Once upon a short while ago, a series of films proved that collaboration is the secret ingredient to creating magic. While exploring the threads of handlooms across the states of Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Verve Media joined hands with Stawdio & Modestudio to make short films for the saree brand, Kanchi Kamakshi.
The films explore ancient traditions of weaving that have been sustained by a few weavers in these states, and each film attempts to listen to how deep the relationship between the art and artist is. From the Uppada traditions of Andhra Pradesh, the Benarasi sarees of Uttar Pradesh, the Pochampalli Ikkat sarees to the world famous Kanchipuram silk sarees of Tamil Nadu, these films covered a diverse range of weaving styles and stories of the romance lingering between a weaver and a saree.
Verve Media’s co-Founder and filmmaker, Vivek Sangwan was the cameraperson in the team, who shares in retrospect, “Being able to fully immerse myself in the lens of my camera was a refreshing way to work, because all of us in the team trusted each other to do our job well!” The team consisted of people who were experienced at their respective fields of work, and their minds together brought these stories to life. “Without having to worry about sound, direction or production, this project gave me an opportunity to produce some of Verve Media’s best footage”, said Mr. Sangwan.
The films turned every thread of the loom to a moment of intimacy and labour of the weaver, and captured the journey of a saree from loom to store. The stories of weaving had the graceful aesthetics, rich sound design and professional colour correction that makes any viewer want to drape the sarees made out of months of creative energy put in by the weavers. Any visitor of the Kanchi Kamakshi website, will be drawn to make the purchase, because such films raise the value of a product to a relationship with weavers.
Verve Media believes that this is a great lesson for any firm looking out to create media. This project has reinforced their faith in the fact that art, when born out of more than one mind becomes rich. Through dialogue and exchange of thoughts and ideas, projects implemented with collaboration have greater potential of contributing to a brand’s promotional material.
They also firmly believe that rather than competing with each other in a chaotic market-like environment of the media industry, collaborating with each other helps bring out the best creative capacity in artists. “According to me, films are the most powerful way for a brand to touch someone’s heart, and we at Verve Media want to encourage filmmakers to explore collaborative opportunities, because when they collaborate with diverse professionals and experts, it is truly magic!”, said Mr. Sangwan.
