Going by the spurt of independent short film production houses in the past decade, the city has witnessed the rise of a new kind of start-up enterprise, entrepreneurial filmmaking.
With passion as their underlying principle and honest filmmaking their goal, youngsters in the game understand that just a good concept doesn’t cut it, being able to produce and market it right is part of the whole package. And it never is done by a single hand; the result is a thriving fraternity that feeds of its competition yet is willing to lend a helping hand.
The Entrepreneur
A simple answer from the savants of this business is that anybody with a camera and editing software can produce an output. Their sheer love for film making has brought many young graduates to form such start-ups. Despite their lack of formal education in the craft, young entrepreneurs with only a handful of team-mates have plunged into the business that is providing a platform to test ones skills at narration, performance, direction, and even management.
The Initiator
Refusing to depend on established film production houses, young guns in the city are taking to short film making with gusto. Says Tharun Bhascker of Vinootha Geetha Media (VGM) that was launched in 2010, “When we started, we had nothing but a set of like-minded people who wanted to try their hand at something other than a corporate job.” Now the director of an award winning short film, Anukokunda, he knows he’s chosen the right vocation.
“We didn’t own any major equipment at the start,” explains producer Ranjith Kumar, adding, “We called in favours for the equipment and pooled in money for food and transport. There was also a large amount of rehearsing before we shot on locations to save up on the rent.” Initially started as a five member team, VGM has now opened its doors to mentoring many newcomers
Along the same lines, Yellow Studio Works (YSW) that produced movies such as I Am a Woman and Shaji since its inception in 2009, has worked its way through setbacks. “Obviously we did not have an entire team on payroll,” recollects director Faiz Rai of YSW. “We collaborated with other teams.” Faiz and his team who shot a series of documentaries on foot and lived on streets with a fairly limited expenditure per day, asserts to have had access to nothing more than a large body of actors in the city.
Their initial troubles not withstanding, their zest to continue show their dedication to the craft. “We started this for the love of film making,” reiterates Ranjith, adding, “We feel responsible for bringing forward the art form, but not pressurised.” Agreeing with his producer, Tharun adds awards and applauds are the brownie points, and the attitude is widely prevalent among this crop of short film makers.
The Opportunist
If money was a driving force these entrepreneurs would have dissolved their business a long time ago. However, what seems to be keeping them afloat is business acumen.
“We fund our movies and gain a small return from platforms such as YouTube and Netflix,” explains Hussain Sha Kiran, director from Nakama Creations, known for his meaningfully crafted short films. “However, this barely covers the initial investment; we only make a couple of thousand rupees for tens of thousands of views on YouTube.” For hopefuls like Tharun, platforms that enable good monetisation are a possibility in the near future.
Not wishing to give up on their dreams, their alternative solutions include other avenues as well. “Wedding and corporate films,” comes the quick reply from Faiz. “We have tested waters with commercials and wedding photography as well.” There is clearly a consensus among the group on this. VGM is also no rookie to this type of filming, having added multiple wedding films to its portfolio.
The Survivalist
Undeterred and determined, problems only motivate these companies to work harder. Their saving grace is the satisfaction they derive from the audience. “The first film we made was disastrous,” remembers Vijay, a member of Pondfreaks Entertainment (PE). Since then, they have delivered award winning short films such as Coin and Infinity.
The give-and-take approach among the production houses is helping them delve into bigger ventures as well. Many of whom are in the planning stages of their first feature film give as much credit to their competitors as they give to their own mistakes – “a surviving mantra” as Tharun calls it. Just like an entrepreneur would, they leverage their skills and contacts to a potential use. Whatever may be the ending, it seems the climax is still a long way to go.