Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aishwarya Subramanian. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Aishwarya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
I don’t think I would have come this far in my career without the support of my parents. My parents have always been my backbone throughout my life and encouraged me to follow my dream. It wasn’t always like that though. I am the rebel child in my family and always do what I want for myself, be it regarding my meal for the night or my choice of career.
I still remember my mother trying to talk me out of my choice of becoming a production designer, as she was not sure whether it would be a secure career choice for me and my future. But as I pursued my choice, she understood my feelings and was my biggest supporter. Nowadays, she even reads through the credits of every movie she watches so that she can help me out with getting references to further my career.
Aishwarya, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Aishwarya (Ash) Subramanian. I work as Production Designer/Art Director for Film, TV, Music Videos etc. I completed my masters from SCAD in Production Design. Initially, my background was in Interior Design, which I completed in India. Though I liked designing spaces, I was never completely happy with my choice of career. During this time, I used to watch a lot of TV series and music videos, which fueled my fascination in set and production design. I was intrigued by their way of using spaces and surroundings in their stories and how they added an extra layer to the characters’ personality.
Personally, I believe we can learn a lot about a character through their surroundings and I try to approach a story with the intent of highlighting the subtle characteristics of each character involved. When starting a new project, I read the script and try to understand both the story and characters. Based on my initial response of the script, I put together images of possible look for the spaces where the story would take place. As the project moves forward, I add/ modify them based on the inputs from the director and producer to fit the story better. But at the heart of it all I try to help emphasize the importance of the character in the story.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The primary goal in my life is to be able to pursue whatever brings me joy and satisfaction. This is also my driving force and it also allows me to keep driving ahead in my career path. The ability to be able to contribute to the process of filmmaking makes me really happy. It is extremely fascinating to see how different people with varying skills etc. come together for a project and work closely for the span of the project. It can sometimes be very stressful and tiring but it is also equally rewarding when I see the final product.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
One of the resources that I wish I had is networking. As an introverted person, it was particularly challenging to talk to people and pitch myself to them. Being in a field where networking is one of the key resources was very challenging. It took a lot of effort for me to get out of my comfort zone and face people. Along the way I was able to meet some amazing people who only helped me to be more open to various opportunities in life. I voluntarily tried to approach people, talk to them, and gradually allowed myself to get into different projects. Though I still struggle with networking sometimes, I am much more comfortable now than before.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/aishsub104?igshid=ZDdkNTZiNTM=
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aishsub
- Other: https://www.behance.net/gallery/158816675/Portfolio/modules/896087985