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Shooting Stars: Interview with the India’s Greatest Living Cinematographer Rajiv Jain

Shooting Stars: Interview with the India’s Greatest Living Cinematographer Rajiv Jain

Technical aspect of filmmaking from Exposure to Set Operations and Formats

Rajeev Jain - ICS WICA

Indian Bollywood Director of Photography / Cinematographer / DOP

The Complete Interviews, Vol. II

 

UMA: Can you talk about your inspirations before you got into cinematography?

Rajeev Jain: Seeing colour television for the first time started my fascination with the technology of light and photography. These studies were enriched by meeting a remarkable DOP named KK Mahajan, Mr Mahajan introduced me to filmmakers like Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mani Kaul and Buddhadeb Dasgupta. And I soon realized what a phenomenal art form this marvelous technology could be. At about the same time, when I was 13, I was gate-crashing the set of Shatranj Ke Khilari in Lucknow, which Satyajit Ray was directing and Soumendu Roy, was shooting. Roy was lighting this enormous interior, shooting Arri IIC on what was probably ASA 125 color negative. He seemed to be everywhere at once, fine-tuning the frame with the operator, adjusting the positions of the background players, tweaking the light from at least a dozen babies. As he led a beautiful actress Shabana Azmi to her mark and subtly adjusted the shadow on her forehead, I thought to myself that this man has the very best job in the history of the world.

UMA: If you had to label one quality a DOP really needs to be successful in film, what would it be?

Rajeev Jain: I think, for lack of a better term, it would be a point of view. Everybody sees the world from their own perspective and this uniqueness is what the DOP brings to the film, respective of the story, of course. It's tough now because so much of the industry is driven by economics, which means you're a hero if you can throw up a few soft lights and knock off a whole bunch of shots. This goes against having an idea and feeling of what is absolutely right for that story you're telling. But, if you choose carefully and find the right director, your way of seeing will leave an impression.

UMA: Was there a key moment you can point to when you knew you would end up being a Director of Photography?

Rajeev Jain: Well, there was a moment alright, but it was pure chance. I had no plans to be a Director of Photography-none whatsoever.

UMA: Your work has always felt so pure to me, almost spiritual in a way. What is the most important quality a Director of Photography should bring to a film?

Rajeev Jain: The most important task of the Director of Photography is to create an atmosphere. To interpret the mood and feeling the director wants to convey. I mostly perform this task by using very little light and very little colour. There is a saying that a good script tells you what is being done and what is being said, but not what someone thinks or feels, and there is some truth in that. Images, not words, capture feelings in faces and atmospheres and I have realized that there is nothing that can ruin the atmosphere as easily as too much light. My striving for simplicity derives from my striving for the logical light, the true light.

UMA: If you had to pick a single quality a DOP needs to be successful, what would it be?

Rajeev Jain: Taste. Which really means the ability to know what scripts to work on, what feels right as far as composition, lighting, everything that goes on during a film. Taste is an instinct and it should guide you toward the projects that are going to provide a great experience. I've been lucky as far as the films I've had a chance to work on, but part of that is my ability to go with what feels right-to trust my taste and see where it's going to take me.

UMA: I'm wondering what director you never got to work with that you would have liked to, living or dead.

Rajeev Jain: I think, of those no longer around, it would be Satyajit Ray. His ability to tell a story visually was just incredible. And as far as those still around, it would have to be Adoor. These are directors who do not rely much on the spoken word-their talent is very pure in the visual sense, and that interests me the most.

UMA: 25 years have gone by since you were that little kid standing on the railroad tracks in Etawah. Can you point to one thing you've learned as a DOP that helped you travel down those tracks better than any other?

Rajeev Jain: Light. For everything we do as human beings we are affected and defined by light. A Director of Photography is a master of light. We need to think about light, to learn to see it in all its different moods and approaches. It is absolutely, the most important tool we have to work with as Director of Photography and, I think, as people, too. It was always the one thing I was so aware of when I was staring down those railroad tracks as a child and now years later. The light.

UMA: So, is that shot one of your all-time favourites?

Rajeev Jain: No, not really. The problem with singling out one shot is that it goes against what I believe movies should do. A film is a sum of its parts and one shot is only as strong as what has come before it. The Pather Panchali points that out really well. It's mostly done in these very straight-on medium shots. Towards the end of the film, after death of Durga, we see Apu brushing his teeth, combing his hair... going about performing tasks, which would have involved his sister or mother. Sarbajaya (mother) has a lost look... Harihar returns, unaware of Durga's death. In a jovial mood he calls out his children. Without any reaction, Sarbajaya fetches water and a towel for him. Harihar begins to show the gifts he has brought for them. When he shows a sari that he has bought for Durga, Sarbajaya breaks down. We hear the high notes of a musical instrument "Tarshahnai" symbolising her uncontrollable weeping. Realising Durga's loss, Harihar collapses on his wife. We see speechless Apu, for the first time taking the centre stage in the story. Till now the story was seen through the point of view of either Sarbajaya or Durga. It is only in these final moments that we see Apu as an independent individual. That frame, which is amazing, would not have meant nearly as much if the whole film hadn't been done in this eye-level, medium shot approach. To pick out a single shot in a movie is to deny that the shot is important because of the style already established.

UMA: Can you imagine a life without cinematography? A career path completely different from the one you took?

Rajeev Jain: Certainly not when I was younger I couldn't. But later in my career, after I had done Theatre and Still Photography, I discovered this desire to go study physics. I was in love with Einstein's concept of relativity-it was the greatest poetry I had ever read. The concept that any matter is contained in energy and energy in matter shows the power of intuition by one man. At the time I had a family to support and I realized my path was in cinematography, not physics. But the instinct was there, nevertheless.

UMA: Form and content working in harmony.

Rajeev Jain: Absolutely. Like light and darkness, what appears to be in conflict can sometimes lead to a seamless union and hold great power on the screen.

Tags: rajeev, rajiv, jain, cinematographer, director photography, bollywood, india, indian, mumbai, dop, kalpvriksh, videographer, kenya, kenyan, dubai

 

 

Rajiv Jain Cinematography: Theory and Practice

 

Rajeev Jain is a 2 time Award winning Director of Photography & has been nominated numerous times, most recent nomination for "Outstanding Achievement in Single Camera Photography" Spring 09.

Over the last 25 years, Rajeev has built his reputation working in both film & television. He is considered a pioneer in the world of High Definition Television, as one of the first DP’s to work in the new medium.

Rajeev’s close collaboration with Indo Studio (the first HDTV production company in the South Africa) during the nineties makes him one of the few DP’s that has worked with every generation of HD camera since its inception. The scope of his work includes Documentary, Commercial, Reality, Children’s Television, & Independent films.

Rajeev Jain has created a masterpiece. “Rajiv Jain Cinematography: Theory and Practice”: is his third interview with me and for the aspiring or experienced cinematographer – the best reference interview I have ever done.

Anyone that aspires to this highest art of storytelling should have this article on their shelf. He writes "At the heart of it, filmmaking is shooting, but cinematography is more than the mere act of photography. It is the process of taking ideas, words, actions, emotional subtext, tone and all other forms of non-verbal communication and rendering them in visual terms." Through both verbal metaphor and pictorial example he takes the keys to this art from their hiding place under the bed and hangs them right there on the peg on the kitchen wall. All you have to do is take them down and apply them.

Learning the language of visual art is more than just learning the difference between subjective and objective camera angles, or knowing what the director means when he says he wants “a choker.” When you have finished the first chapter you will have a good enough handle on the terms a director and cinematographer bandy about on the set to sound like a pro. By the time you get to the fifth chapter “Cinematic Continuity” you will have been exposed to enough graduate level theory and practice to start you on the road to mastery of the form. I especially enjoyed Rajeev’s explanation and examples of continuity. Music Videos and Bollywood songs has had such a profound effect on new filmmakers that many of us from the ‘OLD School’ have a tendency to wonder what’s going on sometimes. There is such a lack of “continuity” in so many of the montage sequences you see now days that it was refreshing to see so much time and space dedicated to such an important part of storytelling.

Glossary Terms

Cut (intercut, cross-cut) A cut marks the abrupt transition from the end of one shot to the beginning of the next shot. A shot is said to be intercut into another when the film returns to the first shot, as when we see a close shot of a character's face, then a flashback memory that the character is having is intercut into the facial shot, and when the flashback is over, the film returns to the facial shot. Cross-cutting occurs when the film cuts back and forth between, or among, parallel actions, as in a chase scene.

Deep focus cinematography Keeping the focus and clarity of the image constant from objects appearing close to the camera to those far into the rear of the frame, which enables the viewer to see more space within the shot, including the background details and actions.

Dissolve (match dissolve) A transition from one shot to the next in which the images overlap for a time, sometimes used to ease the visual abruptness of the transition (as from a darkly lit cave scene to a brightly lit snowfall scene) and at other times used to suggest an association between two images (as from a letter addressed to a character to a shot of that character reading the letter) A match dissolve is one in which graphic elements of the two images match, as with the close shot in Psycho of the murdered woman's eye and the shower drain.

