ALTBalaji’s campaign #ALTBingeathon has turned out to be quite a success amongst the students. The streaming giant ALTBalaji helms the masterclass for aspiring storytellers in association with Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communications and MET Institute of Mass Media. This week, ALTBalaji dropped the latest episode from The Director’s Lab series. This one featured ace director Sattwik Mohanty who directed the critically acclaimed Dark7White and LSD.
The conversation between the student and Sattwik spoke about his fascination for filmmaking since he was a kid. When asked about his experience as a director, he stated that it was a very organic process. He mentioned that he read many comics growing up and began seeing the entire world in the layout of a comic, which helped him visualise and perceive things from a different perspective. Sattwik also revealed that Terminator 2: The Judgement Day was the first film that inspired and made him fall in love with the imaginary world that a film creates. He was blown away by the film, which led him to try his hands in animations and VFX.
Sattwik, during the conversation, also revealed that he particularly enjoys one-take shots because it’s challenging and the result makes it worth the struggle. Some of his favourite one-take shots were from his previous work, LSD, and the chase scene in Dark7White. Speaking about the process of casting, he mentioned that he prefers to adhere to the script. However, if an actor naturally gives more, he believes they should be given the freedom to do so. He specified that everyone selected from the auditions of Dark7White did more than just what was in the script. He mentioned that while he had actors that naturally played their parts and improvised in front of the camera, he also had actors who preferred to be prepared for a shot well in advance.
As the interview came to an end, he was asked for a piece of advice for the younger generation of filmmakers when he said, ‘Writing and direction is an organic process. You need to follow it in whatever way you can. It is important, to be honest to yourself about why you love making films and introspect; find out why you want to do it. Pay attention to see the world with your perspective, incorporating your skills, and apply them to the world. Read comics, watch movies and equip yourself before you start writing. You have to be a good writer and editor to be a good director. Make friends with like-minded people and work with them.
For the unversed, ALTBalaji, as a part of their ongoing campaign, #ALTBingeathon, launched a YouTube series titled ‘The Director’s Lab’. The series aims to bridge the gap and help aspiring students to get practical knowledge in the world of showbiz before they set foot in the very competitive industry of filmmaking and direction. For the same, ALTBalaji has tied up with two reputed B-schools, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communications and MET Institute of Mass Media. It is indeed a one-of-a-lifetime opportunity for the students who aspire to make a mark in the industry. Moreover, students who aspire to become storytellers and content curators get an opportunity to learn from an acclaimed filmmaker’s journey, experiences, and learnings.
The directors from ALTBalaji have been widely acclaimed for the various ALTBalaji shows spanning multiple genres. Therefore, the students will get a one-of-a-kind opportunity to interact with the directors. The first two episodes featured Akshay Choubey (Puncch Beat 2 & Mum Bhai) and Priyanka Ghose (Broken but Beautiful 3).