The Power of Candid Camera
May 19th, 2009 by amirghahrai | Print
No-one seems to take this style of story telling seriously and I don’t know why. I have been making Hidden Camera programs for over 16 years. I am 
talking about the style of hidden cameras where you put the subject in a situation that they are not at all familiar with. Usually when you have not had a previous experience about an incident, your mind hangs, just like when a computer hangs because it does not have a solution for what you are asking it to do. Usually hidden cameras are called Pranks; I am not talking about pranks. I am talking about when you create an unfamiliar situation and the subject has no idea how to coup with it. It is there that you see some fantastic and different reactions from each individual. You can learn a lot from the creativity of minds in these situations.In one of my plots I pretended that I have taken a number of mental patients for a walk in the park. Then I let them wander alone. During this time they made friends with an individual who was sitting on a bench in the park. Each patient had a poppy flower on his coat. One of them gave his flower to the individual. When I got back to take them to the institution, I pretended that the individual was one of the patients and had to come with me. Now he had to prove to me that I was mistaking. But he was wearing the flower which made him look like one of my patients! His reactions were fantastic, especially when I said: “if you don’t co-operate I will have to give you a shot of tranquilizer. Can you imagine his reaction?
talking about the style of hidden cameras where you put the subject in a situation that they are not at all familiar with. Usually when you have not had a previous experience about an incident, your mind hangs, just like when a computer hangs because it does not have a solution for what you are asking it to do. Usually hidden cameras are called Pranks; I am not talking about pranks. I am talking about when you create an unfamiliar situation and the subject has no idea how to coup with it. It is there that you see some fantastic and different reactions from each individual. You can learn a lot from the creativity of minds in these situations.In one of my plots I pretended that I have taken a number of mental patients for a walk in the park. Then I let them wander alone. During this time they made friends with an individual who was sitting on a bench in the park. Each patient had a poppy flower on his coat. One of them gave his flower to the individual. When I got back to take them to the institution, I pretended that the individual was one of the patients and had to come with me. Now he had to prove to me that I was mistaking. But he was wearing the flower which made him look like one of my patients! His reactions were fantastic, especially when I said: “if you don’t co-operate I will have to give you a shot of tranquilizer. Can you imagine his reaction? These kinds of candid Camera programs can be very interesting. Recently I have seen “ Howee Mandale” Doing a show similar to the ones I am talking about.
I am thinking of sending some of my programs to Cinema Without Borders. Do you think I have any chance of getting them in a film festival? I know the media I am recording on, is video. But what is the difference as long as you can make connection with your audience?
Amir Ghahrai
Tagged as: Add new tag, Candid camera, Candid camera style, comedy, funny, Iran, Learn from each other, new media
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