We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shantishree Patil a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shantishree , thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
My fascination with art and creativity began with nature. Looking at its amazing, breathtaking inventions made me rethink. How can the perfume of a surrounding area or an antique ancestral home influence your psyche and offer you peace? Although I was born in the countryside, I grew up in the city. Growing up in a town was a chaotic experience. Whenever my family and I visited our ancestral home in the countryside, I observed a difference in my parents’ body posture or behavior. Returning to your childhood home and recalling beautiful memories with the same aroma of furniture, walls, and space was soothing. It was satisfactory. Slowly, I realized the power of nature and spaces in influencing emotions and behaviors. That was when I became obsessed with drawing landscapes and paintings. I used to paint scenes from the countryside to express the stories behind them, and it eventually became my passion.
Furthermore, I was always drawn to extracurricular activities during high school. Back in school, I excelled at sports and the performing arts. But I had no idea that playing the Harmonium, competing in drawing-dance competitions, and attending sports as a hobby would become a substantial component of my life. It was an oblivious process of gravitating towards art. Participating in numerous art forms increased my awareness of expressing a narrative without telling it. There are methods for conveying a story without saying it. Body movements, gestures, eye lines in dance; brush stocks, knife impressions, and color hues in a painting or sketch uniquely tell a story. Storytelling itself is an art that may be conveyed through any medium.
Ultimately, my passion for storytelling encouraged me to pursue architecture. A way to create a space that will be a medium of storytelling. Providing a space where you will meet your emotions and comfort! Each space defines a different story and stimulates distinct emotions. Studying architecture was one of my most challenging and time-consuming endeavors but the most exciting and memorable. I discovered many things that influenced my thought process and the attitude of glancing at the identical situation differently.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My hometown is Pune, India. Pune is recognized as a cultural hub where we may discover various artists. Since childhood, I have had an intense fascination with theatre and dance. I pursued these hobbies in addition to my architectural studies. Similar to architecture, I use these mediums to express myself. My undergraduate thesis in architecture focused on all the artists based in the television industry in my home state. Through different activities and interactions with various artists, I learned about the architectural requirements in this field. So, I created a space where all artists and artwork could gather, stay, and interact. While working on my thesis, I discovered my desire for the film. During my thesis, I studied various aspects of film and learned a lot of intriguing subjects. That inspired my dedication to film design and storytelling. That’s when I began researching for Production Design courses overseas. Production design is the process of creating a film set.
I’m pursuing a master’s in production design at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. Also, I completed my thesis production two weeks ago. It was a wonderful experience where I learned a lot and met some great personalities. From choosing the color pallet to painting the details on the walls, the space you designed is incredible! I get peace in seeing the space I visualized on paper come to life. It also gets me more excited about working in this line of work. Increases my confidence and motivation.
My architectural abilities make the design process simpler for me. Designing has always been an enjoyable process for me. I enjoy creating insane ideas that cannot be implemented in their current form and then working on making them more functional and doable. The journey sometimes drives me nuts, but I enjoy the craziness of giving everything I can to reach what I want.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Working as an architect, where I encountered various unforeseen situations, taught me where to direct my efforts and which crises to prioritize. Working on a design for over a month and not getting approved, then having to repeat the process till the client agrees, makes you impatient. You may be required to occasionally work overnight due to unexpected meetings the following day. Sometimes, the meeting gets postponed, and you are disappointed because you worked over twenty hours on that job. This is an incredibly unpredictable process. I worked briefly, but this experience taught me to be prepared to handle any circumstance, not to startle but to handle it wisely and gently.
Working as a Production Designer is no different. The script gets changed from time to time, and we must keep going as the script updates. Every department wants to deliver a better story, so I must agree to the changes I can practically change, keeping the schedule and financial aspects in mind.
I worked on a thesis that had a story about a creepy motel look. The Interior was supposed to be dingy, unpleasant, and old. We chose a motel location with an appealing exterior and decided to develop a room interior that would complement the design and the exterior colour scheme. Before two weeks of shooting, production faced challenges at the motel location. There was a possibility of losing the location. My production was stressful, and my director was concerned about PD because we had already completed the construction and painting. We had to construct a small portion of the exterior that looked precisely like the practical premises.
That was a difficult period. But when my director called to check on me, I was calm. I could do nothing but keep functioning on other tasks as we were tight on schedule. I realized that being sad or frustrated would not change the fact. Exerting energy and attention will not solve the problem with the location. I was ready to make reasonable changes as per the new location. I could not help but be creative in combining the colour palettes of the new exterior with the already-constructed Interior. Eventually, production fought for the original location, which came at a cost. But in the end, it was all worth it!
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What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Art, for me, is not just a skill; it’s a journey into vulnerability, a process where I willingly surrender to the unpredictable tides of emotion and thought. When I emerge in the art I am creating, it’s not an escape from reality; it’s a secluded connection with my innermost thoughts, a confrontation with the raw, unfiltered emotions that lurk beneath the surface.
Art is a manifestation of my sympathies, an extension of my essence onto the canvas. It is a mode of amplifying tender and bold experiences for me. The act of creation is an important journey, impacting not just the canvas but my trajectory toward the future. The beauty lies not only in the final masterpiece but in the dedication to the process—the continuous pursuit of improvement, the willingness to learn from earlier mistakes, and the audacity to evolve into something unusual. It’s not just about talent but the relentless passion to push the boundaries of creativity.
Doing what I love is not just a privilege; it’s a hard-earned prestige, a rare opportunity to craft a future that aligns with passion. If I possess the luxury of pursuing what I love, I vow to honor it, making the most of this privilege and respecting the art of living in the vibrant hues of passion and purpose.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: shanto_enart1997
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/shantishree-patil-533124220
Image Credits
BTS / Stills by Chaewon Suh, Frank Xu and Antonio Zamarripa. Art by me.
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