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You are tuned in today with Idea Pettiya presented by Mathawaada...
We are going to speak with Anjula Rasanga...who is the director and producer of..
a documentary called Angam. Also he as got himself involved...
in many other creative projects. So lets find out about all of that.
The Angam documentary is based around...
a traditional martial art in Sri Lanka called Angam Pora...
So within that documentary we talk about a lot of things...
For instance..
the establishment of this martial art and the start of Sri Lankan race happens together...
that whole legend is discused as a part of this...
...documentary. and how
this martial art is prevailing today and how it has gone out of the country...
for instance...its a dying art..
so how did it survive this long and how they are planing to take it forward are
discussed within this film.
N: Something I've noticed is that..
we havent seen a documentary about Angam Pora with proper research.
I guess, this must be the first of its kind..
How did you get the idea to start this? What was the reason behind this?
To tell you exactly...
First it was me and a few friends...
who had this interest, a "Film Fever" so to speak..
So after thinking of doing different things...
...it all starts in 2008. ...
In 2009 we create our first short film..
but its safe to say that the knowledge we had in those days was zero.
But still...
the knowledge we had wasnt from film-schools or by studying...
it was all from watching films, going through "making ofs' and surfing through the internet.
so with that knowlege we do our first short film called, Valentine Crush.
For that me, Dhanushka Kathriarachchi, Amila Akalpa...
...Eranga Hemajith and Sureni De Silva gets involved.
So from that we get a success that we didnt even..
..think of. It gets through to several film festivals..
More than that, on the day after we released on Youtube
It gets featured on 20th Century Fox Search Lab...
..home page with a profile written for it. So that was our start actually.
because we had been taken to a position we hadnt even thought of...
because we had been taken to a position we hadnt even thought of.
..and with that encouragement we got..
we thought we should continue doing this..
So...we got involved in different other projects..
and then we were wondering whether to do a feature film or a documentary..
and then we were wondering whether to do a feature film or a documentary..
So those who got involved first changed a bit..few joined...
..and a few dropped. Somehow by 2009/10..
when we had come to the conclusion of doing a documentary..
we were searching for different topics.. we really wanted to..
speak about Sri Lankan things more...
As you said, even we havent seen a proper documentary about Sri Lankan
art and cultural things...
So Angam Pora was also one of those topics within these subjects...
Strangely we come across this through Facebook..
Its through facebook that we see that there is a bunch of...
Angam Pora practitioners like this.
We've seen on newspapers as well, but no one had a way of contacting them...
We've seen on newspapers as well, but no one had a way of contacting them...
So through that we develop a big relationship with them...
But at first they did not like this idea...
because...
they have huge obligations with that art...
they have huge obligations with that art and a lot of rules associated with it...
but later on once they got to know us well..
we were able to go ahead with it.
But when we started off this film, we didnt have a big budget or funding...
..nothing was available... it was just five friends including me, Amila Akalpa...
...Lalindra Amarasekara, Eranga Hemajith and Anuradha Jayasuriya.
It was the five of us who got together and said, "Machan lets do this."
I borrowed a camcoder from Masitha Ranwala, who was a friend of mine.
and thats how it started.. to be honest..
the whole production cost was only around Rs 14-15,000.00
We didnt have any resources...
We really wanted to travel around Sri Lanka...
and meet other Angam Pora practitioners as well...
..but we didnt have that much facilities for that.
So we gotogether with those who are based around Colombo to do this..
..thats when we met Karunapala Master and..
many others..
When we talked with them...
When we talked with them about the history and these legends...
we realised that its based around many folk tales and "Jathaka Katha"..
these things may sound like a joke to an ordinary person. So we thought...
that these things need to be proved a bit further.
That's when we meet Senior Archeologist..
Mr.Shehan Deraniyagala, so with his input..
our story expands further.
So that's how with alot of difficulties...
this film gets made.
this film gets made.
N: I would like to talk about another thing...
There's much less use of equipments and resources....
but still...
we saw a film that is developed very well...
How was this done?
I guess, issues at hand with any new filmmaker in Sri Lanka is...
how do find equipments, how do edit, process or render this...
