Entertainment
Filmmaking not just about logic says Christopher Nolan
Mumbai, March 31 (IANS) Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan believes that the art of filmmaking is more about dreams and magic rather than just logic and pragmatism.
Nolan, who is regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers of the 21st century courtesy titles like “Batman Begins”, “Inception”, “Interstellar” and “Dunkirk”, is in India to draw attention to the importance of celluloid in the digital age.
“There are odds that one faces in the process of filmmaking… financing the film, shooting the film… odds are there in it. So, the question arises that why somebody would be interested to shoot a film in film camera which is more difficult to shoot? But filmmaking is not just about logic and pragmatism, it is about dreams, magic and experience,” said Nolan on Saturday.
The filmmaker came to Mumbai on Friday night along with his wife Emma Thomas and their child. to create awareness about celluloid films and talk on ‘Reframing The Future Of Film in India’. The session was attended by visual artiste Tacita Dean and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur,the founder of Film Heritage Foundation (FHF).
As the FHF is hosting the 70mm IMAX film screening of “Dunkirk” and 35 mm screening of “Interstellar”, Dungerpur said: “Within 10 minutes of the online booking starting, all the tickets were sold. That proves how people are still interested in experiencing celluloid (films).”
Dean opined: “Well, the idea is surely not about film versus digital, it is about film plus digital. We are living in an era where everything is about choice. So it is very strange that we are only focused on one. We should have the choice of making the film in both the mediums.”
Nolan and Dean also attended a roundtable discussion with stars of the Indian film industry including superstar Shah Rukh Khan and veteran actor Kamal Haasan among others.
Dungarpur said: “After the roundtable, a few cinematographers, namely ‘Padmaavat’ fame Sudeep Chatterjee and Santosh Shivan talked about shooting in films over digital, so, it seems the meeting turned out very fruitful. Shah Ruh (Khan) was also there and he shared his opinion and we all are hopeful about the future.”
Living in a digital era where filmmakers are showing interest in making virtual reality films, one of the draw back that celluloid films always get is, how shooting films is more expensive as compare to digital format.
To clear the misconception, Nolan said: “Well, yes, with the changing time, there is electronic and technology company who tried to change the industry in their own terms and that always remains the same in every media. In this case, the accusation is these films are more expensive; projectionists are left to screen these kinds of films and so on.”
“In last few years, we are trying to explain it to people extensively that look, it is a wonderful medium. we are working on the sideline. It is a battle, to preserve film for the future generation in the format that it has been shot,” said the five-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker.
–IANS
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Entertainment
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
International online casino Casino Days has published a report sharing their internal data on what types and brands of devices are used to play on the platform by users from the South Asian region.
Such aggregate data analyses allow the operator to optimise their website for the brands and models of devices people are actually using.
The insights gained through the research also help Casino Days tailor their services based on the better understanding of their clients and their needs.
Desktops and Tablets Lose the Battle vs Mobile
The primary data samples analysed by Casino Days reveal that mobile connections dominate the market in South Asia and are responsible for a whopping 96.6% of gaming sessions, while computers and tablets have negligible shares of 2.9% and 0.5% respectively.
The authors of the study point out that historically, playing online casino was exclusively done on computers, and attribute thе major shift to mobile that has unfolded over time to the wide spread of cheaper smartphones and mobile data plans in South Asia.
“Some of the reasons behind this massive difference in device type are affordability, technical advantages, as well as cheaper and more obtainable internet plans for mobiles than those for computers,” the researchers comment.
Xiaomi and Vivo Outperform Samsung, Apple Way Down in Rankings
Chinese brands Xiaomi and Vivo were used by 21.9% and 20.79% of Casino Days players from South Asia respectively, and together with the positioned in third place with a 18.1% share South Korean brand Samsung dominate the market among real money gamers in the region.
Cupertino, California-based Apple is way down in seventh with a user share of just 2.29%, overshadowed by Chinese brands Realme (11.43%), OPPO (11.23%), and OnePlus (4.07%).
Huawei is at the very bottom of the chart with a tiny share just below the single percent mark, trailing behind mobile devices by Motorola, Google, and Infinix.
The data on actual phone usage provided by Casino Days, even though limited to the gaming parts of the population of South Asia, paints a different picture from global statistics on smartphone shipments by vendors.
Apple and Samsung have been sharing the worldwide lead for over a decade, while current regional leader Xiaomi secured their third position globally just a couple of years ago.
Striking Android Dominance among South Asian Real Money Gaming Communities
The shifted market share patterns of the world’s top smartphone brands in South Asia observed by the Casino Days research paper reveal a striking dominance of Android devices at the expense of iOS-powered phones.
On the global level, Android enjoys a comfortable lead with a sizable 68.79% share which grows to nearly 79% when we look at the whole continent of Asia. The data on South Asian real money gaming communities suggests that Android’s dominance grows even higher and is north of the 90% mark.
Among the major factors behind these figures, the authors of the study point to the relative affordability of and greater availability of Android devices in the region, especially when manufactured locally in countries like India and Vietnam.
“And, with influencers and tech reviews putting emphasis on Android devices, the choice of mobile phone brand and OS becomes easy; Android has a much wider range of products and caters to the Asian online casino market in ways that Apple can’t due to technical limitations,” the researchers add.
The far better integration achieved by Google Pay compared to its counterpart Apple Pay has also played a crucial role in shaping the existing smartphone market trends.
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