SimplyAbuDhabi V

143 S IMPLY ABU DHABI How long did the filming process take? It is a very laborious and time consuming process which may explain the lack of time-lapse studies around. To give you some idea of how long it takes, a six-hour time lapse session usually generates approximately ten seconds of real time footage. I spent over eight weeks on the principal photography, editing took around three weeks and then there was another week’s work dedicated to the composition of musical score. They are a joy to watch but a real challenge to produce. For me it has been a real labour of love, one that consumed me throughout the process. There are obviously many aspects to consider during the production process. Did you encounter any difficulties along the way? I didn’t anticpate how difficult time-lapse photography could be and had I realised beforehand what monumental efforts it would take, I may have backed away from the project. As it turns out, it was a good call to kick off the process with no pre-conceptions, as I ended up spending endless days and nights filming in dangerous conditions with lots of expensive equipment. With no notion of what I was undertaking, I simply got on with things. I’m so glad I did because I discovered something I truly love. What overriding impression did you want this study of Abu Dhabi to leave on viewers? People who have lived in the city have seen it portrayed in a completely new, almost futuristic light. Abu Dhabi is a success story, one which is impossible to summarize in four minutes 16 seconds, but if I have given my viewers food for thought, sparked their curiosity and even changed their outlook, then I have achieved my goal. Your film has caused a real commotion – all seemingly positive. Are you surprised by the reaction? I never dreamed it would be like this. The response has been overwhelming. Most Abu Dhabi residents seem to have watched the film and many have been surprised at how the city is portrayed, telling me they had no idea it looked like this. Many have even asked; ‘is it really Abu Dhabi?’ Some of the oldest residents almost didn’t believe it was the same city they’d lived in for such a long time. When time-lapse photography is orchestrated properly it is absolutely mesmerising and using the technique to simulate the rapid growth of Abu Dhabi seems to have captured the attention of the audience. This film challenges common perceptions of the city, and I think that’s been its biggest appeal. Since the film was first uploaded on Vimeo, it’s had hundreds of thousands of views and the majority of feedback has been extremely positive. Abu Dhabi 2011 has proved popular because Abu Dhabi is such a beautiful city. I hope I was able to bottle its magic for the world to experience it, capturing that innate beauty and charm. How has making the film changed your life? It’s quite remarkable how many things have changed for me in such a short span of time. The attention has been crazy. It says a lot about the power of social networking. The film made it on the Yahoo! and MSN’s home pages for a whole week! Several TV stations interviewed me, over a dozen newspapers and magazines featured my story and I’ve received many work offers from private and government institutions, then the BBC and Discovery Channel called! To me, that was the greatest reward of all. This film concentrates completely on the city. Do you have any plans for future projects to showcase what else the Emirate has to offer? Of course. This film was about the city, but I have plans to create more time-lapse films in the future. I have had many requests to make a film featuring Dubai and maybe, further down the line, I could look at the whole of the UAE. It would be great to have a complete contrast to this project by filming a time-lapse study of the sunrise and sunset in the desert. I will definitely use time-lapse photography again, but I’d like to combine it with other techniques such as motion control and ultra- slow motion. I don’t want to be known as a one- trick pony – a film maker who can’t do anything new so I never want to make the same film twice. It all sounds very exciting. Any other plans for the future? It has been a real whirlwind for me and I am astonished at the success of my project, particulary as I was indulging a passion. I am currently working with BBC Natural History and Discovery TLC as a featured guest and time-lapse photographer on their very ambitious TV productions, filmed around the GCC countries as well as in the the UAE. It is truly humbling to be approached by the best in the business whom I always looked up to. I need to challenge myself and look at new perspectives. The most important thing for me is that a story entertains, sparks interest and gets people talking. If it’s controversial or meaningful or visually overwhelmingly, I’ve achieved my aim. This has been a dream for me and I’m looking forward to a whole new chapter of my life. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Beno Saradzic for this fascinating insight into his life and incredible work and wish him all the best for his future projects.