INTERVIEW with Kal Rai
Can you explain to the audience your career?
I am from Vancouver, BC and grew up here. I started my career in 2018 while attending InFocus Film School, where I studied film production and graduated with a diploma. Last year, I studied writing for television and film at Langara College, where I received a certificate. Since then, I have been assisting other projects to gain more experience while also looking for funding for my own film projects. I plan to start my own production company in the near future.
How many years have you been making movies?
I have been involved in the production of films for five years.
Why did you start making movies?
Filmmaking has always fascinated me since I was a child, but I didn't consider it seriously until much later in life. After exploring various career paths, I finally decided to pursue my passion for filmmaking. Although I was unaware of how big the film industry was in Vancouver, I knew that filming was the perfect fit for me. I was excited about experiencing the process of filmmaking, from generating ideas to bringing them to life. Every time I step onto a film set, it's a unique and enjoyable experience, which I love. Working collaboratively on various film genres is a dream come true for me.
Tell us a little about your project. What will the audience be able to see in your film?
This is a homage to the Lumiere brothers' short films. I shot this during my time at Langara College. It's a poetry film about a woman who experiences different struggles in life while being in different sub-matrices of the various roles she has. Throughout the film, we see her deteriorate as she struggles to achieve her goals and desires.
Why did you do this project?
As the director, I aimed to convey the story through visuals, the actress’s movements, and emotions instead of relying heavily on dialogue.
One of the problems some directors encounter is directing actors and dealing with some actors, especially in the amateur world. How do you see this topic? What kind of work do you do with them?
Collaboration plays a crucial role in the filmmaking industry. Each actor has their own unique approach to prepare for their character. It's the director's responsibility to ensure that every actor can fully express themselves without any hindrance. It's impossible to know how deeply the role may be affecting them. To avoid any issues, the director should communicate their vision for the character during the table read. This can help ensure that the actors accurately portray their characters as intended and make any necessary adjustments to their performance before the filming begins.
A good movie takes care of all departments. But normally we can not allocate all the resources to have a good photography or spend a lot of money on sound post production or budget to hire actors. In your project what % have you allocated to. I don't just mean money but time as well. Of 100% of the time/money, what % did you dedicate to each department?
-Direction: 25%
-Photography: 20%
-Sound: 10%
-Postproduction: 10%
-Work with actors: 25%
-Art direction/locations: 10%
If you could go back, what would you change about this project? (1 thing only)
I would like to explore the personal life of the woman in greater depth. I feel like there must be a reason why her life is deteriorating.
What are you happiest about this project?
With the help of small, hardworking friends, we shot this in just one day; even though it was a fast-paced shoot, we all enjoyed it very much.
Make a wish to the movie gods. What do you ask?
I would have a large budget to fully develop the character and make it a feature film.
What movie would you have liked to direct?
Inception
What kind of cinema do you like? Genre, directors, actors?
I enjoy the Action/Thriller genre, and I have a few favorite directors, such as Christopher Nolan, Peter Jackson, and Zack Snyder. Additionally, some actors I admire are Christian Bale, Jim Carrey, and Heath Ledger.
Imagine that all the movies are going to be lost. If you could save 3 movies, what would they be?
The Matrix reloaded
1917
Terminator 2
If you have more projects underway, can you give us a bit of information?
I recently completed a short film script for the MPPIA Short Film Award competition, based on the onset dementia. The story is about. ‘’The life of a passionate dancer takes a profound turn when she unexpectedly confronts the diagnosis of young onset dementia, challenging her to question what makes life worth living.’’
I am currently working on developing an action feature film.