Editing (montage and cutting) The ways in which several pieces of film are joined together. Montage is the French term for editing, or cutting, but also carries connotations of the creation of meaning through editing patterns. Hollywood Montage commonly refers to the rapid cutting together of multiple shots, often using many dissolves, to create the effect of the rapic chronicling of the passage of time, as from a character's youth to maturity.

Establishing (or master) shot An extreme long shot that shows (or establishes) the entire space in which the ensuing scene will take place. Many scenes begin with such shots to orient the viewer, Sometimes there are two establishing shots, one exterior and one interior.

Eyeline match The establishment often through cutting, of the direction of the character's gaze. At times a shot will show a character looking, and a second shot will show what the character is looking at. At other times the term is used to refer to the directionality of character's lines of vision within shots.

Flashback A jump in narrative time from the present into the past. Rather than proceeding chronologically through the story, flashbacks allow filmmakers to jump back and forth between past and present events.

Formalism A film theory that emphasizes the formal properties of cinema that shape the way movies are made. Formalists recognize, for
example, that organizing screen space is an artisitic activity that differs from our daily perception of real life. Major formal theorists include Sergei Einstein and Rudolph Arnheim.

Invisible style A norm of filmmaking in which style is not usually noticed, based on the assumption that narrative is always more important than style and should dominate it. Such devices are not crossing the 180 degree line and cutting on action, reaction, and dialogue contribute to this invisible style.

The 180 degree line An imaginary line drawn between the camera and the actors/action which the camera does not cross in order to prevent viewer disorientation and maintain an invisible style.

Realism A film theory which emphasizes the recording nature of cinema, as well as the connection between the camera and what is in front of it in real life. Major realists include Andre` Bazin and Siegfried Krucauer.

Scene A scene is a narrative unit determined by unity of time and space. The events in the scene occur in one place at a time, A later scene, for example may occur in the same place at a different time.

Shot (close shot or close-up, medium, long, two-shot, tracking, and dolly) A shot is an image in the film uninterrupted by cuts or other transitional devices. The terms close shot (or close-up), medium shot, and long shot indicate the distance of the camera from the central object being photographed With a person, a close shot generally shows the face and perhaps the shoulders; a medium shot shows the person from the waist up; a long shot will show the person's full body. A two-shot is one that features two characters equally. Tracking or dolly (or dollie) shots are ones in which the camera moves. It was traditionally mounted on a moving platform, or dolly, and would follow or "track" a moving object, such as a walking character or galloping horse. Tracking or dolly shots can also move through a set (like a hounted house) in which nothing is moving, giving a complex depth to the shot.

Shot/reverse shot editing A pattern of editing which shows, first one character and then a cut to a reverse shot that allows us a nearly opposite view, typically another character who is talking or interacting with the first. Many scenes simply go back and forth between such shots until all significant dialogue has been spoken and the action has occurred.

Stylistic norm The stylistic features of filmmaking at a particular time. Departures from the stylistic norm can be used to good effect by creative filmmakers because they come as a surprise.

 

 

Master of Light: Conversation with Contemporary Indian Bollywood Cinematographer – Rajeev Jain ICS WICA

EXCLUSIVE!  Rajeev Jain (Indian Kenyan Director of Photography)

 

Indian Kenyan Cinematographer Rajeev Jain talks about joining Heart Beat FM and explains the meaning of the "Heart Beat FM wide shot" in M-net’s exclusive interview.

Rajeev Jain is kind, genial, funny, intense (in a very good way) and incredibly smart. Oh, and did I happen to mention, that he is a world renowned director of photography. Though he is a lot like his good friend, Matthew Robinson, he is his own personality, an individual and, a darned nice guy. As I talk with him it becomes clear why these two men work together so often and so brilliantly. They are like two halves of a whole. As Rajeev said to me during our interview, “Sometimes Matthew and I think so much alike, it’s scary.” Now that I have interviewed them both, I can see what he is saying and, it’s a very good kind of scary.

So, what do you talk to a famous director of photography about? Well, we talked about a little bit of everything. We talked about the support site and his work.

Rajeev is at the Kalasha Film & Television Awards in Nairobi, Kenya where he will soon be attending the closing ceremonies and we are struggling mightily with a bad SKYPE connection. Our originally intended vocal interview quickly becomes one done by text type messaging to remedy the problem. And, Rajeev, with all he has ahead of him at the festival, doesn’t hesitate for a second to spend the extra time necessary to type instead of speak the interview. I’m most appreciative. I owe him a great debt for the generosity of his time and spirit for this interview. Oh yes, and a glass of Vodka.

Q: What made you agree to come on board?

A: It's actually a cute story. I had done THE LONG ROAD for three years and I left that show because I was living in Nairobi that time and I was tired of flying back and forth to Dubai and Mumbai. I was looking for something in Nairobi because I wanted to stay there. So when they called me up I said, "No thank you. I'm not interested." And my gaffer said, "Rajeev, reconsider that. Have them send you the script. I've seen the script. It's what you're looking for." So, I sat down and my gaffer and I read the entire script basically in one sitting and I turned to him and said, "You did a really bad thing here. I can't say no to this show now." He said He knew what He was doing. Even though He didn't want to live apart and it was really hard. [To his gaffer] Isn't that how it happened? He said yes. He's smiling.

Q: You were the DP for the whole season. What's it like to work with a director who has a different vision almost every week?

A: Since I shot every episode, I did not have a chance to prep with director. So he would come up with a concept and come on set and rehearse the scene. If it rang true to me and I felt it was the way to go, I'd say, "Great, that's a good idea." If he wanted something that felt tangential to the style of the show we were trying to maintain, then I might make a suggestion to try something else. If you're a smart director you listen to the people that are there all the time. I tuned in very quickly to what Matthew Robinson wanted. I would call Matthew Robinson and ask if he saw yesterday's dailies, and what he thought of them. And that would give me a better idea as to whether I was on the right track or not. And after about three or four episodes I got what he was looking for, not 100 percent of the time -- nobody can do that -- but a good 80 percent of the time.

Q: What would you consider the signature Heart Beat FM shot?

A: The wide shots people refer to as Heart Beat FM shots. Directors will say, "Let's do the Heart Beat FM wide shot," which in television is not something that you very often see. Matthew Robinson really likes holding things in wider shots and I happen to really like it also -- it puts your character into a place or a locale, which tells you something about the character. So I look at it as a storytelling device. The other kind of shot that's somewhat characteristic of the show is when there is something big in the foreground and then something further away in the background wide. We call it wide and closed. You might keep the focus on the money, let's say, in the foreground and our characters are in the background, either out of focus or much smaller.

Q: Do you ever get so caught up in the acting that you forget to pay attention to the technical side of things?

A: That's what I am supposed to be paying attention to. My job is not just to do lighting and set up shots but to make sure the lighting and the shots reflect the scene in the most effective way. If I'm moved by what I see, then I know we've done well. I have people that operate cameras and lighting people and rigging people. All those people keep an eye on the technical stuff for me, and I'm concerned with the storytelling. That's what interests me about the job: Efficient, effective storytelling.

Q: What is your favorite scene?

A: I can't tell you because it's later in the season. You’ll know it when you see it. It gets crazier as the storyline develops. Here's one thing: What Matthew Robinson and the writers do is drop a single line in an early episode and then not mention anything about it until nine episodes later, and then all of a sudden there's an episode all about that single line. It's intriguing to me to work on something that is so well planned out and circular in terms of its storytelling. I think it's just brilliant.

 

 

The Shape of Light – Rajeev Jain Paints with His Camera

 

Rajeev Jain (Born: 1968, Lucknow) started working as a director of photography in 1993, after serving an apprenticeship as camera assistant and camera operator. Since then Rajeev has worked as director of photography with some of India’s most esteemed directors, in some cases establishing a close and intimate association. We met up with Rajeev Jain in India, on the occasion of a five day seminar organized by the Delhi Film Club on The Shape of Light, an event which saw the participation of hundreds of students, filmmakers from across India.

How has cinematography changed in the last fifteen years?

I went to the Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts (Bhartendu Natya Academy) in Lucknow during the period of the new wave. We were witnessing a cinematographic quality which had ‘unchained’ itself in many senses in films from the period until the end of the 1980’s. Even the montage was much more liberated, and Cinematographer/ Directors, with Gautam Ghose at the forefront, were searching for greater liberty. Even when it came to shooting, using hand-held cameras, using natural lighting, or lighting in a way which seemed natural, such as through open windows, etc. In other words an absolute freedom whether with camera movement or lighting.

And in our country?

In India there was still a more classical style of photography, and I am making reference such as Subroto Mitra, Sudhendu Roy, who worked with Satyajit Ray up until Agantuk (1991). Meanwhile other new cinematographers with different ideas were also emerging, like Ashok Mehta (36 Chowrangi Lane), especially with black and white. But this black and white image with its own proper aesthetic beauty had a characteristic quality of merging lighting to atmosphere or ambience. Hence from this point on maybe cinematography acquired a more important significance, a complete symbiosis with the film and the narrative.

