PROCESS

It is more than four months that I am working
on this project. I am still not very sure about my end
product, but more than that, with all the ups and downs
I really enjoyed the process of this creation. As obvious
for any creation my journey is none the less painful but
at each step it gives me joy and satisfaction. And this
process itself is like a . eld guide for me which has taught
a lot.
At every point I played different kind of roles
to make this project happen. Many times there were
clashes between different responsibilities but I managed
to get the way out.
I can list them chronologically as:

Making Story line
Character development
Writing Narrations
Visualization/Storyboarding
Adaptation according to medium
Planing
Voice recording
Photo shoot
Treatment and editing
Compositing
Sound

AIM OF THE PROJECT


Of the 31-43 million adults with HIV infection - the global estimate in end-2003 - more than 9.5 million are in Asia. Because of many Medical bodies, NGOs, social organizations and government’s efforts more and more people are becoming aware of this issue. But still our society is not in position to accept this virus as a fact. As HIV is very much related to sex, and sexuality people do not want to discuss on it in healthy manner. It is full of myths, misconception and secrecy. Social isolation is more fearful than actual death. Because of social pressure and misconceptions people don’t want to discuss on this infected people many times don’t want to disclose this even to their spouses . It is the unending cycle of secrecy and misconception. To break this, it is important to make people think and make them talk it out.

I decided middle class as my target audience. This class is aware of this issue but they don’t want to talk about it. Whenever any program comes on television they will change the channel. HIV is at their door and they are thinking it is not at all related to them. Anyway ,all ad campaigns on television, radio, news paper are talking about the causes, precautions and facts. There is no point in telling the same thing in the same manner. I want to present this in the form of stories so that people can watch it with little involvement and attention. I want to keep it subtle so they can watch it with their family members around. I am not providing any direct solution to any issue related to HIV. If it creates any ripples on their consciousness it is sufficient for me. These films may provide very good foundation for panal discussion.


As a student of design institute my first aim is to master the new skills and implement the learning I have gone through after entering IDC. I want to explore the technique of stop motion and use it effectively to communicate whatever I want to.

DATA COLLECTION :

Before I thought I knew a lot about the issue but when I started exploring I found plenty of new information. But when it comes as personal responsibility I feel I need some human touch rather than just dry paragraphs and paragraphs of information. Hence I decided to meet actual people working in this area.
I went to Sion Hospital, Hamasafar Trust and TISS. I talked with the counsellors there. I asked them questions to understand the awareness among people, their reactions to this issue, social acceptance of patients, medical treatments. I myself got my test done to experience the process. I talked with Mr. Kadam from NMP+, Pune who himself is a HIV positive. Apart from that I observed many patients in the Sion Hospital. I decided to not getting involved at the root level. In such issues it is very easy to just carried away by your emotions. Then you can not think in broader perspective.
After these meetings I finally started with writing the narration for my film.

According to UNAIDS estimates, by December-2003, nearly 34-46 million people including over 2.5 million children - had been infected with HIV since the start of the epidemic.
Number of people living with HIV/AIDS Total 40 million (34 – 46 million)
Adults 37 million (31 – 43 million)
Children under 15 years 2.5 million (2.1 – 2.9 million)
People newly infected with HIV in 2003 Total 5 million (4.2 – 5.8 million)
4.2 million (3.6 – 4.8 million)
Children under 15 years 700 000 (590 000 – 810 000)
AIDS deaths in 2003 Total 3 million (2.5 – 3.5 million)
Adults 2.5 million (2.1 – 2.9 million)
Children under 15 years 500 000 (420 000 – 580 000)

Science has provided us with answers to these myths. HIV is not transmitted through casual contact. A person cannot get HIV by sharing food with an infected person or hugging an infected person. An insect bite will not transmit HIV.
The highest increases in new HIV infections are in black men, women, heterosexuals, and teens. HIV is not limited to gays or drug users. It does not discriminate as to age, sex, race, or sexual orientation. Most of the new cases of HIV and AIDS are due to sexual contact between a man and woman. It is important to realize that people can be infected with HIV and not even know they are infected.
The spreading of HIV is completely preventable, if we all take personal responsibility.

