Oceans and Continents Sri Lanka

25/04/2021

They call him the chameleon that steals the Oscars without even knowing it. Daniel Day-Lewis has graced our screens over the decades and made his mark in film history with iconic roles that explore a wide range of human personalities through intense method acting. Here are 7 performances that made him an indisputable master of the craft.

Daniel Day-Lewis is an iconic performer of both screen and stage. His outstanding talent has landed him three Academy Awards for Best Actor and even a Knighthood in 2014. To celebrate his 60th birthday, Ben Stanley looks back at seven of his greatest film performances.

24/04/2021

Education is the most powerful weapon to enable the growth and development of an individual, a community, and a nation.
Photograph from the O&C archive.

(c) Reza Akram / Australian Aid

23/04/2021

The living legend "Clint Eastwood" is one of the most iconic actors/directors living today. Movies like "Dirty Harry" "Escape From Alcatraz" and "Unforgiven" made him a legend of the silver screen. Here are some of the classics that made Clint Eastwood a bonafide titan in Hollywood.

From ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ to ‘The Mule’ — our picks for the best of Eastwood, in front of and behind the camera

22/04/2021

The planet we live in is at a critical point. How long can humanity continue to prioritize short-term gains over the health of the planet? This earth day, let's make a personal pledge to ourselves to play a part to help protect mother earth for our future generations. Plant a tree, learn something new, join a movement, create art, spread awareness, sing a song, recycle and reuse. There are many ways we can play a part! Happy Earth Day!

🌎 🌍

21/04/2021

Nobody understands the concept of symmetry better than Wes Anderson. The filmmaker has mastered the art of the perfectly balanced shot, and if you want to get a better understanding of how he does his magic, click on the link!

In the Oscar season of 2015, I decided to watch all the nominated movies. It was a great line-up and a great experience watching them all. Consisting of ‘American Sniper’, ‘Boyhood’, ‘The Imitation Game’, ‘Whiplash’, ‘Birdman’, ‘The Theory of Everything’, ‘Selma’ and ‘T...

20/04/2021

Carving a gemstone from the rough to its final form is an intricate art that has been mastered by traditional craftsmen over the course of centuries. Take a look at how a gemstone goes from rough stone to masterpiece in this featurette we did for .

Producer/Director/Colorist - Reza Akram
Script and additional Direction - Yasas R.Ratnayake
Director of Photography - Dimuth De Soyza
Editor - Hasitha Maduranga
Production Manager - Sashanka Atapattu
Camera Assistant - Aaqib Faiz
O&C Team - Wandana Ekanayaka ,Kishan De Silva Wijeyeratne

19/04/2021

Looking for some thought-provoking documentaries that will make you put your thinking caps on? 2020 gave us some of the best documentaries that satisfy any documentary fan.

From a year in the life of a pig to a portrait of investigative reporting in action — the highlights of a very strong year for docs

18/04/2021

One of the most controversial, yet renowned directors of Sri Lanka, Asoka Handagama has always pushed the limits in Sri Lankan Cinema and represented our country on the global stage. Let's take a look at the director's most famous work throughout the years.

17/04/2021

Lee Daniel is back with a new biopic, but how much of the work is fact or fiction? Most "inspired by true events" films tend to have fictional characters and newly added scenes to make the story more dramatic and have a three-act structure. See what is fact and fiction in Lee Daniel's new biopic 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday'.

A breakdown of fact vs. fiction in the Billie Holiday biopic The United States vs. Billie Holiday, directed by Lee Daniels and starring Andra Day.

16/04/2021

Telling stories of humans in all forms of shapes, sizes, and backgrounds is a passion for us. Every assignment gives us something to ponder about and something that inspires us. We did this collection of stories for the Australian Aid program for their work in empowering people around Sri Lanka.

Produced and collaborated with Viewforia Production Studio.

15/04/2021

Akira Kurosawa is a master at film making. He won international renown for classics such as "Rashomon", "Seven Samurai", and "Rhapsody in August". One thing that any filmmaker can learn from Kurosawa is the variety of methods he uses to make his vision come alive. Let's take a deep dive and break down Kurosawa's methods of filmmaking.

Akira Kurosawa - The Master of Masters Some of my favorite directors of all time are Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, and of course Akira Kurosawa. Ever since I watched the Criterion Collection Laserdisc (yes I'm old) of

14/04/2021

From everyone here at Oceans and Continents, we would love to wish you a peaceful, Happy, and Prosperous Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

13/04/2021

Screams of terror, moments that make you close your eyes in absolute fear. and of course, days of restless sleep from the memories. A good horror movie will take you to the most vulnerable places and scare the s*** out of you. Here are some of the greatest horror movies ever made!

From topical zombie apocalypses to retro-slasher flicks, the best scary movies since the turn of the millennium

11/04/2021

Books have always been a source of inspiration to artists throughout the ages. Some of the best films ever made have been inspired by books. Take a glance at ten films that were inspired by books and went onto create cinema history!

The movies on this list either carry the essence of the book or stuck to the source material rather closely.

10/04/2021

Miners transport newly mined graphite on a trolley, 400 meters below the earth in a graphite mine in Bogala. Photograph from the O&C archive.

(c) / Geological Survey and Mines Bureau

09/04/2021

The job of location scouting took a turn for the worst after the global pandemic, and filmmakers had to come up with new methods to get the job done. Here's an insight into how they found new solutions to tackle location scouting during the pandemic.