Can the meeting between director and director of photography influence the career of one or the other?

During the seminar a meeting of a good director of photography and a great poet. With the cinema of Ray, on the other hand, there was without a doubt a decisive turn with the arrival of Pather Panchali (1955) onward.

Which filmmakers have made a particular impression on you?

The rapport with Shyam Benegal on Tota Maina (TV Series) certainly was for me an event which I remember with great emotion until this day. I meet people who confide with me that they decided to become a director of photographer after seeing that serial, or directors who decided to enter cinema thanks to Tota Maina. For example, one day there was a kenyan boy who happened to be at my house that decided to come to India to make Tv seial after seeing Tota Maina. So it has been an important film for many people, and much more for me because I was lucky to work with Shyam babu.

How did you meet?

It was quite by accident. He was looking for a director of photography who was also mentally prepared for this adventure, and through various sources my name came up. A friend of mine who worked as assistant director introduced me to Shyam babu. I remember when he called to tell me that Shyam Benegal wanted to meet me. We met at his office for tea, and at the end of this encounter he takes out a script and offers it to me. I can feel the emotion of that moment right now.

Can you tell us about the TV Series’s ‘dynamic photography’?

Shyam babu used to tell me that TV uses time like a narrative element, while the photography normally remains constant for the duration of a sequence. It is precisely time that the ‘dynamic photography’ exploits to render a different consistency to the film. An example is the atmospheric conditions within nature: if during a cloudy day the sun comes out at a certain moment this will modify the condition of the light. In an interior space if someone enters a dark room and turns on the light this will change the condition of the light. However, this is all tied to precise actions. This discourse is amplified in Tota Maina, where in addition to variations in natural light were added variations which correspond to emotional motivation rather than any sense of logic.

During some scenes you also used different shutter speeds, sometimes barely noticeable.

During the filming Shyam Babu would ask for certain precise frames a slight increase in shutter speed, hardly noticeable, and therefore far from the slow motion effect we have been accustomed to seeing in many TV Series. This was solely to have greater suspension, therefore always in the service of a certain atmosphere in the serial. Technically this variation in speed consisted of a slight adjustment of the diaphragm. Shyam babu was very precise and exacting with his choice of photography, and not only myself but the whole troupe was so impressed by his personality that we complied voluntarily with his every request.

In the course of this seminar you have lamented the fact that it always gets more difficult to shoot a film in India with careful attention to the cinematography. For what reason?

Principally because there is a lack of respect for the profession in India. In the few films I have shot with foreign crews and production I actually discovered a greater professional respect. Then certainly there is the lack of preparation, because if films are not well prepared you will end up improvising on the set. Another reason is the understanding of shooting schedules, because if you shoot a film in ten weeks or in five weeks the result will be clearly different. With the advent of digital editing there is also the tendency to pass the complete negative through the telecine and then in AVID, without printing the so called ‘dailies’ which I think are very important for controlling possible technical problems. This happened with a film shot abroad, where an entire scene had to be reshot after only discovering an exposure problem during the montage.

Strictly technically speaking, why is it that Indian films are no longer made with the same care as they once were?

Maybe what is missing is an actual love of cinema. The problem is that there are no longer understanding producers who invest in projects they care about. We no longer have the person who loves the film so much that they want it made as fine as it possibly can. The operative now is to make the film only with the budget in mind, sometimes regardless of whether the film is good or not.

           

 

Making of Ras Star – Indian Kenyan Cinematographer Rajeev Jain

 

RAS STAR IS CURRENTLY FEATURING AT THE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN FILM FESTIVAL.

Raj next job was on a short film, Rasstar, based on the life of Kenyan rapper Nazizi, which was aired on M-Net.

Synopsis: A teenage rapper, Amani, from a staunch Muslim family teams up with her brother Abdosh, an emerging con artist to figure out a way to make money and get her into the talent show finals. As the story unfolds, Amani and her brother get caught up with a local gangster and a stolen phone incident and use her brother's glib tongue to get them out. Through absolute blind luck they manage to find the money they need only to come to blows with their Uncle Shaka, the family patriarch and Mlandimu, the local gangster who finally saves them.

Rajeev Jain, a well-versed Bollywood Cinematographer and Director of Photography, discusses his new Award-winning film, Ras Star, and the unique camera approach he used specifically for this film about one young woman’s quest for life. With a background as director of photography for features such as Army, Badhaai Ho Badhaai, Carry On Pandu, Kadachit, Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree, Mirabai Not out and Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, Rajeev has had more than enough experience behind the lens to make the leap to cinema. He also has cinematography credits for the Award winning Kenyan TV Series Heartbeat FM.

Where are you from and how did you become a cinematographer?

[Raj] I am from Lucknow in the North West of India. My first degree is in Science and it took a while to find my way into a more artistic world. After several meanders I ended up at the Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts (Bhartendu Natya Academy) studying drama. I managed to direct a few short plays and did camera for many more. Since then I have enjoyed both documentary and drama camerawork with each informing and advancing the other.

How did you approach the cinematography of Rasstar?

[Raj] Through discussions with Wanuri, finding films we both liked visually. We wanted to find separate looks for each story and a different look for the present day. We found a visual 'theory' for each section ( for example a deep red and black colour scheme for Amani story, long lenses for Abdosh story and very wide lenses for Mlandimu). The looks had to be able to implement quickly (then aided in the grading) because of the very tight schedule. We then applied the visual theory to a shot list (which we often had to do this the night before due to locations changing or not being found yet)

What was it like working with HD for the first time?

[Raj] With a 35mm camera you are looking directly through a beautiful lens and seeing the scene in colour and can trust your eyes as part of the photographic process. With an HD camera you are looking at a tiny black and white image through the viewfinder so you need a large (ideally 24") HD monitor to properly judge what you are filming. This is huge and totally impractical with such a small crew and  low budget so we managed with a 14" monitor a fair amount of the time but up a mountain or on a remote beach only a small battery monitor is possible. This was very frustrating and led to some things that could have been better.

HD is horrible looking if any area is overexposed. This proved most problematic in outdoor which we chose to shoot on very wide lenses meaning there was a lot of sky in the shot. Unfortunately the skies were particularly flat and overcast but relatively bright white.

The biggest advantage to HD was being able to travel a lot lighter with a couple of zooms up the town for instance and being able to film 2 hours worth of material with no worries ( which would have been roughly 12 huge cans of 1000 feet of film to carry and load). It also meant Wanuri and I could go off at weekends and film city shots and pickups very easily.

Does storytelling matter?
 
[Raj] Storytelling is a huge part of life from an early age. It’s a way of finding meaning in the world.  For a child it’s a way of understanding the world through metaphor – not that a child thinks of it in that way.

If the world blew up and the few stragglers met up it wouldn’t be long before they gathered around a fire and someone started telling tales to make sense of things. Stories entertain, provide an escape or catharsis, stimulate thought and debate and make you laugh.

What was the best thing about making Rasstar?

[Raj] The best thing was being up in such a beautiful part of the world working on a script that used the Kenyan slum as part of the story.

What was the worst thing?

[Raj] The first day of the action sequence in market. The crowd took so long to get onto the location that we on the camera crew were reduced to making beards out of moss and a feature length documentary on clouds (some very fine clouds though).

Can you tell us a couple of interesting/little known/behind the scenes things about the making of Rasstar?

[Raj] Wanuri is certainly one of the hardest working directors I’ve worked with but I think I found her limit one Saturday night. We were filming in pub (climax performance) and pick-up shots and had a choice to go to the local pub where some of the crew were tucking into lamb shank and downing some fine beer or head off. The light looked too tempting though so we headed off towards and thank goodness we did because the light over was astonishing.  Deep red light was bouncing off them making them glow against the black background. There were so many midges we had to set the camera running and run around to draw them away from clustering around the camera. We shot for ages and the light was low but still great approaching.  I tried to get one last shot with long DJ console in the foreground when Wanuri suggested we had enough and should go, words I never thought she’d say! (The shot was a nice one and made the final film).

Have you worked on anything since Rasstar?

[Raj] Since Rasstar I’ve filmed the film Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree. It was a great experience to film in such a remote and interesting place. Mahableshwar I've filmed a half hour comedy for Channel : 'The Smallest Man in Town' and I’ve also filmed and edited a half hour documentary in Dubai about a cleaning lady who works in  Dubai. I have recently been Dop on a low budget feature “Carry on Pandu”.

 

 

My Cinematography Style | by Rajeev Jain | Indian Bollywood Cinematographer

 

FIRST OUTLINE:

For some time, I've been meaning to put in writing my views on cinematography and my aesthetic style and now, here it is.  This doesn't mean I follow them dogmatically - it's simply what works for me in broad strokes.  As an Indian cinematographer, I should be able to give the director or production whatever look I'm asked.  But within the visual and aesthetic constraints of any production - or the occasional lack thereof - an element of me is always there. Rules were meant to be broken - but only when you have a full understanding of the rules.  While I can't claim to know all of them, I'm learning with each production.  Here are some of my thoughts...

The aesthetic of a project needs to be established early to the audience.  It's distracting to introduce a new aesthetic or editorial style too late in a story without a proper justification or motivation.

