Giving a midas touch by a 'project designer'

Kochi: Commerce has always been considered an extraneous concept when it comes to movie makers. Little is known about the game plans and marketing steps put forward in the world of cinema to the common man. Fast forwarding the cliché process behind a movie, it all began with the arrival of an NRI producer with the sole wish to spend his hard earned money in the highly acclaimed field of cinema.

And shortly, he has been approached by a parade of the so called 'experienced movie makers'. Once the project gets through after a series of discussions, then begins the 'shoot' in a jiffy. The very next scene probably will be of the helpless producer holding back tears watching his movie on screen. Climax on the whole sequence is at times marked by a miserable and hasty decision by the producer to stay away from the toxicity of film field.

Coming to our point, 'The object intended to be sold' is just one amongst a total of 7 aspects of Business Science which is mentioned with utter prominence in the book “7 P’s of Marketing”. Systematic application of strategic measures adopted before and after the preparation of a product to help sales is considered as the key to upgrade and escalate the value of a 'product'.

From surveys recording consumer requirements to product design, production, packing, distribution and even the clear picture of where the product’s position has to be in the market ten years from now is compiled by the 'Project Designer'.

The inevitable vitality of Project Designers in Hollywood movies are being recognized by Malayalam film industry as well. Here, 'big budget movies' are the 'products' to be marketed.

The role of movies in the vast screenplay of 'movie market' is limited to the part of a mere character in a movie. To spice up the screenplay, certain other elements are added up. This includes 'behavior' of each character scripted precisely and along with their back support, elevating a mere character in a screenplay to that of a glamorous hero. This powering up of a movie from its level of normalcy to an escalated position powerful enough to leave an everlasting impression in the film field, is the sheer outcome of the effort taken by a 'Product Designer'.

Roles and responsibilities

The role of a project designer is fascinating right from the birth of a movie till it's post production work. Seated in his dubbing studio Aries Vismayas Max (South India’s biggest dubbing studio), Hollywood director Sohan Roy, sheds light on a permanent solution for a wide range of obstacles faced by Malayalam film industry in the current scenario.

Responsibilities of a skillful project designer does not end by conjoining a good script with a suitable director and apt producer, completing the project and presenting it before the audience. It invloves, equally pleasing and keeping up the spirits of audience and producer who spends their money on the movie, finding possibilities for widespread presentation of the movie in front of multilingual audiences which in turn increases the profit, gain acclamation and adding publicity to the producer and director by coordinating film festivals, increasing the exhibition span of movies in theatres and even including the movie in right from State Award to Oscar nomination list -- all comes under the marketing responsibilities of an efficient project designer.

The success mantra

Success of a Project designer lies in the deftness in weaving unique scripts for each of a wide spectrum of fields such as production, marketing, distribution, branding and even legal affairs hand in hand. Project designer will be provided with a team of accountant, auditor, advocate, script doctor, branding team, graphic designers and various other professionals who join hands to make his job manageable and hence, is often recognized as an establishment whose existence is the apparent outcome of a teamwork. So witty will be the team that, even a slight ripple on the surface of movie world fail to escape unnoticed. These are the reasons behind the blind investments made by producers and fund raising companies in film field even when there stands a risk factor of 89%. To ensure insurance safety for the invested money, it has to be spent according to directions of a potential project designer. Also, only a director who absorbs and acts according to the directed guidelines of project designer can contribute in such projects.

Taking up works

Project designer shows green signal for a project only after he prepares a detailed budget, cost control strategies and marketing plan. Even if he doesn’t poke his nose into the creative directorial affairs, the unavoidable “essentials” for marketing are listed out beforehand and makes sure they are devotedly followed throughout the project. If at all a lack of cooperation is encountered from the director’s side, previously made bonds will favor the project designer with the privilege of replacing the director and proceeding the project.

If duration or scenes of a completed movie tend to affect the distribution of the movie, again, the project designer is entitled to make the necessary alterations to cater the needs of distribution.

In the current scenario, directors handle the job of project designers apart from direction. This amateur approach leads to mishandling and exceeding of estimated budget limits. Whole issue gets tossed when the producer is equally devoid of technical knowledge in finding solutions and pulling back the project on track. Shortly after the movie’s release, director sets out in search of a new producer putting forth an unexpected end to the future of that movie and a mind shattered helpless producer is forced to leave the scene with no more passion but just curse for the film industry. Such situations can be avoided if the project is handled by a professional and crafty project designer with an artistic inclination.

Sohan Roy is putting forward an eye opening solution to benefit budding producers, which is completely a novel idea to Malayalam film industry. He had arrived in Vismayas Max to supervise on the dubbing works of the movie “Aikkarakkonathe Bhishaguaranmar”, in which, he is also plays the role of an active project designer. Apart from directing Oscar shortlisted movie 'DAM 999' and working as the project designer of the Hollywood movie 'St. Dracula', Sohan Roy’s scriptwriting skills has won himself a reputed position in Oscar library. He resolves to designate a project designer for every movie which comes out as part of the project Indywood.

Meanwhile, 'Aikkarakkonathe Bhishaguaranmar' is slated to release on September 21. Various issues put forth by health field and its adverse effects reflected on the society treated in a commercial framework, is presented in the movie, in which leading actors of the industry works hand in hand with aspiring new faces screened from 'Indywood Talent Hunt Auditions' conducted in various parts of India.

This is how Sohan Roy shares the movie’s theme precisely in elegance, “Considering Aikkarakkonathe Bhishaguaranmar a successful heir to the evergreen movies Sandesham and Panchavadi paalam, it is a movie ornate with brimming music, overwhelming emotions, seamless romance and intoxicating beauty compiled and kept up with technical efficiency.”