Spinning tales with digital effects

``PEOPLE NEED stories like they need bread,'' said the master storyteller to Scheherazade, the young Arabian Sultana who was left with no option but to find a way to save her life and her kingdom.

She spins tales of comedy, tragedy, romance and magic captivating her Sultan with entertaining stories which are replete with valuable life-lessons. The Sultan's vengeance disappears and he proclaims happiness and love for his wife.

The epic of ``Arabian Nights,'' one of literature's oldest and finest example of captivating imagination and the riveting art of storytelling, is to hit the TV screens soon.

To be premiered on ``Hallmark'' channel, this four-hour original miniseries will feature six stories, each of which is enhanced with striking digital effects from London's ``FrameStore'' (which earlier contributed to Merlin and Alice in Wonderland), ``The Jim Henson Creature Shop'' and ``Medialab'' of Paris.

The stories will have the backdrop of different periods and different locations. ``Aladdin,'' which has Jason Scott Lee (who was recently in Mumbai on a promotional tour) in the lead, has a Chinese background while ``The Three Brothers'' is set in a desert country. ``The Hunchback'' is in the Persian Gulf, ``Ali Baba'' in Baghdad and ``Amin Abdur'' in Cairo.

The scale of the epic is translated into a wide-canvas spectacle with well-known stars, a luxurious spread of digital effects (500 to be precise), a large number of sets and hundreds of pieces of jewellery and costumes handmade by the artisans of Turkey where it was shot. The volcanic-ash covered Cappadocia region of Turkey, which was earlier used by George Lucas for the moonscape scenes of ``Star Wars,'' also comes alive in the background. The 235-strong film-crew was the first ``tenant'' of Antalya Studios of Turkey.

There is more to the interesting trivia: all the silk needed for the film was purchased in Milan and cotton in Turkey. the entire length of the fabric can cover a distance of 4.5 km. About 150 camels were recruited from Morocco.TV buffs can look forward to the ``magic carpet'' ``Chinese dragons'' and a host of effects giving life to the imagination of Scheherazade which continues to enthrall millions worldwide. The premiere on Hallmark is slated for April 16 and 17.

By G. Pramod Kumar

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