Another area that gets too little attention is on atmospheric shots - those shots that fill the space between scenes.  It gives the audience some time to breathe and to think and can be a moment for the music to affect the audience.

I find graduated filters too fake and unnatural.  It doesn't focus our attention and instead, usually calls attention to itself. I don't think I've ever used them and have yet to be criticized for my decision. 

Most directors cut too soon both on set and in editorial.  On set, wait to say, "Cut".  Sometimes an actor can give a gem of a moment at the end of a scene if you wait.  It's worth it and I'm surprised how often a director will use that moment in the final cut.  It's nice to hold on an actor at the end of certain scenes to allow the audience to take in the moment and reflect. 

People change and so do their views.  So I'm sure my views are likely to change, too.  Till then ...

 

 

Cooked Art: Cinematography ... by Pocket – Sized Indian Cinematographer Rajeev Jain

 

I love films that are made like artwork; each scene is masterfully photographed for brilliant composition to create lines of action, symmetrical balance, with a fine use of space, texture, colour, and perspective. Here are two movies which I recently saw again, and depict wonderful visual language.

So what the hell is a cinematographer? If you want to get into semantics, it means 'writing in the movement.' But their job, mainly, is to have control over the camera and lighting crews in a scene, and therefore have a lot of creative input into the final image. Though if you consider the fact that the art director is responsible for the mise en scene, the storyboard artist plans out the shots and what is actually happening, and the director is going to want to have a piece of the action, then it's no small wonder how films end up looking great. Here are some of the guys that managed to do this (in my little opinion)

What qualification did you study at Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts and when did you finish?

I went straight from high school to Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts and did a 2 year Diploma in Dramatic Arts, majoring in Lighting and graduating in 1985. The courses are run differently now.  It is run more like a film school than an art school, which I think is excellent! It allows students to make earlier decisions on their chosen field within film & television, be it a cinematographer, director, producer, editor etc. It also better prepares the students for working in the industry.  It is teaching so much more than just how to make films.

What did you think of the facilities you recently saw at Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts (Bhartendu Natya Academy)?

The facilities at Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts are fantastic; I would say world class even.  The main production studio is very well equipped.  The post production facilities such as the edit suites and sound mixing rooms are just like what is being used in much of the Indian film and television industry.

I am also particularly impressed with the production value of the recent student films at Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts. I think the standard of work is quite high.

I think it is fantastic that the students get to shoot projects Film is the international industry-standard format for feature films, as well most overseas television drama. It is rare for students to get the opportunity to work with film now that the digital formats are becoming more and more prevalent.  If you are able to shoot and work with film, then you will be able to work in any format that you come across out there.  It doesn’t work the other way around.

What I mean by this is that the principals of filmmaking are the same whichever format you shoot in.  However, shooting film requires a different approach, both technically and creatively.  These principles can be applied to shooting digital, but shooting film requires a greater understanding of lighting and exposure.

The digital equipment at Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts is of a standard and quality that will enable the graduates to go out into the industry and understand pretty much the workings of any other piece of equipment they will come across. There is no reason why the quality of the student projects can’t match the high quality of professional projects because the equipment they are using is the same.

I am also particularly impressed with the production value of the recent student films at Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts. I think that the standard of work is quite high.

What was the first break or job that was key to setting you on your way in your career?

I have had a number of breaks I guess and many of them lead onto one another. A series of fortunate events you might say, but if I was to think of one particular big break it was one night when I had just finished editing my new cinematography show reel. (A show reel is like a portfolio of work, a cut down of my best cinematography edited to music.)

Just as I had finished, an email came through to me that was forwarded by someone that I barely knew. The email said that a Kenyan production company was looking for an Indian cinematographer to shoot part of an international film that was to screen at the World Expo in Nairobi, Kenya and they wanted to see show reels.

I went to the post office the next morning and sent mine off express mail. I received phone call only days later confirming that I had the job.  I was flown to Nairobi and I worked with a full professional crew on what was my first major job.

The people I met on that project liked my work so much that I got a call a month later and they flew me to Darussalam to shoot some commercials. I eventually returned to India with a new and improved show reel.  Having international work on the reel raised my profile further and got me bigger and better jobs and an agent and I was away…

A case of the right timing I guess!

What qualities do you think are needed in order to make a career in the creative industries?

The quality that I admire in successful creative professionals is the ability to take pride in one’s own work.  Whatever your creative pursuit, I think that if you are doing work that you really enjoy and that you take great pride in, then you is lucky enough to have one of the best jobs in the world.

I also think that challenging oneself by working outside of your comfort zone is important and realising that to succeed you have to be consistent, positive and work really hard.

Whichever creative field you are in, it is going to be a hard slog to get your career underway. With creative careers you are judged on your body of work and your track record. The first thing one need to do is create a portfolio, or in my case a show reel, and then prepare yourself for criticism and knock backs, never giving up and use those knock backs as incentive to work harder and set your standards higher.

I also think it is important to do ‘passion projects’ that allow you to experiment with ideas or further your experience. By passion projects, I mean ones that you do for the love of it and not the pay. I shot a lot of ‘freebies’ to get my show reel up to scratch and to get experience before I started getting paid for my art.

Also it’s important to work on your network of contacts.  You never know when that person you might consider as a rival might actually be the one to pass some work your way or introduce you to new collaborators. The film industry is too small to make enemies.  We should be like a support network and learn from each other in order to continually make better projects.

For you, what are the 'must see' benchmark films in terms of either outstanding or pioneering cinematography?

Well for starters the cinematography on the recent Indian feature films Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree – Yours Dreams Are Just a Touch Away and the soon to be released Carry on Pandu are quite outstanding. Ha!

No, seriously, some of my favourite and most influential films in terms of cinematography are not the ones with the big crane shots or the world’s longest steadicam shot, but the ones that create a real mood and atmosphere.  Films that convey emotion to an audience and help to communicate the subtext of a story by saying more about the characters than dialogue alone ever could.

I think the most influential films for me would be anything directed by Satyajit Ray (Aparajito (The Unvanquished), Parash Pathar (The Philosopher's Stone), Jalsaghar (The Music Room) for his use of mood, atmosphere and cinematic techniques of storytelling.

Also, classics such as Pather Panchali (Song of the Road). It took me a while to realise why it is considered the best film ever made. The use of deep focus in this film is not just a technical achievement, but also a storytelling one.

I also really liked Shakha Proshakha (Branches of a Tree), Agantuk. They are both quite rough and hand held at times, but very beautiful and you really felt like you were ‘inside’ the movie.

That is what I was trying to create on the most recent film that I shot, Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree.

I want the audience to feel like they were there in Kalpvriksh, with the characters, to feel it, smell it and taste it.

 

 

Key lights: Defining moments in cinematography since the Kalpvriksh – The Wish Tree

 

An interview with Rajeev Jain, Indian Cinematographer and owner of Rajeev Jain Films, Cinematography and Grips – Dubai - Mumbai - Nairobi.

Q: What is your job title? Where are you employed?

A: Director’s director of photography, director of photography. I have my own company, Rajeev Jain Films, Cinematography and Grips, and I’ve been doing it for about twenty-five years.

Q: How long have you been a cinematographer?

A: I’ve been doing it for several years, but I started my own company.

Q: What type of training did you have to become a cinematographer?

A: I went to the Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts.  I had a two-year diploma degree in theatre arts. That put me into a position to see how the industry has changed a lot. Coming out of college, kids should just start their own company.  First, they should decide what they want to do in the industry and then go for it. The sky’s the limit depending on the career path you choose.

Q: What do you like best about your job?

A: Working for myself. Having the freedom to make your own decisions, to make your own path about what you want to do. But you can go for a month without working if you’re on your own, so definitely put yourself on a business path as well as a creative path. Take businesses classes, not just liberal arts. The film industry is a business, just like the music industry. You have to be a self-starter.

Q: Describe your typical day on the job.

A: Which job? Normally when I’m not working, I’m in my office doing paperwork. From your office, you might have to go somewhere on location and that can be anywhere from two days to thirty days. A lot of our stuff is remote locations. Every job is unique. As soon as you think it’s typical, it changes.

Q: What career were you in before becoming a cinematographer?  Do you feel that it helped prepare you for becoming a massage therapist?

A: I was doing theatre, photo journalism, working at a local channel and making a decent earning. I found myself incorporating paramount to my words, and when I started taking pictures and filming, I realized this was what I’m most passionate about. But when you have a creative bone in your body, like writing, it’s easier to expand into other aspects of a different creative trade.

Q: What traits do you feel are necessary to be successful as a cinematographer?

A: Everybody takes different paths to be successful. But you have to keep up-to-date. Editing and graphics has changed so much. The whole dynamics has completely changed. You have to be totally flexible and stay with the current trend.

Q: Would you say it’s imperative to have a college education for a career such as this one?