As productions gear up again with more cameras starting to roll, it’s likely that sets won’t look the same as before the pandemic. COVID protocols have emphasized working with smaller crews and exp…

07/04/2021

In a male-dominated field, women are making a huge comeback as Directors - with female directors like Sofia Coppola, Chantal Akerman taking the lead and taking home the awards one step at a time. It is girl power at its finest. Take a look at 40 of the best female-led films of all time.

Audacious and powerful.

06/04/2021

Searching for treasure isn't easy. We had the amazing opportunity to work with Munich-based gem company Ceylons Munich who helped us get up close with gem miners who put their lives on the line to find treasures of the earth.

Producer/Director/Colorist - Reza Akram
Script and additional Direction - Yasas R.Ratnayake
Director of Photography - Dimuth De Soyza
Editor - Hasitha Maduranga
Production Manager - Sashanka Atapattu
Camera Assistant - Aaqib Faiz
O&C Team - Wandana Ekanayake, Kishan De Silva Wijeyeratne

05/04/2021

What makes a great movie? Is it the script? Is it the director? The actors or the crew? Here are some tips to get you started on how to be a better filmmaker.

Now it's time to flip the script!

04/04/2021

Pets are not just animals. They are a part of our family. They bring joy and love to millions of people around the world and they deserve proper care and attention. We did this fun and furry assignment for PetVet Clinic to show the close bond their employees and clients had with their animal companions. And yes, it was as fun as you'd imagine it to be.

03/04/2021

Lighting is an art in itself in the world of filmmaking. Lighting can help create a range of moods and textures to help tell a story in an engaging and visually stimulating way. Here are 5 important lighting setups that every aspiring filmmaker should know about.

This tutorial takes you through some of the most essential lighting setups step-by-step.

02/04/2021

A farmer on the island of Delft puts out freshly cleaned Palmyrah sprouts to dry. The dried product, Odiyal, is used in a variety of ways as a snack or ingredient in Jaffna cuisine.
Photo from the O&C archive.

(c) Reza Akram / Australian Aid

01/04/2021

B**g Joon Ho's masterpiece "Parasite" is one of the best films of our time. The house where the movie mostly takes place is a prime example of how inventive set designers can be in this day and age. Take a glimpse at how the house in Parasite was created and brought to life.

The "Parasite" director and production designer Lee Ha Jun reveal the meticulous process behind building the film's layered house from scratch.

31/03/2021

We all have that little spot in our hearts for some zombie action every now and then. Here are 21 of the best zombie films out there that will give you enough blood, gore, and gruesome violence to hit that little spot well!

The Collider staff breaks down the 21 best zombie movies of all time, from George Romero's classics to the modern movie classics he inspired.

30/03/2021

Two generations of gem miners after a hard day of work. Photo from the O&C archive.

(c) Reza Akram / Ceylons Munich

29/03/2021

Comedy is the best medicine for any time of day. A laugh can bring joy and lighten up even the gloomiest moments and these comedic performances deserve their time in the spotlight for helping us laugh our troubles away!

The Academy has a bad habit of overlooking comedic performances. Here are 30 that deserved more attention than they got.

27/03/2021

From a mother to a singer to the first supermodel in the world these biopics represent the courage and strength every woman carries within them. Hollywood has created some of the best women's biopics in the last decade from “Gia” to “The Iron Lady” click on the link to find out more must-watch women's biopics.

It's amazing how much these women overcame to go down as legends in the history books.

26/03/2021

Have you discovered your favourite waterfall yet? Photograph from the O&C archive.

(c) Reza Akram / UNDP Sri Lanka

25/03/2021

Hidden Gems of Hong Kong Cinema that you might have missed. Click on the link and open your eyes to a whole new world of cinema from the east!

From the drama to the action, Hong Kong's film industry has certainly put its mark on modern-day cinema. Here are some movies you might not have seen.

24/03/2021

Is it a fish? Is it a worm? Is it a snail? No. The answer is, it’s a sea cucumber, and it could well be a combination of all the above things! Sea cucumbers are a type of bottom-dwelling ocean animal. They are considered a delicacy in some eastern Asian countries, and demand for it is on the rise.
Organizations such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA) have been promoting sea cucumber farming among fishermen in the north of Sri Lanka. The practice is catching up with many like Rasakulam pictured here, who has been reaping the benefits of the lucrative new trade. Picture from the O&C archive. Shot on assignment for the ILO.

23/03/2021

Hungry for some top-notch foreign flare? From the far east to Europe, cinema has been celebrated in a myriad of forms that are thrilling, beautiful, and full of hope. Check out these 25 films that are the best of the crop from the last decade.

In the 2010s, international cinema adjusted to universal shifts in technology and viewership, and gained a greater foothold in the United States, thanks to movies like ‘Parasite,’ ‘Burning,’ and more

22/03/2021

Water from a natural spring in the village of Ranamuré flows along a channel before reaching the village.

(c) /

20/03/2021

For this international women's day, we worked with the International Labour Organization Sri Lanka (ILO) to show you the story of a single mother who has taken her life into her own hands. It's a story of determination to overcome adversity. It's a story of a woman's power to achieve against all odds.

Producer/Colorist - Reza Akram
Director - Yasas R.Ratnayake
Director of Photography - Rishi Selvam
Editor - Hasitha Maduranga
VFX - Malindu Lakshan
Audio Engineer - Sarani Perera
Camera Assistant - Sanjeevan UD
O&C Team - Wandana Ekanayake, Kishan De Silva Wijeyeratne, Malindu Lakshan

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