangers to explore photography and videography. Personally, it is the primary motivation behind creating content on Youtube, and it makes the entire endeavour fulfilling.
What kind of equipment does one need to start learning video editing? What advice do you have for beginners who want to learn this skill?
Primarily, one needs a PC that can run Adobe Premiere Pro. It is a beefy software, but this should be the software to use if someone wants to be good at editing.
For learning editing, three things are vital. One, to have patience. Premiere Pro is not easy, you have to invest time and watch tutorials over and over again to understand the concept fully. Two, Practice! You don’t need to be an editor who knows everything; you need to be an editor who knows what he is doing. The more you practice, the more you will understand this software. Three, learn how to tell a story. The output entirely depends on how you are telling the story. Stories/concepts in your videos can make or break it.
RECENTLY, YOU REPLICATED A GALAXY S21 ULTRA 5G COMMERCIAL USING THE GALAXY S21 ULTRA 5G ITSELF! WOULD YOU PLEASE SHARE SOME DETAILS ABOUT HOW YOU ACCOMPLISHED THIS?
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G has won me over! It is packed with features you need not only to watch movies but create your own. Filmmaking can be complicated, and as I have mentioned before, the output entirely depends on how you tell the story.
The S21 Ultra 5G facilitates professional-grade production with a smartphone camera. Arguably, it is the single most all-in-one content creation device out there and will allow aspiring creatives and filmmakers to explore the depths of their ingenuity without needing equipment that costs a fortune.
The phone comes loaded with a rear pro-grade quad-camera setup consisting of a 108-megapixel wide-angle, two 10-megapixel telephoto, and 12-megapixel ultra-wide lenses. It also can record HD quality video at 120 frames per second (fps), 4K video at 60fps and even 8K at 24fps. Furthermore, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G also boasts a unique Director’s View designed to provide even greater control and result in professional-looking shots.
For that specific replication, I took a risk.
As the commercial was shot in a dark environment, there were chances that a lot of noise would degrade the video quality. But the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G’s camera surprised me, and it handled the low light situation very well. I was able to get 4k clips with very minimal noise, which enabled me to push them on my edits.
Also, the original commercial was made using 3D modelling software instead of being filmed. I wanted to see if I can get similar results shooting that using the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, and I got very close if you see the two videos side by side.
Concurrently, I used a lazy susan (a rotating platform) to emulate the original motion taking the voiceover from the original video. I had to make a lot of trial and error shots to get the final video, but seeing the output, I am excited to find out what Samsung brings next.