A: I don’t think it’s imperative, but what I got out of college is I networked a lot. I don’t think it’s a hundred percent necessary. But, of course, you should have a good school to teach you what you need. When you’re in college, you need to start working on building a portfolio and college can help with that. If two people went for the same job and they both had impeccable portfolios, but one also carried a four-year degree, you can bet that person’s going to land the job. To be in the industry full-time, not just freelance, means it’s important to get that degree.

Q: Would you recommend this career to someone else?

A: Yeah. I can’t think of anything better to do. I see things that people don’t see. Is it for everybody? I don’t think so. You have to have thick skin. You have to work for months on end. Don’t set your expectations too high. Be realistic. My first recommendation would be to go to college and get that full-time job. Get a feel for what the industry is all about. It’s hard to just have a good portfolio, unless you’re an amazing cinematographer. Doing it without college is extremely hard to do.

Q: What is your next career move, if any?

A: Retire and go village. No, but seriously, I’m going to do more projects. I want complete control of my future projects.

 

 

Kalpvriksh - The Wish Tree - Yours Dreams Are Just a Touch Away – Rajeev Jain Cinematographer

 

Two-time Winner Indian Cinematographer Rajeev Jain ICS WICA Creates Special World of Light, Shadows in his recent film Kalpvriksh the Wish Tree Yours Dreams Are Just a Touch Away

Rajeev Jain has a way of seeing that takes an image to its outer limits. In his years as assistant, electrician, grip, and in the past 16 years as director of photography, he has developed a visual sensitivity and expertise.

Rajeev takes his inspiration from directors such as Satyajit Ray (Pather Panchali) and cinematographers Ashok Mehta, ISC (36 Chowrangi Lane) and Binod Pradhan (Parinda) for their use of colour and lights and shadow to amplify the emotional content of stories. I find the ability to allow the characters to operate in shadow is a real art, he says. Ashok Mehta allows his characters to function in darkness. He lights everything so the blacks are really rich - yet you can see everything.

His work in Kalpvriksh, a film by director Manika Sharma exudes a period quality with an edge. Rajeev was especially intrigued by the non-narrative, fragmented script, because it offered a myriad of visual possibilities. Shooting primarily on Kodak to give contrast to the exterior scenes, Rajeev experimented with warm and blue filters to get the look he wanted. The result is a stark, almost surreal journey into the minds and actions of the film's bizarre characters.

Up-front collaboration on any film is essential, Rajeev emphasizes.

It's important for me to go through the script scene by scene with the director Manika Sharma, Rajeev says, to try to see what is in her mind. I want to know what the scene is saying, who the most important character is at that moment, and how the characters move through the scene. We also share photographs and movies, which gives us a visual base to work from.

A graduate of Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts in Drama and a beginning still photography, Rajeev took a course in filmmaking. Intrigued by the film medium, he saw the possibilities of combining his interests with film in commercials. Searching for a way to learn camerawork, he offered his assistance (unpaid) to director of photography Subroto Mitra to learn the craft.

He taught me about his SR package, what the lenses were, and how to load magazines, he said. Then he started me by working on Shyam Benegal’s documentary on Nehru.

In 1996, Rajeev got the first opportunity to shoot a film, Army, with Mukul Anand. After eight weeks of stressful shooting - his every move was watched.

After 6 more features, then came Kalpvriksh in 2007, allowed Rajeev to explore a new visual technique to add nuance to the story. The film includes a dreamlike journey that Rajeev wanted to give a dreamlike quality. We tested filters and a bleach bypass process to give that section of the film its own special look," he says. "Instead we decided to use a swing tilt, a view camera attachment that allows the operator to change the plane of focus. It let us throw different parts of the frame out of focus, which is difficult to do in a wide shot because of increased depth of field.

Rajeev is currently finishing production on Carry on Pandu, a feature being shot in Mumbai, as well as doing Commercials.

 

 

Full of Surprises! Rajeev Jain, Indian Cinematographer / DOP, Talks About... KALPVRIKSH (THE WISHING TREE): YOUR DREAMS... ARE JUST A TOUCH AWAY...

 

Like any artist, Rajeev was born with innate talent burnished by experience and cultural influences. Born in 1968, his first introduction to movie magic came while observing his uncle as a projectionist at Ravindralaya Theatre, Lucknow. “I remember sitting in that little projection room and watching films with my uncle,” the Indian cinematographer recalls. “It was like watching silent movies because you couldn’t hear sound in the booth. I just saw the images and would try to understand the story. My uncle would show us Charlie Chaplin movies, which, of course, were silent. There is no doubt that he put his dream of becoming a cinematographer into my heart.”  Originally from India, cinematographer Rajeev Jain ICS WICA studied at the Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts in Lucknow, India.

The day after completing his studies, Rajeev went to work as a trainee on an anamorphic picture. He contributed to ten more movies as assistant director of photography before becoming a DOP. “From that moment on I considered the camera to be like a pen that you use to draw images,” he states. “Operating a camera is mainly about composition and rhythm. I also operated the camera for Bollywood songs. It was very primitive. While we were shooting, someone with a watch was timing every pan and zoom. He would say, ‘You have 5 1/2 seconds to do that zoom.’ It was a great lesson for me, learning to make each element of a shot work in that amount of time.”

I thought it was fascinating that film speaks a common language that everyone in the world can understand," he recalls. "That's especially true for cinematographers, because we are communicating with the audience non-verbally." “To me, making a film is like resolving conflicts between light and dark, cold and warmth, blue and orange or other contrasting colours. There should be a sense of energy, or change of movement. A sense that time is going on — light becomes night, which reverts to morning. Life becomes death. Making a film is like documenting a journey and using light in the style that best suits that particular picture… the concept behind it.

The first important decision regarding the visuals was to shoot in anamorphic (2.4:1) format, as they had done on Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree. Rajeev explains that Manika likes to manipulate the subjective and objective viewpoints, sometimes in the same frame or even at the same time. In a simple example, a shot will begin on a subject, and then an actor will step into the frame, creating an over-the-shoulder shot, changing it from subjective––in which the viewer sees what the character sees––to objective. "One of my first suggestions was shooting Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree in Super 35 format," Rajeev continues. "I felt that would give the film an edge that you don't expect to see in Drama. I felt we could use the wider frame to create a claustrophobic feeling in the Shabana’s cave and more interesting composition showing Shabana in the world." She, director Manika Sharma, designer Mansi and other members of the creative team discussed the possibilities for composing Kalpvriksh – the Wishing Tree in widescreen format, while drawing upon such visual references as another drama with an improbable theme. Though Manika storyboarded scenes, Rajeev utilized the sketches primarily as a communications tool. While shooting, the director remained open to veering from the storyboards to take advantage of unexpected opportunities. “Our production designer Mansi and costume designer gave us rich sets and costumes. Even though pushing two stops in the development sometimes is not as faithful to colours, their collaboration with this technique allowed us (especially in the dinner / fantasy sequences) to have a warm and yellow-looking scene, as if all that was lit was candle light,” he says.

In one dramatically lit scene, the school principal (Mahabano Kotwal) is sitting on the chair, looking out a window at the falling rain. “The whole scene was lit with one hard day light, an ARRI  6K,” says Rajeev. “We brought one light through the window. In order to light the door, we used a 4 by 4 mirror just out of frame to the right. The light is modulated by the rain on the window, and it stretched over to the book. We were ‘gathering chestnuts.’ It was serendipitous, and it all worked out with one light.” “For fill light on this movie, we used either very, very little or absolutely none,” he adds. “I find that with the film stocks we were using, if you’re overexposing a little bit, you can read the shadow detail incredibly well. When I saw the picture at Theatre on the 70-foot-wide screen, on the dark side, which is dead black, you can actually see hairs going into actors’ heads. I found it very interesting. I hope it works on a subconscious level for the audience.” Even though Rajeev knew that he could not shoot wide open at a T2 or a T2.8––because the Super 35 format chosen has a shallower depth––he still wanted this tool to give the story a greater stage presence. The bigger negative allowed him to push the envelope. And, he knew the grain would still be acceptable, if he stayed within the T2.8 to T4 ranges on interiors. “We could still use real sources and it wouldn’t be hard for our camera crew to follow focus,” he says confidently.

Like many of his colleagues, cinematographer Rajeev Jain has many concerns about changes that can be introduced to imagery during the post process of our electronic age. Such considerations only become intensified when one is dealing with a profusion of visual effects, which was the case with Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree. "I tried to make a concerted effort to stay as involved in postproduction as possible - which is sometimes tough because it's 'off to the next job' - to work with the digital effects and optical house to ensure that there wouldn't be any problems with the answer printing process. “You don’t see any lights in the master shot,” he says. “The master shot that we started out with was an impossible shot to light. We were jammed back in the corner with a 35 mm lens and there was a two-way mirror in the background. So we used a technique Rajeev Jain called a ‘driller.’ Simply put, you’re normally shooting horizontally across a room, and there are horizontal surfaces, like the tops of mantels and tables. If you come from directly overhead with a light and drill it down onto that surface, it works quite well. It doesn’t seem wrong. If light comes from a place that’s not normal or usual, people seem to accept the element that’s being illuminated without really figuring out what’s going on in terms of a source. Shadows go straight down, so they don’t end up looking strange or calling attention to the source. You see it on the table and then it comes off the table and lights the faces to a degree. It’s interesting because you’re not lighting the people at all. You’re lighting the environment that they’re in.

