CEA Stories
From Classroom to Cinema
Inside the making of Names Jordan.
A Calgary filmmaking team reflects on building an independent action short through production design, cinematography, visual effects, editing, and collaboration.
When writer, director, and producer Srived Majumder began developing Names Jordan, he set out to create an independent action short at a scale that had not previously been attempted in Calgary.
Making it required more than ambition. Srived needed a team capable of coordinating across production design, cinematography, visual effects, editing, performance, and production.
Several collaborators had studied at CEA through the Advanced Film Production and Visual Effects programs. That shared experience helped establish relationships, professional standards, and a common production language.
The film was created independently through Srived’s production company, House of Films ↗, and through the work of its wider cast and crew.
The production brought multiple departments together around one shared visual and technical direction.
Direction + Production
Building the team
Srived led the project as writer, director, and producer through House of Films. The production brought together filmmakers from different countries, disciplines, and professional backgrounds.
“Honestly, the logistical hurdles were immense. The turning point came when I realized I didn’t have to do this alone.”
Srived Majumder
Existing relationships helped the team align quickly around the direction of the film. Each department needed to understand how its decisions would affect the others, from the design of a location to the way a sequence would eventually be edited.
The wider production brought together filmmakers working across direction, cinematography, editing, visual effects, production design, performance, and production.
Production Design
Building the film’s world
Production designer Florencia Villasuso shaped the film’s environments and visual identity. Her previous work in commercials and major artist tours in Mexico had given her experience managing logistics and executing ambitious ideas under pressure.
“Every decision—from color to texture to spatial flow—had to serve the story while maintaining production feasibility.”
Florencia Villasuso
The production could not rely on large sets or unlimited resources. Locations, lighting, and design choices therefore had to carry more of the visual storytelling.
Close coordination with Srived, Prashanth, Luis, and the wider crew allowed the team to solve problems in real time as production conditions changed.
Production design, camera, lighting, performance, and logistics had to operate as one connected system.
The film’s finished visual identity reflects the heightened action world developed across direction, production design, cinematography, and post-production.
Cinematography
Shaping the visual language
Prashanth Koppineedi and Luis Bravo served as Directors of Photography, working with Srived and the camera team to define the film’s visual language.
The team used deep shadows, harsh red and blue neon lighting, and two Sony FX3 cameras to capture fast combat from multiple angles while preserving energy and clarity.
“I wanted the cinematography to put the audience right into the middle of the action.”
Prashanth Koppineedi
“We had to ensure we captured the intense, gritty world we set out to build while maintaining consistency across two simultaneous setups.”
Luis Bravo
Using two cameras increased coverage during complex sequences, but also demanded precise coordination across framing, lighting, performance, movement, and continuity.
Two-camera coverage allowed the filmmakers to capture fast action from multiple angles while maintaining the visual continuity of the sequence.
Visual Effects
Connecting production and post
Visual effects supervisor Vedant Supekar worked across production and post-production, bridging practical filmmaking and visual effects.
His role included guiding the camera teams on capture requirements, data management, and the material that would be needed later in post-production.
“Understanding the technical requirements of VFX work before we even shot meant I could guide the camera teams on capture, data management, and what we’d need in post-production.”
Vedant Supekar
Planning ahead prevented downstream problems and saved time and resources. It also reinforced how closely visual effects depend on production decisions involving camera movement, lighting, design, and coverage.
VFX planning began on set, where camera information, physical reference, continuity, and capture requirements could be documented for post-production.
Camera, lighting, performance, and visual effects decisions were developed as parts of the same production workflow.
Editing
Finding the film in the edit
Editor Mohammed Akmal was responsible for shaping a large amount of high-energy footage into a clear and coherent final film.
The action sequences needed rhythm and momentum, but the audience also needed to understand movement, geography, and story.
“You have all these beautifully shot action sequences, but if you don’t cut them with intention, they lose their power.”
Mohammed Akmal
Akmal worked closely with Srived from the earliest cuts. The edit became the point where performance, cinematography, production design, sound, and visual effects converged into a single experience.
Editorial, sound, and visual effects brought the production’s separate elements together into the finished film.
Independent Production
Looking Beyond One Film
From classroom
to cinema.
For Srived, Names Jordan is part of a larger vision for House of Films: building expansive cinematic worlds and demonstrating that ambitious action filmmaking can be spearheaded in Alberta.
“We aren’t just making one-off projects; we’re building expansive cinematic worlds.”
Srived Majumder
Srived’s stated goal is to help establish Alberta as a hub for future movie franchises and to show that large-scale action and world-building do not have to be reserved for major Hollywood studios.
The filmmakers’ education provided a foundation. Producing Names Jordan required them to apply it under real production pressure, collaborate across disciplines, and take responsibility for the finished work.
