Filmmaking is a well established industry in Toronto, with production becoming a growing interest for many. Krishna Kolanupaka, an independent filmmaker from Southern Asia, was able to come to our studio and discuss some of the ordeals he faces during the pre-production process.
Krishna has worked on several short films and TV series, the most recent being the upcoming, Drip, a horror short that is currently seeking help through a crowdfunding campaign.
“When you’re making a film happen… you want to understand where the money is going to, and [if it is] important”, Krishna says when discussing film budgeting.
“If the crew and cast has good food, they’re all happy,” Krishna said, adding that creating a pleasant environment for crew and cast is essential to a smooth production.
He goes on referring to everything from casting and location to catering and staff transportation saying, “all that makes us estimate how much money is going to each department.”
Since Krishna’s production is independent, he, along with many other crew members, still have to take on part-time jobs to get through. This aspect impacts Krishna’s decisions when curating a crew; “I wanna make sure they are taking their time off for a good thing that they are interested in” he says.
When it comes to filmmaking, Krishna agrees that pre-production and post-production are equally important processes when telling a story. While chewing over editing, Krishna describes the job saying, “You already have the footage, now it’s time to doctor it so that your vision as you see on the script is reflected on the final product.”
Krishna often manages his independent projects with an accompanying production manager and coordinator, saying, “[We] deal with the entire production ourselves.” He continues, “It’s definitely tough not having all the money or all the resources that studios have.” Independent filmmakers often take on every job required in film production, making their work that much more admirable.
Visit the campaign website for his new short film Drip here if you want to contribute. The fundraising event will conclude Sunday December 11, 2022.
Tune in to Movie Mixtape on CJRU on Friday, December 9th at 1pm, or Saturday, December 10th at 2pm to listen to the full interview with Krishna, or listen after it airs at this link.