Anamorphic gives you the space in the frame to do that,” Rajeev says. “Manika has no problem filling an anamorphic frame in a contemporary picture. The story also has an elegiac aspect, so it seemed better to tell it without rock video cutting and frenetic camera movement. With the amazing cast, we knew this film would be about the performances. All those ideas––as well as ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’––factored into our decision to shoot anamorphic.” To determine a visually appropriate approach for the various moods needed in Kalpvriksh – The Wishing Tree, Manika and Rajeev chose to forego in large part the usual business of viewing other films during prep. "We used a lot of book work, referring to other kinds of artists working in two-dimensional forms, still photography and drawings mainly," Rajeev relates. "This was a nice and different way to prep. Looking at movies to see how a particular sequence worked is great, but this approach started me on this incredible round of self-education, covering still photography from 1890 up 'til now. Now I can't stop myself from buying the books. It is amazing how much visual reference source material is out there when you go back to basics. These were great jumping-off points for us.

The cinematographer also had to avoid telltale reflections of camera gear and personnel on the water surface. Along with a disciplined crew, that required careful light placement and camera angle selection. He discovered that putting the plastic at the right distance from the lens for tighter shots from Shawn's point-of-view rendered slightly distorted images with a hint of grain, which amplified the look that he and director Manika desired. Rajeev also occasionally added reflections of characters and objects on the water's surface to draw attention to the barrier separating the boy from other people. Sometimes the camera takes a subjective, spectator-like stance while other times the audience seems to share Shawn's life-in-the-bubble experience. "There was no simple formula for deciding when to put the audience inside the bubble with Shawn. It was a question I asked the director for each shot in every scene. Are we with Shawn inside the bubble, or are we outside looking in?"

I didn’t believe this and obviously neither did neither director Manika Sharma nor producing company Rhombus Films. Another picture shot in an old house in Bollywood required us to actually operate two generators to power all of the lights. By the time we were done, however, I was able to shoot two-thirds of a long sequence by dollying along with the reflections seen in a long fishpond at night (Shabana’s cave). “I think it’s a visual reflection of the fact that one’s position in life can change almost instantaneously,” he says. “It’s extremely effective visually. It seems to work on a number of different levels. Using this different approach seems to freshen up all your overs and reverses. There’s a very interesting scene between Shabana and kid that was staged on an under the tree, and there’s a sense of

About the Author

IT'S ALL ABOUT CHARACTER AND STORY. Uma Therman, I am a highly experienced film journalist, with total dedication to the craft, huge enthusiasm for telling stories and world-class technical expertise.

How to Build a Social Security Disability Case

If the evidence provided by the claimant’s own medical sources is inadequate to determine if he or she is disabled, additional medical information may be sought by re-contacting the treating source for additional information or clarification, or by arranging for a CE.  The treating source is the preferred source of purchased examinations when the treating source is qualified, equipped and willing to perform the additional examination or tests for the fee schedule payment and generally furnishes complete and timely reports. Even if only a supplemental test is required, the treating source is ordinarily the preferred source for this service. SSA’s rules provide for using an independent source (other than the treating source) for a CE or diagnostic study if: The treating source prefers not to perform the examination; there are conflicts or inconsistencies in the file that cannot be resolved by going back to the treating source; the claimant prefers another source and has a good reason for doing so; or prior experience indicates that the treating source may not be a productive source. The type of examination and/or test (s) purchased depends upon the specific additional evidence needed for adjudication. If an ancillary test (e.g., X-ray, PFS or EKG) will furnish the additional evidence needed for adjudication, the DDS will not request or authorize a more comprehensive examination. If the examination indicates that additional testing may be warranted, the provider must contact the DDS for approval before performing such testing.

Fees for CEs are set by each State and may vary from State to State. Each State agency is responsible for comprehensive oversight management of its CE program.

Selection of a Consultative Examination Source

The DDS purchases consultative examinations only from qualified medical sources. The medical source may be the individual’s own physician or psychologist, or another source. In the case of a child, the medical source may be a pediatrician.

By “qualified,” we mean that the medical source must be currently licensed in the State and have the training and experience to perform the type of examination or test we request. Also, the medical source must not be barred from participation in our programs. The medical source must also have the equipment required to provide an adequate assessment and record of the existence and level of severity of the individual’s alleged impairments.

Medical professionals who perform CEs must have a good understanding of SSA’s disability programs and their evidence requirements. The physician or psychologist chosen may use support staff to help perform the consultative examination. Any such support staff (e.g., X-ray technician, nurse, etc.) must meet appropriate licensing or certification requirements of the State.

Generally, sources are selected based on appointment availability, distance from a claimant’s home and ability to perform specific examinations and tests.

Consultative Examination Report Content

The examination report should include the claimant’s claim number and a physical description of the claimant, to help ensure that the person being examined is the claimant.

The detail and format for reporting the results of the medical history, physical examination, laboratory findings, and discussion of conclusions should follow the standard reporting principles for a complete medical examination.

The report should be complete enough to enable an independent reviewer to determine the nature, severity and duration of the impairment, and, in adults, the claimant’s ability to perform basic work-related functions. The history and physical examination must be provided as a narrative of the findings.

Conclusions in the report must be consistent with the objective clinical findings found on examination and the claimant’s symptoms, laboratory studies, and demonstrated response to treatment and on all available information, including the history. The report, for adults, should include a description, based on the provider’s own findings, of the individual’s ability to do basic work-related activities. It should not include an opinion as to whether the claimant is disabled under the meaning of the law.

Signature Requirements

All CE reports must be personally reviewed and signed by the provider who actually performed the examination. The provider doing the examination or testing is solely responsible for the report contents and for the conclusions, explanations or comments provided. The source’s signature on a report annotated “not proofed” or “dictated but not read” is not acceptable. A rubber stamp signature or signature entered by another person, such as a nurse or secretary, is not acceptable.

How the DDS Reviews Consultative Examination Reports

The DDS is obligated to review the report of the CE to determine whether the specific information requested has been furnished.

The CE report must:

 

Provide evidence that serves as an adequate basis for disability decision making in terms of the impairment it assesses.

 

Be internally consistent. Are all the diseases, impairments and complaints described in the history adequately assessed and reported in the clinical findings?

 

Do the conclusions correlate the medical history, the clinical examination and laboratory tests, and explain all abnormalities?

 

Be consistent with the other information available within the specialty of the examination requested.

 

Did the report fail to mention an important or relevant complaint within that specialty that is noted in other evidence in the file (e.g., blindness in one eye, amputations, pain, alcoholism, depression)?

 

Be adequate as compared to the standards set out in the course of a medical education.

 

Be properly signed.

 

If the report is inadequate or incomplete, the DDS will contact the provider and ask the provider to furnish the missing information or prepare a revised report.

Elements of a Complete Consultative Examination

A complete CE is one that involves all the elements of a standard examination in the applicable medical specialty. When the report of a complete CE is involved, the report should include the following elements:

The claimant’s major or chief complaint(s);

 

Detailed description, within the area of specialty of the examination, of the history of the major complaint(s);

Description, and disposition, of pertinent “positive” and “negative” detailed findings based on the history, examination, and laboratory tests related to the major complaint(s), and any other abnormalities or lack thereof reported or found during examination or laboratory testing;

Results of laboratory and other tests (e.g., X-rays) performed in accordance with the requirements provided by the DDS.

Diagnosis and prognosis for the claimant’s impairment(s);

Statement about what the claimant can still do despite his or her impairment(s), unless the claim is based on statutory blindness. This statement should describe the opinion of the consulting physician or psychologist about the claimant’s ability, despite his or her impairment(s), to do work-related activities such as sitting, standing, walking, lifting, carrying, handling objects, hearing, speaking, and traveling; and, in cases of mental impairment(s), the opinion of the physician or psychologist about the individual’s ability to understand, to carry out and remember instructions, and to respond appropriately to supervision, coworkers, and work pressures in a work setting; and

The consultative physician or psychologist will consider, and provide some explanation or comment on, the claimant’s major complaint(s) and any other abnormalities found during the history and examination or reported from the laboratory tests. The history, examination, evaluation of laboratory test results, and the conclusions will represent the information provided by the physician or psychologist who signs the report.

 

Report Content by Specific Impairment

Internal Medicine

The detail and format for reporting the results of the history, physical examination, laboratory findings, and discussion of conclusions should follow the standard reporting principles for a complete internal medical examination.

Source of History

The physician should indicate from whom the history was obtained and should provide an estimate of the reliability of the history.

History of Present Illness

The chief complaint(s) alleged as the reason for not working should be discussed in detail, including:

 

Factors which increase the problem or impairment(s);

How long the problem has been present;

Factors which may provide relief; and

The claimant’s description of how the impairment(s) limits the ability to function.

 

Pertinent descriptive statements by the claimant, such as a description of chest pain, should be recorded in the claimant’s own words.

The information must be in a narrative, rather than “questionnaire” or “check-off” format.

