Interview with Animation film maker Gitanjali Rao

Interview with Animation film maker Gitanjali Rao

“"Different art styles are like vacations. You don't repeat the same ones often, even if they are fun"

You know an artist when you meet one. The way an artist looks at things and expresses them is always unique, individual and beautiful.

Gitanjali Rao is one such artist. An illustrator, animator and director, she has kept at her art for the past 11 years. Her repertoire includes some well known commercial as well as personal animation.

Gitanjali is very influenced by the East European Masters like Jerzy kucia, Jiri trnka etc and as an animator she doesn't work with Key Frames and In betweens, preferring to do progressive animation as it gives her a very realistic, good result.

Just into a conversation with Animation 'xpress' Anand Gurnani, she puts forth her philosophy "Different art styles are like vacations. You don't repeat the same ones often, even if they are fun"

That sets the ball rolling for an artfelt conversation.

Excerpts

How did you get into Animation?

I am an art student and just more than a decade ago I passed out of JJ institute of Applied arts majoring in illustration. I was also very interested in films but couldn't afford to do another 3 years at FTII. So I decided to get into animation which synthesized both the arts of illustration and film making.

At that time there was only Ram Mohan Biographics and I joined there working in his production team. At RM I had dual benefits, one that of learning under RM while doing production work and the other of learning from Ajit Rao who used to teach a batch of students at RM. I was there for 2 years and that's where I learnt the basics of animation.

One of the most impressive films I did while at RMB was the Essar Positive Attitude campaign. The animation style was very different from RM and was noticed. Most of Suhael/ Shrirang/ Sanjeev's animation was the Disney kind. The TVC I had created was more of a moving design, a dynamic graphic with a lot of morphs and shapes. The unconventional animation was quite appreciated.

Post that did some films for Channel V, worked on short films, title animations and channel i.d.s after which I left R.M.

Who were your peers at RMB?

A few of my peers out there were Rekha Thorat, Gayatri Rao and Chetan Sharma. Shilpa Ranade and Simi Nallaseth had already left RM before I had joined.

Next stop after RMB was?

I worked with Shilpa Ranade on a project for Channel 4 (Wales), entitled Childhood of Krishna I was one of the animators on that. This was followed by a 3 month stint at Tata Interactive, I however got bored with doing online gif animations which were just looped animation.

Then I joined Famous (98), and worked on Shivaji which never took off as the TV series it was initially conceptualized to be. I worked at Famous for almost five years. It was there that I learnt what it took to make a complete animation film.

Also while working at Famous, I made my first animation film, titled Orange. I am lucky in the sense that everyone I have worked with be it Ram Mohan or E suresh have been very liberal and have always encouraged me to make my own films.

When you say Orange, are you referring to the Orange cellular service ads?

A still from the Hutch 'H&i' animated TVC

I created my own personal short film Orange quite a few years ago at Famous which had nothing to do with the Cellular service. Coincidentally I have also created all the 2D animated Hutch TVCs. I have been freelancing for the past 3 years now and have created nearly 12 minutes of animation for the Hutch commercials (with about 7-8 spots of 20 to 60 seconds and a six minute AV) Some of these (Hutch commercials) were directly with the agency (O&M) while some were with independent ad film producer Bob. Some of the created spots are yet to be aired.

Interestingly 80% of the animation ads created by me have never been aired, they just get commissioned and made and then they are not aired. I've also done a lot of animatics early on.

What is the film that you are currently working on, all about?

The movie is about an old woman and a cat living in an apartment in the city. She lives alone and what keeps her going and motivated is her matchbox collection. She just stares at her various beautiful matchboxes and transgresses into them, into their world, and has a great life.

The story is told through the matchbox covers. There is a lot of mood and design play here. Indian matchbox labels have very strong Indian folk art influences and screen printing constraints, so the labels in my film are strongly influenced by various Indian Folk Art styles. Its like bringing "Mughal Miniature" paintings to life, or the "Street Art" style of Tamil Nadu, or the "Truck Graphics" all over India and so on.... Her cat also accompanies the woman in her travels within the different worlds.

She exchanges matchboxes with her neighbor and looks forward to going through her new refreshed collections. One fine day, the woman and her cat are lost in a world that they are traversing through a matchbox and the neighbor walks in the open door only to discover that they are dead, a closer inspection of the matchbox reveals the old woman waving happily to him through her happy matchbox world .

The movie looks at loneliness and death in a more hopeful way and I am very excited about it. I have been working alone on this film for the past 2 years now. It is a 2D animated (15 mins) short film, written, directed, animated and produced by me.

