We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ranjit Arul Singh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ranjit, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
I hope my legacy is that I made films that gave hope and changed lives among people for their betterment. My experimental shorts have themes that show the need for showing respect and creating equality and happiness. My proposed independent feature film also has an underlying theme of happiness and the importance of letting go of the trauma and how it affects a person, in the end, I want to make people believe that they can improve the way they are feeling and lift their moods to have a better and happy life. This is how I start and this is what I hope my legacy will be when I look back after a few years.
Ranjit, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Ranjit, I come from Chennai, India. After my undergrad I moved to Savannah, GA to pursue my grad studies in Film and Television at Savannah College of Art and Design. Upon completion, I worked at a post-production company in Atlanta. Now I am currently working on setting up a crew for my upcoming independent feature film which I am collaborating with fellow alumni from my grad school. I’ve finished the screenplay and am set to direct my indie film.
Apart from working on my own film I also edit / color grade for other projects occasionally. I also tend to provide advice on scripts for fellow writers and directors in their works.
I am most proud that I moved from one country to another and survived, which was a huge task for someone like me. This gave me confidence in exploring new lives, new stories and finding new characters for my stories, getting to know different people and their cultures. Surviving alone gave me a huge confidence boost that I can achieve anything, also it made me step out of my comfort zone and make alliances which built me into a team player. Working as a team, listening to clients, and providing them with what they want, became more easy and simple. It helped me grow into adapting to the needs of the team as well as knowing what to deliver at the right time.
The best quality I see in myself is time management and quickness. I was never late for anything, and I work fast. These are the two best compliments I’ve got from clients and friends. I am fast and on time.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Yes! Love for cinema. That is my fuel. That propels me to never give up. I am deeply madly in love with cinema! The joy of telling stories and seeing how they react is pure happiness. No other thing gives me the satisfaction of seeing my final finished film. I don’t think this love will fade away, with everyone’s support I will keep going and my journey will never cease.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
Be their friend first. People do not believe in what kind of skills you have, people believe in you because of who you are. Be their friend first, show them who you truly are, show them what you can do with their help, and give them the credit and compensation they need. Everyone works for a master but follows a leader, they will take your cause if you show them what you truly believe in.
Before a film shoot, I sit and talk with every crew member or teammate over a drink. I don’t talk about my project, I talk and get to know who they are and listen to them. A day before the shoot or a week before the shoot I invite them for a dinner, and I cook a meal, which helps us bond and become friends. At the end of the shoot, we all become friends and their morale never drops. Treat everyone fair, never put them down in front of others, fight for them and be the person they can rely on when they are in need.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ranjitarulsingh.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranz_8792/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ranzmod8
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranjit8792/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ranz_8792
- Other: https://vimeo.com/ranjitfilms Email: ranjit8792@gmail.com
Image Credits
I own all the images