Past History should describe other prior illnesses, injuries, operations, or hospitalizations and give the dates of these events.

Current Medication should be listed by name of drug and dose.

Review of Systems should describe and discuss:

 

Other complaints and symptoms the claimant has experienced relative to the specific organ systems, and

The pertinent negative findings, which would be considered in making a differential diagnosis of the current illness or in evaluating the severity of the impairment.

Social History should include pertinent findings about use of tobacco products, alcohol, nonprescription drugs, etc.

 

Family History should be presented, if pertinent.

Signs

The vital signs should include:

 

Blood pressure;

Pulse rate;

Respiratory rate; and

Height and weight without shoes.

 

The physical examination must provide a description of the claimant’s general appearance and pertinent behavior during the examination (e.g., for back complaint, how the claimant stood or walked, got up from a chair, and got on and off the examination table).

This description must be in narrative, rather than “questionnaire” or “check-off” form.

The report should present aspects of the examination dealing with the claimant’s major and minor complaints in particular detail, describing both pertinent negative and positive findings.

Pelvic examinations should not be performed unless specifically authorized.

Specific range of motion of a joint should be reported in degrees for joints in which there is a significant limitation of motion.

NOTE: If a joint is found to have no abnormality of range of motion on gross examination, that fact should be stated rather than reporting the degree of motion.

Laboratory Tests — The laboratory should provide:

 

Actual values for laboratory tests; and

Normal ranges of values in either the medical report or attached laboratory report.

Electrocardiographic and Spirographic Reports

Tracings must be provided when these tests have been performed.

 

The reported findings for pulmonary and electrocardiographic studies must meet the requirements of Section 3.00E and 4.00C, respectively, of the Listing of Impairments.

Interpretation

The interpretation of laboratory tests (e.g., electrocardiographic tracings) must take into account and be correlated with the history and physical examination findings.

Identify the physician providing the formal interpretation of the laboratory tests, when other than the physician who is signing the CE report.

If the interpretation is provided separately, the report sheet should state the interpreting physician’s name and address.

X-rays

Joints and other areas to be x-rayed are those that are specifically requested or those that the physical examination reveals to be the most involved by disease, after appropriate authorization by the DDS.

Rheumatology

In addition to the requirements for a general internal medical examination, the following specific information should be stated in a report of an examination in which the primary complaint is a rheumatological disorder.

General Observations

General observations in the physical examination should relate to common, everyday functions which may be observed in the examining physician’s office, such as:

 

Stance;

Gait;

Ability to:

Dress and undress;

Climb upon the examining table;

Grasp or shake hands; and

Write.

 

Joint Examination

Joint examination should include specific, detailed notations with respect to the presence or absence of:

 

Effusion;

Episodes of infection;

Periarticular swelling;

Tenderness;

Heat;

Redness;

Thickening of the joints;

Specific range of motion of the joints and back in degrees; and

Structural deformities.

 

Specific range of motion of a joint or spine should be reported in degrees for any joint or spine in which there is a significant limitation of motion.

If the range of motion is found to be restricted in any joint or spine, annotation should be made as to probable cause (e.g., due to pain and/or influenced by observable abnormality).

Joints/spine to be x-rayed are those that are specifically requested or those that the physical examination reveals to be the most involved by disease, after appropriate authorization by DDS.

For individuals alleging myalgias or other muscular complaints, evaluate the areas of muscle tenderness including tender points and trigger points. Go to Listing of Impairments - Adults: Immune System 14.00 for more information.

Orthopedic

History

The orthopedic examination, including the lumbar and cervical spine, should describe and discuss (where appropriate):

 

The major or chief complaint(s) alleged as the reason for not working. The discussion of the complaints must include:

A detailed historical description of the pertinent past history of the disease.

The claimant’s statement of current complaint.

 

Current and past therapy for this disorder, and response to therapy, should be reported. Hospitalizations, surgical operations, and significant investigative procedures (e.g., myelography, CAT scan, MRI, Bone Scan) should be reported with the dates of the hospitalizations and result of the procedures.

The symptoms alleged, including a description of:

 

The character, location, and radiation of pain;

Mechanical factors which incite and relieve the pain;

Prescribed treatment, including name, dose, and frequency of any medications which are used;

The claimant’s typical daily activities; and

Symptoms of weakness, other motor loss, or any sensory abnormalities.

 

The use of drugs or alcohol.

Other significant past illnesses, injuries, operations, particularly those involving the musculoskeletal system.

From whom the history was obtained and an estimate of the reliability of the history.

Physical Examination — The physical examination report should include a description and discussion (where appropriate) of:

 

The claimant’s general appearance and nutrition, any apparent skeletal or other musculoskeletal abnormalities.

 

The orthopedic and neurological findings. These should include a description of:

 

Muscle spasms, limitation of movement of the spine given quantitatively in degrees from the vertical position when there is significant limitation in motion, straight leg raising given quantitatively in degrees from the supine position and from the sitting position, motor and sensory abnormalities, and deep tendon reflexes. Deep tendon reflexes should be described as to intensity and symmetry.

 

If there is no abnormality of range of motion of any affected joint on gross examination, that fact, rather than the actual degree of motion, may be reported.

Motor function quantitated. The method of quantitation must be reported. The most widely used method involves recording from 0 to 5 as a fraction with the numerator representing the claimant’s performance and the denominator representing a normal performance (e.g., 3/5).

To what degree motor function is inhibited by spasticity, rigidity or pain.

The specific distribution of sensory deficit or pain.

Muscle bulk. When there is asymmetry, specific measurement must be reported.

Atrophy must be reported in terms of circumferential measurements of both thighs and lower legs (or upper or lower arms) at a stated point above and below the knee or elbow given in inches or centimeters.

A specific description of atrophy of hand muscles may be given without measurements of atrophy but should include measurements of grip strength.

Gait and station, including the claimant’s ability to:

 

Tandem walk;

Walk on heels and toes;

Hop;

Bend;

Squat;

Arise from a squatting position;

Dress and undress;

Get up from a chair;

Get on the examining table; and

Cooperate during the examination.

 

Laboratory Tests — X-rays or other laboratory tests

The physician providing the formal interpretation must be identified.

If the interpretation is provided on a separate report form, that report should be attached.

Findings

The physician’s examination findings must be determined on the basis of the physician’s observations during the examination. (Alternative testing methods should be used to verify the objectivity of the abnormal findings, when possible; e.g., a seated straight-leg raising test in addition to a supine straight-leg raising test.) Go to Listing of Impairments - Adults: Musculoskeletal System 1.00 for more information.

Respiratory

In addition to the requirements for a general internal medical examination, the specific information listed below should be stated in a report of an examination in which the primary complaint is a respiratory disorder.

General Examination

The report should note and describe:

 

The occurrence of cough, labored breathing, use of accessory muscles of respiration, audible wheezing, pallor, cyanosis, hoarseness, clubbing of fingers, or the presence of chest wall deformity. Respiratory rate should be observed and reported.

The diameter of the chest on inspiration and expiration, distention of neck veins and ankle edema.

Whether the expiratory phase of respiration is prolonged.

Breath sounds.

Diaphragmatic motion.

Presence or absence of adventitious sounds on auscultation of the chest.

 

The employment history, when relevant to the disease, should be reported (e.g., pneumoconiosis or exposure to physical irritants producing respiratory symptoms.)

Dyspnea

Characteristics — Dyspnea should be described with respect to:

 

Dates and mode of onset;

Seasonal influence;

Influence of infection and precipitating activities;

Whether it is associated with palpitation, wheezing, chest discomfort, or hyperventilation symptoms.

 

Respiratory Versus Cardiac Dyspnea — Inquiry should be made to determine whether the claimant has:

 

A history of heart disease;

Experienced paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea or orthopnea; and

Associated peripheral edema, hypertension, past myocardial infarction, angina, rheumatic heart disease, cardiac murmur, etc.

 

Episodic Disorders — The report should include details as to:

 

Onset and precipitating factors;

Frequency and intensity;

Duration;

Mode of treatment and response; and

Description of severe respiratory attack.

 

Ancillary Studies

Chest X-ray, Spirometry, Diffusing Capacity of the lungs for Carbon Monoxide, and Arterial Blood Gas Studies will be requested in accordance with program criteria for the purpose of establishing the existence and extent of the disease process. Go to Listing of Impairments -Adults: Respiratory System 3.00 for more information.

Cardiovascular

In addition to the requirements for a general internal medical examination, the following specific information should be stated in a report of an examination in which the primary complaint is a cardiovascular disorder.

General Examination — The report must:

 

Provide a detailed description of the examination of the heart, including the heart sounds and rhythm and pulses.

 

Describe:

 

Any jugular vein distention, including angle of reclining at which distention occurs;

Adventitious lung sounds;

Hepatomegaly;

Peripheral or pulmonary edema; and

Cyanosis.

 

Describe the impact of the chest discomfort, dyspnea or other cardiovascular symptoms on physical activities.

Describe any drugs used (currently and in the recent past) for treatment of the cardiovascular disorder and indicate the dosage and the response to these drugs.