How did you tackle these things? How did you move forward?
As you said...
when we started off we didnt have a huge knowledge...
neither of us had experience in a feature film or a full lenght documentary...
some had done commercials...
...though had some kind of experience, noone had handled a large project.
So we wanted to gain some knowledge out of this...
Something that we strongly belive in is that..
without doing anything or getting the experience you cannot learn..
you need to learn from experience.
So we thought from the begging to do this as professional as possible..
In short, even from agreements...
we made sure in detail that everything was done as a professional project.
we made sure in detail that everything was done as a professional project.
Nomatter how low the resources were, tried to make sure that it
Nomatter how low the resources were, tried to make sure those resources are used...
...to its maximum capacity.
Even with a handy cam, we tried to take steady cam shots..
speacilly its a documentary with a lot of action...
so when doing these action, without keeping it in the same angle...
we got them to do the same action several times...
and edited them beautifully.
By taking it in two angles....it seems like if it had been done using multi-cameras..
So all of it was done that way.
And we edited using our personal laptops and home computers...
...thats how it started. The edit process...
took us a lot of time, since all of us were doing this while working.
So as I said before...
since this was done in planned, professional way...
I guess were able to achieve this much of a result.
N: Another thing i noticed was...
There are a lot of new filmmakers in Sri Lanka...
...how should they, based on your exprience...
...approach a new subject? For example...
Angam documentary had some good fan reviews...
...amongst those who were with the Cinema, and amateurs...so likewise...
for anyone else in Sri Lanka...is there is a proper future...
to go forward? What we see everywhere are popular films...
to go forward? What we see everywhere are popular films...
becomming mainstream, but for an undeground movement to develop...
what needs to be there? and how should they go forward with it, according to your view?
I think for a such a movement to develop...
...this is the best time, with this new medium we have.
Youtube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, mediums like these...
theres no cost for these things. But through these...
...we can attract a larger audience. And no need to confine your self within the Sri Lanka.
...we can attract a larger audience. And no need to confine your self within the Sri Lanka.
...we can spread to many places...we can directly communicate with...
...professionals we couldnt even think of.
With this internet boom we have a lot of opportunities...
So what i think is without just chatting on Facebook...
if we try to make some use of it, thats what we actually did...
...without just flirting on Facebook...
...we tried to take some use of out of it.
I have seen that many short filmmakers in Sri Lanka...
just keep their film in the drawer once its completed. Might send it to a festival..
...but win or lose, its just kept inside.
I have personally told many, "Why are you keeping it like this, get it uploaded on Youtube..
...create a fan page for it" It needs to be promoted... thats compulsory.
May be we may have it in our blood since we are in the advertising field.
So these things are essential, without that we cannot create an industry.
Specially, if we are to...
make yourself heard amidst giants in the industry...
would be diffiicult, without that.
would be diffiicult, without that.
Because in this film we did that.
When the film was getting completed, we opened up a blog site with all relevant information...
then Facebook fan pages, Twitter feeds all of that through online mediums...
...we had done it. Created a large audience.
Then when it came to screening, we created media kits and gave them to newspapers and tv stations...
...all of that was done..
I guess its the result of these. We did two shows at German Culture centre...
and what they said was that it was the first time they had two shows fullhouse back to back.
...So that shouldnt be a surprise...
because we did that promotion properly...
If you are doing a film, specially if your a producer...
without just saying "ahh lets do a film"...
...starting from the conceptualisation, you need to decide to whom we are going to show this...
and how its going to be taken forward..
...without just being lost in the art. Art and business needs to be balanced...
...for us to go ahead as an industry.
Someone can say, "We are just doing art" but how can you...
...feed your editor and your cinemategrapher...and how can you invite him to your next project?
...you dont get answers for those questions if you are just...
...buried inside art. Not that its worng...
...but those things need to be thought a bit more. I think theres a lot of young filmmakers..,
...thats a really good thing. This was not there few years back.
...thats awesome..
These people now need to come forward like that. Now I see people who have done short-films...
few years back are now involved in feature films. Thats great. Thats that needs to happen.
...so an industry needs to be developed for that. Though we may not be able to...
