The filmmaking and viewing frontier is slowly but steadily making progress in Nagaland. Big kudos should be given to the young up-and-coming cast of actors, directors, and production houses!
In just a few years, there’s a young man who has emerged as one of the most creative cinematographers in town through the hard hitting humour and creative cinematography techniques he employs. First noticed through his work with Dreamz Unlimited short films, his satirical take on issues revolving around Nagaland is sheer artistry and not to be missed-and all this on a shoestring budget to boot! No wonder, he is unabashedly touted as the “lowest paid Cinematographer” by his own team- his name is Imtiakum Ao.
At 27 years old, the creative founder of Rain Drops Entertainment talks about what’s it like to be a young Cinematographer in a barely there film industry and how to survive. Most importantly he shows us that filmmaking is fun and can serve a big purpose as long as you possess talent and creative license.
His love for gadgets and latest technology is what spurred the interest in filmmaking and which propelled him to where he is today. Right after his 12th, he took a course in Multimedia in Dimapur after which he held brief stints working for a music store and as a graphic and design guy at a Media House. At this juncture, he decided to further hone his skill and joined the Arena Animation and Multimedia School at Delhi.
Rain Drops Entertainment started with video filming and editing projects from 2012 and thus began its humble journey. Imtiakum shared with us, “I initially dabbled in making wedding videos because one simply had to because there are no other viable projects to make some money. Even after my training, there were prospects for employment in Delhi but in my heart I knew I wanted to come back and do something in my hometown. It was not instant but a slow process for me, but I always knew I wanted to become a cinematographer.”
“I struggled financially while studying and pursuing my passion but my parents have helped so much even though they could not afford everything for me. In fact, even now nothing much has changed. As you can see, we are making films at zero budgets,” he stated candidly. And this is the experience and knowledge he wants to share with other creative and passionate young people.
Feeling that there are many people interested in filmmaking but assume that there is no prospect and don’t pursue it, he opined “I hope my own endeavor and Dreamz Unlimited changes this mindset in Nagaland. Of course, there are many things I wish for- that we are given more opportunities, that the State government, philanthropists or organizations are willing to invest in our art, that Nagaland film making and viewing scenario progresses fast and so on and so forth. But even right now, though we are not earning anything out from it we don’t lose heart and instead keep pushing forward.”
Also, another thing he really wants to stress on to young people is this, “You should not wait for better equipment. Technology will keep going on and on, and no matter what; we will never be able to catch up. So start with what you have and try to give your best and do not lose hope. Besides passion, Filmmaking requires a lot of dedication and sacrifice and most importantly it’s about team work, support and collaboration or else projects will never get completed.”
Citing his favourite cinematographer as Emmanuel Lubezki who shot the movie “The Revenant, he says with excitement, “His works are just flawless, I love his every shot and the way he uses lights just amazes me every time I watch his movies. Every single shot has meaning, a depth. He makes me feel like I’m inside the movie.” On that note he says that making a film that would screen all over the world and be featured in film festivals is his ultimate dream.
For this young man, the fact that after putting in much hard work and seeing how the final product makes people happy and seeing them enjoy the film is satisfying. He gives us a sneak peek and revealed that lots of “Hoishey! Videos” are on the way, ‘so I request the viewers to please subscribe to our channel on Youtube because this is the only way we can earn a little revenue’. And he has more concepts buzzing in his head to be turned into films soon and just to encourage young aspiring filmmakers he also plans on shooting a film using his phone.
He is popular with his team and friends- not only for his talent and fantastic humour but he is known to be someone always willing to help others. If you find him on Facebook, you would know that he is always posting interactive contests where he offers designs and other freebies. Ask him why and his reply is, “It makes me practice and improve my skills. Also, these small gestures makes other people happy, so why not? It doesn’t cost me much money or time.”
Imtiakum Ao has managed to transcend the limits of low-budget filmmaking to create good films on themes which the Naga audiences can relate to and enjoy. Let’s wish this promising and up-and-coming young filmmaker the best of success.