Note participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program (e.g., progressive physical activity, educational or psychological support).

Congestive Heart Failure — The history must include a discussion of:

The known factors in the development of the cardiac condition (e.g., myocardial infarction, rheumatic heart disease, hypertension, and congenital or other organic heart disease).

Recurrent or persistent symptoms such as:

 

Fatigue;

Dyspnea;

Orthopnea; and

Anginal discomfort.

 

Chest Discomfort and Other Symptoms — The report should describe:

 

Chest discomfort of myocardial ischemic origin or other symptom(s) in the claimant’s own words with respect to:

 

Presence;

Character;

Location;

Radiation;

Frequency;

Duration;

Usual inciting factors; and

Relief.

 

The historical character of the chest discomfort to ascertain whether:

 

There is a predictable stable pattern of occurrence; and

There is evidence of a recent change in the pattern of symptoms;

Whether therapy has been prescribed and how the claimant is responding to the therapy;

Whether the discomfort occurs at rest or awakens the claimant from sleep and whether it is related to ingestion of food or movement of the upper extremities; and

The usual duration of the symptoms, especially chest discomfort, how symptoms are relieved, and the time required to obtain relief (e.g., rest or after taking specific drugs such as nitroglycerin).

 

Laboratory Tests

Ancillary cardiac testing, such as ECG, Exercise Stress Testing and Echocardiogram, will be requested in accordance with program criteria for the purpose of establishing the existence and extent of the disease process. Go to Listing of Impairments - Adults: Cardiovascular System 4.00 for more information.

Neurological

Historical Source

The DDS will make arrangements to have a knowledgeable individual accompany the claimant to the examination, when prior information indicates incompetence on the part of the claimant.

The physician should indicate from whom the history was obtained and should estimate reliability of history.

History — The history should include a detailed description/discussion of:

 

Major or chief complaints with:

Detailed historical description of the disease state; and

Current complaints.

 

The mental or physical functional restrictions with specific examples.

Significant illness, injuries, or operations, particularly of the nervous system.

Current and past therapy for the disorder alleged, and any abuse or drugs or alcohol.

The family history with information on pertinent positive abnormalities, particularly hereditary familial conditions.

Physical Examination

General — The physical examination should provide a statement concerning the claimant’s:

 

General appearance;

Nutrition;

Body habitus;

Head size and shape;

Any skeletal or other abnormalities such as pigmentary or texture changes of the skin or changes in hair distribution; and

Dominant hand

The gait and station must be described in detail, including ability to:

Tandem walk;

Walk on heels and toes;

Hop;

Dress and undress;

Get up from a chair;

Get on the examining table; and

Generally cooperate during the examination.

 

Notation should be made of the function of the 12 cranial nerves (if the first cranial nerve is not tested, this should be noted). Lower cranial nerve function should be described in particular detail when dysphagia or dysarthria is a complaint.

Ocular motility and pupillary size and activity should be described even when normal. The visual acuity and visual fields by gross confrontation should be estimated, and the basis for the estimate must be stated.

Motor function — Should be quantitated, and the method of quantitation reported. For example, if a numbering system is used, the report must state which number represents normal strength and which number represents total paralysis.

The report must also describe to what degree motor function is inhibited by spasticity, rigidity, involuntary movements, or tremor.

Muscle bulk should be described, and when there is asymmetry, measurements should be reported.

The degree of fatigability following rapid, repetitive movements should be noted.

All modalities of sensation, including cortical, should be tested.

The method of testing should be recorded.

When sensory deficit or pain are described in a specific distribution, care should be taken to ascertain that the findings are consistent with neuroanatomical fact. Suspected non-physiological observations should be noted.

Coordination should be tested.

The ability to perform fine and dexterous movements of the hands should be described.

In-coordination or tremor at rest or during specific tests should be described in detail and quantitated.

NOTE: Examples should be given describing the functional loss that occurs because of these events.

Reflexes

Deep tendon reflexes should be described as to intensity and symmetry.

Superficial reflexes should be described when present and noted when absent.

Any pathological reflexes must be described in detail.

Any impairment of speech or language should be described in detail with a discussion of how much ability the claimant retains and how the physician determined this. The report should discuss:

 

Aphasia;

Dysarthria;

Stuttering (fluency);

Involuntary vocalizations;

Whether speech is intelligible.

 

Mental Status Examination — should be reported and be extensive when mental capacity is in question. The physician should provide:

 

Examples of responses in testing orientation, memory, calculation, insight, general understanding, and fund of knowledge; and

A detailed description of mood and behavior during the examination, and any significant abnormalities. Go to Listing of Impairments - Adult: Neurological 11.00 for more information.

 

Mental Disorders

The psychiatric or psychological examination report should show not only the claimant’s signs, symptoms, laboratory findings (psychological test results), and diagnosis, but also describe the effect of the emotional or mental disorder on the claimant’s ability to function at the usual and customary level of adjustment — personal, social and occupational.

General Observations — Include in the CE report general observations of:

 

How the claimant came to the examination:

Alone or accompanied;

Distance and mode of transportation; and

If by automobile, who drove.

General appearance:

Dress; and

Grooming

Attitude and degree of cooperation.

Posture and gait.

General motor behavior, including any involuntary movements.

 

Informant

The psychiatrist or psychologist should identify the person providing the history (usually the claimant) and should provide an estimate of the reliability of the history.

Chief Complaint

This usually will consist of the claimant’s allegations concerning any mental and/or physical problems.

History of Present Illness

This should include a detailed chronological account of the onset and progression of the claimant’s current mental/emotional condition with special reference to:

 

Date and circumstances of onset of the condition;

Date the claimant reported that the condition began to interfere with work, and how it interfered;

Date the claimant reported inability to work because of the condition and the circumstances;

Attempts to return to work and the results;

Outpatient evaluations and treatment for mental/emotional problems including:

Names of treating sources;

Dates of treatment;

Types of treatment (names and dosages of medications, if prescribed); and

Response to treatment.

 

Hospitalizations for mental disorders including:

 

Names of hospitals;

Dates; and

Treatment and response.

Information concerning the claimant’s:

Activities of daily living;

Social functioning;

Ability to complete tasks timely and appropriately; and

Episodes of decompensation and their resulting effects.

 

Past History should include a longitudinal account of the claimant’s personal life including:

 

Relevant educational, medical, social, legal, military, marital, and occupational data and any associated problems in adjustment;

Details (dates, places, etc.) of any past history of outpatient treatment and hospitalizations for mental/emotional problems; and

History, if any, of substance abuse, and/or treatment in detoxification and rehabilitation centers.

 

Mental Status

The individual case facts will determine the specific areas of mental status that need to be emphasized during the examination, but generally the report should include a detailed description of the claimant’s:

 

Appearance, behavior, and speech (if not already described);

Thought process (e.g., loosening of associations);

Thought content (e.g., delusions);

Perceptual abnormalities (e.g., hallucinations);

Mood and affect (e.g., depression, mania);

Sensorium and cognition (e.g., orientation, recall, memory, concentration, fund of information, and intelligence);

Judgment and insight; and

Capability (i.e., is the individual capable of handling awarded benefits responsibly?)

 

Diagnosis

American Psychiatric Association standard nomenclature as set forth in the current “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.”

Prognosis

Prognosis and recommendations for treatment, if indicated; also, recommendations for any other medical evaluation (e.g., neurological, general physical), if indicated.

Additional Requirements by Mental Disorder

Schizophrenic, Delusional (Paranoid) Schizo-Affective, and other Psychotic Disorders — The report should reflect:

 

Periods of residence in structured settings such as half-way houses and group homes;

Frequency and duration of episodes of illness and periods of remission; and

Side effects of medications.

Organic Mental Disorders — The report should reflect:

The source of the disorder, if known, the prognosis; and

Whether there is an acute or chronic process;

Whether stable or progressive; and

Changes at various points in time.

 

The results of any psychological or neuropsychological testing that could serve to further document an organic process and its severity.

Information regarding the results of any neurological evaluations.

Information about any neurological testing (e.g., EEG, CT scan) that may have been performed and the results, if available.

In Mental Retardation cases, the report should reflect:

 

Current documentation of IQ by a standardized, well-recognized measure. Acceptable instruments will have a representative normative sample, a mean of approximately 100 and standard deviation of approximately 15 in the general population, and cover a broad range of cognitive and perceptual-motor functions (e.g., the Wechsler scales);

Verbal IQ, performance IQ, and full scale IQ scores, together with the individual subtest scores;

Interpretation of the scores and assessment of the validity of the obtained scores, indicating any factors that may have influenced the results such as the claimant’s attitude and degree of cooperation, the presence of visual, hearing or other physical problems, and recent prior exposure to the same or similar test; and

Consistency of the obtained test results with the claimant’s education, vocational background, and social adjustment, especially in the area of personal self-sufficiency.

 

About the Author

Greeman and Toomey is a law firm dedicated exclusively to assisting those seeking Social Security Disability Benefits. Visit online for a free and confidential consultation at http://www.minnesotaSocialSecurity.net

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