Oral History Interview : Ranjan De

Content Description

This interview is of Ranjan De, who joined CENDIT in 1984. A self taught video professional, the interview documents the speaker’s early experience with media technology, his training, and production work at CENDIT. He describes the equipment at CENDIT, its work with NGOs, the advantages of portable equipment in rural areas for development communication, It also covers aspects such as equipment handling, editing challenges, the shift from film to video, and progression of tape video formats, the roles of technicians and the increasing availability of low rent equipment. The interview covers training the first generation of professionals, describes how learning skills through hands on work took place, the development of structured training programs for teaching video. It also describe the effects of expanding the background of the participants in the training programs. The work environment at CENDIT is described as cooperative, with media and hardware teams working together and technicians supporting production, which made it a prominent hub for independent filmmakers and students by the 1990s.

Condition Description

This oral history interview is recorded in WAV format in one part and spans a total duration of 1 hour 30 minutes and 42 seconds. The audio is clear, with consistent volume and minimal environmental interference. The speaker’s voice is distinct and intelligible throughout, with no overlapping speech or background noise. The interview is made into summary for reference.

Accession Date

2025-03-12

Disposition

The recording has been retained fully as part of the oral history collection due to its documentation of underrepresented voices and lesser known aspects. No materials have been removed or reassigned from this accession. Consent forms have been signed by the interviewees and handed over to AMP.

Acquisition Type

Gift

Provenance

These interview was conducted and compiled by Surajit Sarkar in 2025. It was created by the PAST grantee AMP in order to document oral histories of AV technical staff from the Delhi region.

Retention Rule

This preserves the less heard voices of people involved in the Audio Visual world from 1970s to 2000. Digital files are being stored in an external Hard Disk (HDD) at AMP and on the google cloud. The digital files will be permanently housed at Archives at NCBS, with access governed by project policy. Copies will also be shared with the donor.

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

Yes

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for access unless mentioned in specific folders of the finding aid.

Use Restrictions

Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives at NCBS. Permission for reproduction or distribution must be obtained in writing from the Archives at NCBS (archives@ncbs.res.in). See access guidelines for more information (https://archives.ncbs.res.in/access). The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use.