The changing trends of cinematography have catapulted the regional film industry to another level, with Canon not just evolving, but revolutionizing.
To commemorate Canon’s lasting footprint in the broadcast industry and in the spirit of young and visionary crafters at the helm of several of Canon’s diverse and myriad cinema kits and lenses, the leader in imaging solutions recently conducted a panel discussion discussing the revolutionary changes in the regional film industry.
The panel discussion was moderated by Lina Matta, noted film enthusiast and channel Manager of MBC. The distinguished panelists included noted Arab film star and producer Khaled Abol Naga, Ali Mostafa – critically acclaimed Emirati director, Faisal Hashmi – the youngest panelist and founder of Hashmi Productions, Ashraf Ghori – noted cartoonist and founder of Xpanse Films, Ali Okhovat from Attitude Enterprises, Canon aficionado, self-styled Canon guru and Ambassador for Canon Europe, Sebastien Devaud and Paul Atkinson, Canon Product Specialist.
Although the discussion was aimed at the changing scene of the regional film industry, the panelists imbibed their own stories of trial and error, post-production anecdotes, challenges overcome and the sense of liberation that Canon’s diverse range of professional film equipment gives them. For youngsters like Faisal Hashmi, the journey from amateur student director to seasoned filmmaker is filled with a sense of awe for Canon’s mastery over camera kit. “I still remember shooting with some other cameras and then switching to Canon’s 600D. The quality was just jaw-dropping, and for something so affordable – it revolutionized the way I saw film making.”
Khaled Abol Naga was equally vocal about the rapidly evolving film scene in the Arab world. “We say Egyptian, but really, we mean the Arab film industry and boy, what a sea change it has been, just over the past decade. It’s fresh and exciting, evolving like the white surf of a cresting wave – that is revolving into itself now when evolution becomes a revolution.” Khaled added that Canon have helped change the face of independent film making by offering a diverse set of kits, from the standard 720p and Full HD 1080p recordings to 2K and 4K, at affordable prices and unmatched feature sets. “It really gives the tools and, more importantly, the power and creativity back into the hands of the users, enabling them to choose their mediums and impart their styles into their creations. That is the real revolution.”
Discussing more about the technical aspects from a tinkerer’s view, Sebastien said, “The wonderful thing about Canon is that you are not tied down to a particular system, set of lenses or even the format. It can all be worked around to produce the desired results and Canon makes that flexibility available.”
Paul Atkinson, said, “It is wonderful to hear from our end users about what Canon is doing for them. For me, and Canon, that’s exactly the kind of feedback and usage information we like listening to in order to make our products better. We are constantly striving to make our products better, from entry-level to professional equipment, and adding features and functions based on our valuable users’ feedback.”
He added, “We are grateful for the opportunity to host such a wonderful panel discussion with the movers and shakers of the regional film industry and get their insights into how they use Canon to help revolutionize the industry.”