That's donning many hats. Isn't it?

The reason I prefer to produce my own movies is that there are no creative constraints, no time constraints and no budgetary constraints.

No budgetary constraints???

Yes! Since I don't have any budget, there is no constraint!

What about your previous films?

Orange was about 2 women sitting over a drink and talking about relationships.The film is a lyrical expression through forms and figures which I use to emote as well as tell a story. While it rains outside, they discuss love, heartbreak and hope in happiness. It is an unconventional subject for animation in India,(never passed the censor board requirements) however it was awarded the IDPA Award, BCL and INSEA Award.

Another small film I did was for Discovery, however the deal didn't work out. I went ahead and completed the film on my own. Its about a little girl and her cat discovering space not as a strange place but full of magical constellations and planets to play catch with, and comets to ride on.

I don't work with Key Frames and In betweens. I prefer to do progressive animation and it gives me a very good result, very realistic. Another weakness of mine is smoothness in animation.

Who have been your influences as an artist?

Lots! I watch 2-3 films every week and have been very greatly influenced by the East European Masters. In fact I haven't watched any of the latest animation flicks. I am more of the old school kind.

In terms of films across both animation and live action, I started out with appreciating the masters like Bergman, Fellini, Tarkovsky, Kieslowski, Kurosawa etc. then onto the masters of today like Almodovar, Kiarostami, Miyazaki. I also like Scorcese and Coppola.

What I like about Miyazaki is that there are many stories and not a problem and solution structure. Its more like an eastern fable, a folk tale rather than a fairy tale. I prefer experimental cinema which leaves some space for viewers to think.

"What I like about Miyazaki is that there are many stories and not a problem and solution structure"

There are so many film makers that I just love, Ishu patel is one of my favorite animation directors, he has explored various design styles across his creations. Jerzy kucia(Poland) is like God for me, I was very lucky to have met him when he came down to Mumbai, I went and stayed with him for a month to learn under him. Working with him was an eye opener.

Then there's Jiri trnka (Czech) - He's done a series of brilliant claymation films. Also Paul Dressen is a great animator. Caroline Leefe, Wendy Tilby, the list could go on…

Actually Canada has pushed animation big time since the times of Norman McLaren (50's).

Please continue?
The governments of Canada, France and East European countries have actively encouraged and funded animation. It's a way of keeping their identity and culture alive. For the East European countries after being affected by the world war, arts like animation are one way to preserve and keep their identity alive.

If one got funding for films, it would be faster to create films. However it actually takes longer to look for funds then to earn that much money by creating animation for the market.

I really hope that my present film can get me funding for my next so that I can work peacefully.

What Indian work has impressed you?
Amongst Indian work I've been impressed by Raju & I, its a good effort and I am looking forward to seeing Animagic's next. I also liked Vaibhav and Narayan's Freedom Song.

The main thing for an artist is the constant need to evolve and learn and grow. I have walked away from any place that started getting involved with outsourced work. I have been approached many a times to get involved or to be part of a startup venture, but I refrain from it. I have seen a lot of creative people get lost in the administration and economics of running a place and clog their creative skills in the process. In such a set up you end up doing what a client wants.

"I have seen a lot of creative people get lost in the administration and economics of running a place and clog their creative skills in the process"

What's the toughest thing about making a film?
Well, if the theme is universal than the toughest thing is to have your film appreciated by kids. They are very difficult to please as viewers and their reactions are very honest. I would consider my film good if a kid sat through the entire length rather than an adult appreciate it.

I also love doing illustrations for Children's books and have done quite a few of them.

Which ones?

I've done some UNICEF work along with Ram Mohan. Explored folk art of India for a beautiful year book it had 12 different stories, narrated in 12 different illustrative styles, portraying 12 different rural settlements.

I have also been regularly illustrating books for an NGO, Abacus for the past 5 years. These are year long kits for educating street kids with problems they would have to deal with. The sense of history is again portrayed as in what would be relevant to them. It's been a very learning experience for me.

I am considering children's book illustrations seriously. In India a lot of good children's books are being created in Delhi. I eventually want to get to writing my own stories and illustrating them.

What happens is most of the art that an artist does is an expression of what one has experienced and thinks. Over a period of time, the art gets monotonous and limiting. One has to grow in order to express newer art.

Films take a long time and lot of energy that's when books illustration appeals to me greatly. I am considering books seriously for the future.

Parting Shot?

I crave to get an opportunity to work and learn under a master animator. In the past I have availed of such opportunities but I still want growth. I want to grow, evolve and express. That's what art is all about. Isn't it?