Aashrita Kamath: Pushing the celluloid ceiling

Art director for ‘Avatar’ 2 and 3, Aashrita Kamath enjoys her job for its exploratory nature and the opportunities to traverse many worlds

November 21, 2017 03:07 pm | Updated November 22, 2017 01:06 pm IST

 Aashrita Kamath delves beyond the cinematic stratosphere through her work

Aashrita Kamath delves beyond the cinematic stratosphere through her work

A young Aashrita Kamath surrounded herself with creative projects to occupy her free time. She used to create puppet shows, make worlds out of Lego blocks or to draw and paint. The time she spent at Rishi Valley School got her to a film club where she was introduced to global cinema; that piqued her interest in films. Little did she know that one day, she would be making a career out of them.

An internship as an assistant director at an ad-film production firm helped her comprehend the culmination of various crafts into one product. She found the art department most fascinating, one that laid the visual foundation for world of the story. Her start was steady-films like West is West, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Suzanne Caplan Merwanji gave her wings to fly high. It took an application to the AFI conservatory in Los Angeles to chase the big Hollywood dream and soon she was working with James Cameron for Avatar 2 and 3 as an Art director. Her chirpy self comes across in the conversation, just that she is unwilling to budge in response to questions surrounding the Avatar series owing to a contractual clause.

The Los Angeles-based production designer acknowledges the need to have one’s own voice in her specialisation, but understands that filmmaking has to be an intensively collaborative medium. “Every director has a different style; every story a different need. A designer needs to have the ability to modify their style to the nature of the script and the vision of the director. I believe the best designed set is one that allows the audience to be completely immersed in the story, convinced that the world of the film extends far beyond confines of the set.”

She found films like Equals ( designed by Tino Schaedler) and The BFG ( designed by Rick Carter and Rob Stromberg) to be eye-opening experiences. “While I had assisted designers in Hindi cinema and short films, it was the first time that I was exposed to the workings of a big art department on a studio film in Hollywood. I was eager to learn and observe the different practices and conventions and I had to keep pinching myself to make sure that it was really happening.” It was through The BFG that she met production designer Stefan Dechant, with whom she worked for Kong: Skull Island and Pacific Rim: Uprising .

What she loves about her job is its exploratory nature and that she gets to immerse herself in different types of worlds for a short amount of time. Recently, she collaborated with director Manjari Makijany on I See You . The story of the film was set on a subway train in New York City, but also had a few scenes that took place in the market of a remote village in Syria. Another film Contrapelo , directed by Gareth Dunnet Alcocer is set in Mexico, but shot entirely on a soundstage in Los Angeles. “It is a mix of specific, detail oriented work, and also ‘big picture’ design. It is really gratifying to see all that research comes together in the final film.”

Her recent films Interstate and Dustland had her spending more than a year on creating a world for the characters to inhabit. Films in Hollywood take time to fall in place and get to the theatres, she understands. “During this time, I am motivated by my connection to the story, my desire to engage the audience and to create a compelling visual journey for them. At that stage, one cannot stop and think about potential awards, film festivals, and critical success - you have to keep your eye on the prize: To tell the story in the best possible way.” The fact that both films received critical acclaim, with Interstate going on to win a Student Academy Award that year gave her a deep sense of gratification and renewed her faith in the collaborative process.

Discussing gender parity, she says there is no doubt that there are far fewer women working behind the camera than there should be. She still sees herself as part of the wave of working filmmakers that are pushing to break the ‘celluloid ceiling’. “I’ll continue to advocate for women in films whether I work in Los Angeles or in Mumbai. Today there is a increasing awareness of gender equality among businesses, companies and work environments. I do believe that things in Hollywood are changing as well, albeit slowly.”She finds the short film genre to be a versatile medium of expression for production designers. “The medium challenges you to make an impact in a short time. As a designer, one becomes much more aware of how the minutest of choices make a difference in the creation of a space.” That allows for experimentation and helps tell a wide range of stories.

Aashrita travels a lot for work and makes the most of where she stays, like her recent visit to Hawaii on a film. “Every moment where I wasn’t working, I spent at the beach, or in the ocean.” While she was in China working as an art director for Pacific Rim: Uprising , she travelled oevr the country a little bit. “I loved being able to visit the Great Wall!” Weekends at home in Los Angeles mean catching up on the latest movies in the theaters, reading, and hiking in the hills next to her house. “We often have friends over as I love to cook;that really relaxes me.”

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