DATA COLLECTION



When I started collecting data for this project I found on the internet pages and pages filled on the issue. And many of the resources (like NACO, MDAC) can be considered reliable. After going through that I got enough material to write any paper giving all kinds of information regarding HIV. Although this is not the place to discuss that information in detail I would like to mention few things here.
In the past, people have had good reason to be afraid of "catching" diseases. Although they had many explanations about why people became ill and died, they did not know what caused a disease, or how to avoid it. Now, we have the benefit of science to provide us with answers. We now know how to prevent HIV, human
immunodeficiency virus. However, myths and misconceptions continue to develop.


Some common MYTHS regarding HIV/AIDS
"A person can get HIV by:
• sharing food with an infected person
• hugging an infected person
• insect bites or
• only from gays or drug users
"Only promiscuous people get AIDS."
"AIDS only affects gay men."
"You can catch AIDS from being around someone who is infected."
"AIDS is only an Lower class problem."
"AIDS is a death sentence."
"You could tell if someone had HIV or AIDS."
"A person with HIV or AIDS did something to deserve it."
"I wouldn’t treat someone differently if they told me they had HIV or AIDS."
"AIDS is going away."

HIV is passed to others by:
•direct intimate contact with HIV-infected body fluids, such as blood, vaginal secretions, or semen
•having oral sex with an HIV-positive partner
•an HIV-infected mother to her baby during pregnancy, delivery, or breast feeding
•having sexual intercourse without a latex or plastic condom with an HIV-positive partner and
•HIV-contaminated needles from drug use, tattoos, or body piercing

Introduction

The creation as a form of pure self expression without considering any acceptance value could be art but not design. Design not only depends on its acceptance value but its existence itself has a common need as a backbone. Design always comes with constraints and when it has aim to cater some information other than mere entertainment it has more responsibility.
When I started with this project I already fixed my medium as stop motion as I want to explore this area of animation. Animation and films are mainly mediums of story telling. For any story, it is emotions which enthrall a viewer. Our life is like an one act play and at the end of it we acquire maximum acting skills. It doesn’t matter if an audience exists or not, there is that one who will watch it till the end....... Death! But sometimes we can see it in front of us waiting with a cold look. Then psychology starts playing its ultimate game. Social death is the worst.

किसिको जब आते जाते दुत्कारा जाताअ है, वो मरसा जाता है ।
फ़िर जान जाने में देर नही लगती ।
(मलिका, अम्रुता प्रीतम की लघुकथासे)
After all these folds and unfolds I entered into this exhibition of all blacks and grays with bright red splashes like wounds of darkness.- AIDS.
It is not an untouched area. Many people and organizations are working on this. I just want to weave it into a few stories happening around us. Simple straight forward information is easy to understand and easy to forget. When it is given in some interesting form, it makes people think and therefore, to remember.
It can be a single story long enough to create emotional waves. But as this issue has different facets it is nearly impossible to cover all information in one story. This is the reason I am proposing a series of stories.
These short stories can be moulded in the form of short films or episodes in real action video. Then why Stop motion?
First reason is I want to explore this technique. But independent of my preference it also gives a viewer the scope to think in between. Video guides you till the end unless it is very long and low paced film. In contrast, stop motion only suggests the action and expects the viewer to imagine the rest.
‘आहत’ means the indication of somebody coming but you can not see them. Someone who is injured is also called Aahat. It also means getting struck like in a percussion instrument sound get created by Aahat. My stories are like a music which created by Aahat on a percussion instrument.
Music created by silence and not sound.

Abstract

As a designer this project is my first effort to communicate something through a dynamic medium without my presence. Although it has a essence of personal expression, it is not just an artistic remark on the canvas of my consciousness. This is the creation, a thoughtful process with curious experimentation.
In this project I am trying to make series of short films based on a social issue AIDS. Though I don’t want to claim at having arrived at any solution, if it makes the viewer think a while then my efforts will be successful.
This piece of literature in the form of project report is intended only at sharing my experience and not a proof of any kind of intelligence. I could have written this report in the essay form ornated by quotes but as I am more concerned about putting across my thinking process without emotions I preferred writing this in the technical form. It may look dry but is surely more useful.


I am taking these short films as an opportunity to travel through various responsibilities like writer, script writer, director, cinematographer, art director, production manager, editor, animator, sound engineer and ..................

As a designer this project is my first effort to
communicate something through a dynamic medium
without my presence. Although it has a essence of
personal expression, it is not just an artistic remark on
the canvas of my consciousness. This is the creation, a
thoughtful process with curious experimentation.

In this project I am trying to make series of short films based on a social issue AIDS. Though I don’t want to claim at having arrived at any solution, if it makes the viewer think a while then my efforts will be successful.