Shaz Syed Email address: 13.shaz@gmail.com

Profile:

Filmmaker and Cinematographer at The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), New Delhi

Associate Producer for TERI (The Energy and Resource Institute) at Delhi.

Researcher/Work Placement Intern at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, UK-Researcher for a blue chip series titled ‘Wonders of the Monsoons’ – released 2014

Produced a short wildlife film on the pre-monsoons in India- Won 'The Best Cinematography' award for a Documentary at the 4th Dada Sahab Phalke film festival 2014;

Won ‘The Best Documentary’ at the Bangalore Shorts film festival 2014 (India)

Won ‘The Best Film’ at the Delhi Shorts International Film Festival 2014 (India)

Runners up - ‘Best Emerging Science Filmmaker’ category at the Jackson Hole Science and Media Awards being in Bristol towards the end of September 2014

Nominated at the Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2015

Nominated at the Innsbruck Nature film festival (amateur/emerging category) being held at Innsbruck, Austria in October 2014

Produced a short 3-minute film on private game conservation in South Africa- nominated for the Best Newcomer at the 6th CMS vatavaran festival

Internship at the BBC- worked for The Farm (Mediacity UK, Manchester) as an Assistant Technical Operator.

4 years of handling still photography assignments for a varied clientele

Taught the basics of photography and cinematography at the graduate levels and corporates; Judged various photography competitions

Involved in tiger-conservation related work

Organized recreational ventures, treks and excursions; educating people on nature and wildlife around urban areas

Educational qualifications:

2012-14 University of Salford, U.KM.A.Wildlife documentary productionKey skills: pre-production (conceptualization, scriptwriting, proposal and treatment) production (camerawork, direction, production coordination and logistics) and post-production (editing, narration, voice-overs and final output delivery) in wildlife film production

2010:Wildlife academy, South AfricaCertificate course in Wildlife FilmmakingShot, edited and directed a film on wildlife conservation in South Africa.

2006-08JMI University, New Delhi, IndiaM.A.Mass Communication Skills taught: traditional entertainment (street theatre and puppetry), still photography, radio production, television and film production, research and thesis

2002-05JMI University, New Delhi, IndiaB.A (H) EconomicsMacro and micro economics, public finance, international trade, national income accounting

2000-02Mount Saint Mary’s schoolSenior secondary certificateNew Delhi, IndiaSubjects: commerce with maths

2000Mount Saint Mary’s schoolHigh schoolSubjects: English, hindi, maths, science, social studies

Technical skills:

Operation of Digital still photography cameras (DSLR cameras)- Sony (Alpha) A7S, Canon 500D, Canon 5D Mark II and III, Canon 7D

Operation of Video cameras- SonyZ1, Sony Z7, Panasonic P2, Canon XL2, Sony EX3

Operation of nonlinear editing softwares- Final Cut Pro 7, linear editing – Steinbeck machines

Transcribing interviews, scriptwriting, characterization for fiction and documentary films

Education and public speaking, organization of recreational activities- climbing, walking groups, hiking and nature trailing

Work experience and achievements:

Visiting lecturer at Amity University (August 2010 – November 2010):

Taught principles of photography and story telling through pictures to the students of M.A. Photography at university level.

Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), New Delhi:

Currently employed (July 2015 onwards) with the Aga Khan Development network as a Filmmaker and Video consultant - an organization that restores heritage structures to a condition similar to their original making, and also towards overall cultural and social development; working as a filmmaker and video consultant, documenting restoration work and taking stylized shots to incorporate them in a series of short films on the organization’s work.

TERI (The Energy and Resource Institute, New Delhi):

2 ½ months of as an Associate Producer at TERI (September 2014 – December 2014); helped in the production of two films – Climate Change and Migration of people fro rural areas to cities and Climate modeling- work included pre-production, shooting and post producing

Work Placement at the NHU BBC Bristol:

One month work placement contract at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, UK. Worked as a Researcher for a blue chip series ‘Land of the Monsoons’ – due to release in September 2014Helped to develop the story; contacting local fixers; synthesizing factual information about flora, fauna and topography weaned from scientists in Australia and India and

collating facts that had visual potential to add to the film; searching ideal locations to shoot the onset of the rains in India

Successfully organized the shooting of a Hindu ritual (Varuna japam) in Mumbai (India)- fixed location, arranged for props, coordinated with religious priests, and worked out all the logistics and pre-shoot work needed for the sequence. Internship at the BBC (Mediacity, Salford Quays):

Underwent a weeklong internship at the Farm based in BBC building that ingests footage for BBC children’s and BBC ethics & religion Worked as an assistant technical operator.Key responsibilities- helping the tech. operator in ingesting footage Coordinating work between Tech. op. and off line editors. Location tapes and hard drives.

Permanent/long-term employment:

2008- 2009:

Shot, directed and edited a documentary on Fundamental rights of the Indian Citizen with a Human Rights Organization, ANHAD in Delhi.

Free lance work (2008-2012):

Handled photography assignments (shooting and editing) for luxury resorts and corporate clients (2008-present)

Associate Director on a still photography shoot for the United Nations AIDS. (2009)

Assistant director for a reality show (Dare to Date) on Channel V India. (2009) Cameraperson for Dreamcatchers pvt. Ltd India (2008)

Part time work:

Conservation and education:As a visiting faculty, organized nature walks for educating young members of the society- children aged 7-10, around the natural wilderness around urban spaces like New Delhi Actively participated in a conservation leadership workshop run by Tiger Watch, an NGO operating out of Ranthambore National Park (India) that works towards local community development, runs security and intelligence networks, and organizes raids on poaching activities

Organization of recreational activities for conservation and awareness:Administrator of a leisure group (Lets walk Gurgaon- New Delhi’s national capital region) that organizes weekly nature walks into the wilderness that surrounds urban areas. Work includes discovering new trails, marking out routes as well as helping people directly and managing the group.

Organized hikes and treks to old unused routes for small groups (voluntary work as a hobbyist)

Personal interests:

Trekking and adventure activities: trekked extensively in the western Himalayan region in India; participated in long river rafting, rock climbing and rappelling and sky diving in the Indian Himalayan region.

Wildlife: regular visitor of national parks in India. Comprehensive knowledge of flora and fauna of different parts of the world and intrinsic knowledge of Indian wildlife. Had been a WWF- India(World wide Fund for Nature) subscriber.

Sportsman and premier athlete at school and college.

References:

1. Paul Bradshaw- Executive producer at the BBC NHU, Bristol, UK2. Mohan Kumawat- Head of Production at ANHAD media, New Delhi, India