...do a theater realse, by doing private screenings like this you should create an audience for it.
For those promotion is essential.
First project you may do with a low budget, but when you go for the next project...
...are you going to do it the same way? Thats a question..
So those things needs to be thought a bit more as a director or a producer though...
....in Sri Lanka most of the time director, producer role is played by the same person or team,
....in Sri Lanka most of the time director, producer role is played by the same person or team.
....in Sri Lanka most of the time director, producer role is played by the same person or team.
If thats done, we can do a something great in the future.
There are a lot of young artists who can do...
...a lot of things internationally comming through this online medium.
N: Moving a bit away from it...
If we look at Angam, what have you planned for Angam for future?
We know that there were two successfull screenings are German Cultural Centre...
...what are your plans ahead?
For the moment we are hoping to do more screenings within Sri Lanka...
...we have recived inviations from societies...
...that they would like to do screenings. So small private...
....screening sessions will happen in the future. Apart from that...
...we have submitted this to several film festivals already...
and we are doing a German translation...
of this. Because in this film one part...
...is about how this art being taken to a country like Germany, and spearing across Europe.
So we thought if this it to be taken...
outside the country, we need to use that language.
So for the moment we are doing a German Dub...
So for the moment we are doing a German Dub.
We are hoping to do a few screenings over there by next year...
So thats how its all planned for Angam for now.
N: How was the fan feedback for Angam?
I know that they accepted it well, but how did you personally experience it...
Well it was actually good. We had a quite a bit of mistakes...
...because we are first time filmmakers anyway...
...many we gave a very positive feedback.
and while giving that feedback showed us any mistakes we may have done.
Technical faults or any issues we had with subtitles or translations...
...so things like that were pointed out.
Also within the films momentum, how to correct boring areas...
...things like that were pointed out. Overall...
it was all positive feedback. You shouldnt take mistakes negatively...
...because for your own good that they are pointing them out.
N: I think if we take this next, you have...
...done this project with a group, what are your next plans?
....any idea to go for any other projects?
Those who worked with me...
...Amila Akalpa Perera: Editor, Lalindra Amarasekara: Music & Production,...
...,Eranga Hemajith: ***.Director & Producer, Anuradha Jayasuriya: Cinemategropher.
All four of them are in the field for the moment...
...in the commercial trade. Amila is working as a...
...professional editor. Lalindra has formed his own company...
...for Digital Video & Web Designing, Eranga is comming up as a writter...
...Anuradha is working as a freelancing Cinematagropher...
So all of us have an idea to do a large project in the future...
...most probably few more small documentaries will be made...
...most probably few more small documentaries will be made...
...and all of us really want to do a feature film but as i said...
...it cant be another low budget film...
...so for us to start professionally we need a small break...
...after getting the exposure we can get from Angam Film.
Being more prepared.
Because the things we learnt when doing the Angam film last was immense...
....so taking a look back at them...
...trying to see what we couldnt do, what did we miss...
...and to plan something big in the future is a thought we have.
But there will be a small silence for about a year or two...
...because we need to get prepared for it.
So thats our plan for now.
N: Someting we know is that you are also into Cartooning...
....whats your experience from that side?
Cartooning as in the craze for "story-telling" was there since i was small...
...from school times, even from Grade 1 or 2
...I was drawing cartoons...
...I was drawing cartoons...
...originals, self written and dranw were given by me to friends...
so thats how it started.
I guess it was that passion for story-telling that later turned into films...
...i do those things now as a hobby as well...
But professionally I have done a few projects...
...one of those were the artwork done for Feroze Kamaldeen's...
amouse drama Puswedilla's DVD artwork.
famouse drama Puswedilla's DVD artwork.
I did a series of caricatures for that.
Similarly have done few more projects like that.
No big hopes to go ahead as an artist or not...
...it may happen it may not, I dont know.
I do it mostly as a hobby...
...and if we take all four of us have different things like that.
...If we take Lalindra, he actually gets involved in the film as a producer...
...but only when we were going ahead we remember that this guy also Djs.
So suddenly, the person who did production comes to my film as a musician...
So suddenly, the person who did production comes to my film as a musician...
