You’re Perfect

You’re Perfect was created as part of the FujiFilm x Kaleido Pictures Film Festival, a filmmaking challenge where selected participants were split into teams and given just a few days to develop an original idea, shoot it, and finish post-production. Our team had three days to develop the story, three days to film (we completed production in less than a day), and one week to edit the final film.

The story was developed collaboratively by the team, with three of us shaping most of the core concept before the screenplay was completed together. FujiFilm sponsored the production by providing cameras, lenses, gimbals, lighting equipment, and other gear, giving many of us our first opportunity to work with the FujiFilm ecosystem.

One of our biggest challenges came before filming even began. The story required a dark studio environment, but none of us had access to a suitable location. After reaching out to numerous studios across Dubai, Nuria Production generously offered us their studio for a full day at no cost. Their support made the production possible, and we’re incredibly grateful for it.

Although the film didn’t win the competition, several judges later told us it had been one of their favorites, which meant a lot to the entire team.

On set, I worked primarily as the Gaffer while also handling behind-the-scenes photography and video, with additional contributions to set design.

Since most of the film took place in a single studio space, my focus was on building a simple but effective lighting setup using the equipment available. I worked with a spotlight-style key light from above, a softbox for fill, and a handheld light to shape certain shots. Once the base lighting was established, most adjustments throughout the day were minor refinements as scenes changed.

Outside of lighting, I documented the production through behind-the-scenes photos and videos, capturing the process from setup to wrap with a camera that FujiFilm gave us only for BTS. During pre-production, our team also received valuable feedback on the story from filmmaker Uzair Merchant, whose advice helped us strengthen the project before filming began.

Working on You’re Perfect taught me that filmmaking is just as much about problem-solving as it is about creativity. Finding a location became one of our biggest challenges, and seeing our team come together to make it happen showed me how important persistence is. I also got my first real experience leading the lighting on a narrative project and learned how quickly you have to adapt when working with unfamiliar equipment and tight deadlines.