ISFFH Q & A with Director Venkat Krishnan
Venkat Krishnan won Best Suspense/Thriller for his film “Shark” in the 2012 International Student Film Festival Hollywood (ISFFH) and we had the opportunity to have a Q & A interview with him recently and learn some more about him and where he got the inspiration for his film.
ISFFH: Tell me about yourself and what drives your creativity.
Venkat Krishnan: I was born and brought up in a rural part of India. Some families had the privilege of owning a television in my neighborhood; however I did not have one. My parents took me to the movie theatres only once a year. So for passing the time, I went to the nearby library with my grandpa and read all the storybooks that I had access to – comics, suspense, and drama. Some I understood and some I did not, but the words and actions transported me to another world. For a few minutes or hours, the world I lived in faded away and I became part of an alternate reality that had the power to make me laugh and cry. When I returned to reality, not only I was refreshed and renewed, but also the stories made me think about life and the values surrounding it. I also realized that there is just something within me that need to be released in a form of a story – my vision, my imagination, and my fantasy.
When I went to college, I saved my food money to go to movie theatres. I made sure I watched at least three films a week regardless of whether I had assignments or tests. In one of the films, there was a scene where a terrorist planted a bomb in a school bus. The audience knew this, but the school children in the movie didn’t know about this. They sang in the bus happily. I prayed for them that the bus wouldn’t explode and someone (the hero) would come and save them. But nothing happened. The bomb exploded. I have read these types of stories before, but seeing this scene as an image registered in my mind a fear, which haunted me for many days. For me this one image raised questions about life, freedom, humanity, social justice and a lot more. I realized the power of visuals. An image or photograph can be a substitute for thousands of words. If I want to express my vision or idea to society through a story, I want to tell it through a powerful medium so that it has more impact. That’s why I decided to choose film and wanted to become a filmmaker.
ISFFH: Where do you find inspiration?
Venkat Krishnan: Inspiration for my stories mostly comes from my life, my observations on life and my reactions to life.
It also comes from the people I see, the people I talk to, the people I read about and the people I work with. Everyone is unique and holds his/her own story.
ISFFH: Who are your mentors?
Venkat Krishnan: I don’t have anyone who specifically encouraged me to become a filmmaker, but I attribute my decision to enter this profession to my father. I didn’t learn anything about filmmaking from him, but I learned a lot about life – how to balance life between work and family, how to maintain control in tough situations at hand, how to be focused on good thoughts and a lot more. He has always told me to pursue what makes me happiest.
ISFFH: Tell me about your film and where you got the idea for it.
Venkat Krishnan: Although I generally prefer to write films about children, I wanted to explore a different genre this time. Some people have two faces – the real one and the masked one. They use the masks to make themselves seem good or to protect themselves from reality. At one point, they start to believe that the mask is the real self.
This film Shark is about four of these masked people who cross paths to keep stolen diamonds for themselves. I do not want this suspense film to be cliché or predictable. Thus I wanted to challenge myself and do something different, which is why I wrote this story as taking place in one room. Additionally, I adopted the non-linear technique, where the story travels back and forth from the present to the past. Some of the flashbacks and realities that occur in the film are a combination of truths and deceptions. I wanted to incorporate the perspectives of each of the criminals, however not all renditions are real. As the film progresses, it becomes more and more clear which stories are false, and at the end of the film the audience finds out which version is real. When the audience feels like all the suspense factors are resolved, ten seconds before the end of the film, the final twist in the plot is revealed.
ISFFH: Who is the audience you wrote the film for?
Venkat Krishnan: Due to the nature of its content, adults rather than children would be an acceptable audience. To be specific, this film is targeted for a matured audience who likes to be entertained.
ISFFH: What message do you want people to take away after seeing your film?
Venkat Krishnan: Good or evil always pays with interest. Whether they get the reward or punishment is only a matter of time.
ISFFH: What do you consider the elements of a good film?
Venkat Krishnan: If the film makes the audience think about life for at least a few seconds, then that is a good film.
ISFFH: What advice do you have for fellow student filmmakers?
Venkat Krishnan: Eat well. Stay healthy. Exercise regularly. Do yoga. Sleep for eight hours. Read books. Watch films. Balance the life between love of film and the world around you.
Filmmaking is not like chess where it requires only one talent. Filmmaking is teamwork. Know how to communicate, work, and interact with the group whatever role you play.
Above all, have a good attitude.
ISFFH: What are your goals? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Venkat Krishnan: I have watched a lot of films that have moved and inspired me. I would like to make films of this caliber for my audience. This is my all-time goal.
In 10 years, professionally, I would like to have made feature films. As for a personal goal, I would like to use my films as a way to give back to the society that has taught me so much.
ISFFH: How can people follow your work?
Venkat Krishnan: www.imdb.com/name/nm4595383/
ISFFH: Any final words you want to share?
Venkat Krishnan: ISFFH is very special to me because for my first short film ‘Remission of Sins’ I won the Best Children Drama Award. This is the first award I won in my filmmaking career. It made me feel that there are people who want to see my films and as a result I must use everything I have to make the best films possible.
Hollywood is the capital city of the entertainment world. The International Student Film Festival Hollywood is the only film festival that embraces all ages from around the world, offering students the unique opportunity to gain the recognition of film industry leaders creating career development opportunities in their home countries as well as the United States. The opportunities provided by the ISFFH not only benefit the students, but the world community by bringing together people of diverse cultures and differing viewpoints.
The International Student Film Festival Hollywood is now accepting submissions for its 11th annual Film and Video Competition. The Festival will be held in the NoHo Arts District of North Hollywood, CA USA October 26 – 27, 2013. The competition is open to students of all ages and academic backgrounds. Submission deadline is August 15, 2013. More information and entry forms are available on the festival website www.isffhollywood.org. You can also find us on facebook www.facebook.com/ISFFHollywood.