...so like that everyone have thier own hidden talents...
...not having a proper place for them was the issue.
When Lalindra was composing music, it was I who was surpised...
thought we have seen him DJing at events and parties...
...I havent seen him composing an original track...
...I havent seen him composing an original track.
To see him creating his own original track...
from the small drum tracks we had was amazing.
It had a lot of feedback even before the film's release.
And if we take Eranga, hes comming out as a writter, as a poet...
...now writting short stories...
...but hes working in the advertising industry in a totally different field.
So like that everyone has two sides to thier lives.
...for different talents, so thats good...
...to have variety without being confined to one thing.
N: Its good that you brought that up Anjula...
...because something we have noticed, is that everyone have thier desires and hobbies...
....there are those who do art or writting...
...but if take some when they start working they get busy...
....sometimes it becomes hard for them, they forget that aspect...
...so how to maintain that, how should it be done?
...or does it have to be continued...what's your exprience about it?
Certainly...
Most of the time the problem everyone has is...
...its not our passion that we select as a job...
...it can be for so many reasons...
...so what we do most of the time is that we get into a different field...
...stuck in to a job forcibly...
....I think without just being stuck, no matter how busy you are...
...if you can manage your time your can...
....make some free time for yourself.
From that free time you need to properly plan what you can do...
...you defiently need to study about it, no matter how much of a passion you have or whether...
its an inborn talent, by studying it doesnt mean going to an university or acedamically...
learning about it, as i said before use the internet, read books...
....somehow, little by little, even if you spend 20 mins per day...
...you can learn a lot. These days you just need to sit infront...
...of the machine and just login. So like that do small projects,
Because if you do something, you will get a result out of it.
Because all of us know it by experience.
Before I was drawing cartoons just for my friends but...
...when I submitted those cartoons online is when...
...i came across all those. Basically I got the chance to draw the characters for the Puswedilla DVD....
...i came across all those. Basically I got the chance to draw the characters for the Puswedilla DVD....
....was when I did a fan art out of love for that character.
....was when I did a fan art out of love for that character...
...and posted on Facebook.
Not even a day passed after that, the producer called me and asked "Why aren't you doing anything for this?"
...so if you take an initiative...
...then you can do a lot of things. You dont need to get confined within the job...
....you can do your job well, while doing that you can use your free time...
..I think its just time management.
Sometimes your passion, if you are lucky enough....
...can be turned into your job if you have that need.
Its never impossible...
...If you think that it cant be done, then it cant be.
It happened to us even....when we started doing the film many told us...
that you are just dreaming, for what are you doing this? why are you doing these?
....do CIM and get a promotion.
We were told those things, so if we got demotivated from those things...
...we wouldnt be here.
I remember when doing this film, when I told that I want to take Shiran Deraniyagala to this film...
I remember when doing this film, when I told that I want to take Shiran Deraniyagala to this film...
...some one asked "Are you crazy" another said
...some one asked "Are you crazy" another said "Its not going to be easy"...
...but nothing is easy in this world to do. But these things...
...all these dreams we achived. Took a lot of effort...
...but...
...there is a huge result for that effort.
Even though we were told it was not easy to take Shiran Deraniyagala, when we talked to him...
...we understood how educated and down to earth that person was.
Gave us a time to come to his home and helped us with our work.
Though when we think about certain things in a big way, when we go there ourselves and actually see it...
...as we say in Sinhala " the devil is not as dark as you may think", its just like that.
Theres nothing you can't do...
If you are confident and belive in it, I suggest that you learn...
...develop your craft, do initiatives.
Don't wait for money all the time, do something with what ever resources you have...
...whe doing those thinks correct your mistake, there will be mistakes, people may criticize...
...no need to be afraid, some may scold, so may like it...
...no need to be afraid, some may scold, some may like it...
Once you go forward little by little anyone can take a long journey.
Sometimes when you do that even your workplace...
...may support you. It happened to us.
We are in the advertising industry.
Most of us worked at LeoBurnett. It anyway is a place that supports art...
...and we learned a lot from it. We had that advantage anyway...
...it may not be the same in other places but still...
...if anyone does something good, they can go forward.