Reconnecting

 It's true that trauma resurfaces annually. Since the start of May, I have been having unsettling feelings and thoughts of self harm. Not that I would ever actively plan on taking my life, but there were days when life seemed bleak and pointless, and there's that prevalent overpowering sense of imminent loss. Even the slightest of triggers would bring back memories of the worst moments..of ICU rooms, of hospital smells, of the doctor fumbling for the right words to deliver bad news, of near death experiences, of waiting outside the morgue for what seemed like aeons, of helplessly watching the nurses trying to resuscitate a loved one... I relived all of that a thousand times over in the past month. But through my grief, I seem to have found a way to reconnect with the wanderer in me.... The one that never gets dull and can find the energy within to stray off into daydreams at the hardest of times. This is also the part that has helped me be creative. I don't want to jinx it, but I seem to be functional again. It does help that I now have a bat-cave to escape into, stay disconnected from everything, and journey inward. Thought I'd share this pic from a couple of years back when we were all happier. When I'm in my studio, cut off from the world, my subconscious resets to joyful times. It makes me feel that there'll always be sunshine and rainbows outside the door when I open it and that all my favourite people will still be with me. Yes, I'm a walking, talking dichotomy of rational and delusional thoughts and I'm learning to accept that about myself. 

Remember remember...the 26th of November

There is a clear political divide in India right now, and many individuals including me, who have chosen to remain apolitical for most of our lives, are now finding ourselves on the left of the divide. For most of us, the realisation came when we got branded ‘sickular’, ‘libtard’, anti-national, or urban naxal when we questioned the efficacy of a government policy or expressed our disagreement about something that we believed was unconstitutional. 

I have tried, in my discourses, to steer clear of the popular derogatory terms used to describe an individual on the ‘other side’, because in all honesty, the ‘other side’ does not exist except in our heads. It didn’t for me until I was called names. But I have called people out on their blatant bigotry because that’s the least one can do about something so divisive. It becomes a serious threat to the nation when the bigotry comes from a political party elected by the majority. Not every individual that voted for them share their political agenda, but it’s natural for most of them to feel obliged to defend every misstep and every faux pas of their elected representatives. This would still have been a dangerous situation even if there were no impending economic collapse. 

I do not follow any organised religion. I haven’t pledged my allegiance to any political party. But I have been a strong believer of the values on which this nation has been built. Yes, I have read the Constitution and can recite the preamble without looking it up on google. It’s the closest I have to a religious scripture. My father’s father fought for this country’s freedom, my mother’s father served in the Indian Navy, and I adore them both. I am saying all this here because someone said under one of my posts that was being circulated that I am a 'snooty pseudo secular artist' who makes social media posts to garner ‘likes’ and ‘followers’. The people who follow me on social media either know me personally or follow me for my art. I do not owe anyone any justification for what I do on my social media pages. But I believe that I have a basic duty to raise my voice to defend what I consider, for a true Indian, to be above all religious and political biases. 

Let’s agree that things are being done in bad taste on both sides of the political divide and if this continues, there will be irreparable damage to the unity and integrity of our nation. We need to stop our urge to fight hatred with hatred. Let’s reason, and base our arguments on facts. Calling names will only antagonise the one you’re speaking to/about and will only widen the divide. In most cases, these words we fling at each other are lazy oversimplifications. Let’s hear each other out before we pick up weapons. Let's fight clean if it comes down to a fight. And irrespective of what we stand for, let’s once again remember our promise to this nation: 

“WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;

LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship;

EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; 

and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the UNITY and INTEGRITY of the Nation;

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this 26th day of November 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION”.

2020!

After months of being a happy caveman, I stepped out of my house last week to catch up with some friends I haven't seen in a while and to spend some time talking to a few young artists who have been reaching out through social media. It was indeed a refreshing change and it gave my drawing hand it’s much needed rest-day. We talked about a whole lot of things from movies and comics, to politics, to wildlife, and most importantly, about the boon and bane of making an independent career out of your creative hobby. So as an aftermath to that, with the decade coming to a close, here’s some not-entirely-unsolicited advice to all of you who are either starting out on your journey as independent artists or are somewhere in the middle and on the verge of feeling disillusioned and are questioning your choices. 

Trying to be 100% candid here. An independent creative career can be either a blessing or an absolute curse. As Jordan Peterson puts it, most artists do not know how to monetise their creativity. The overwhelming probability is that you will fail. But a small portion of creative people succeed spectacularly. So it is like a lottery in some sense. 

Up until a few years back, whenever someone asked me if it was a good idea to let go of a secure but unsatisfying job and take a leap of faith as I did at the start of my career, I would immediately quip, “Go right ahead!”, and go on to quote Neil Gaiman - “…And sometimes when you fall, you fly”. As romantic as the notion of flying is, let’s be practical here. Not everyone who takes the leap lands on their feet on the other side. I may have misled some of you in the past by not stating the entire quote. The quote, in its entirety goes “Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes when you fall, you fly”. There’s some unpleasant realty in the first part of it.
Most often the fall will either wake you up or kill you. 

I am not saying this to discourage new artists. Instead, what I want you to do is tackle this the smart way. Not everyone would have a safety net in the form of extremely supportive parents and relatives, close friends who believe in you and encourage you, an understanding partner, or a sound enough bank balance that would pay your bills till you land your first relevant art gig. I had been lucky and privileged enough to have these and that made it easier for me to take risks many others wouldn’t. What I fail to mention often are the two years of corporate job and four years of creative job that I did before deciding to be an independent artist. I never talk about the numerous friends and relatives I temporarily (or perhaps permanently) cut off from my life over the years just because they were knowingly or unknowingly bringing me down. Beyond their nay saying, and lack of belief in the path that I was on, many of them had been very dear to me and some of them were speaking out of genuine concern. What I mean to say to you young ones is that there is no honour lost in taking up a job that would keep your body and soul together while you hone your skills and it doesn’t make you selfish if you want to avoid negativity during trying times. Get out of toxic relationships. The fight ahead is already full of hard choices- so choose your battles wisely

Hone your skills enough to make them worth charging by the hour. And of course, do not tie your earnings to the number of hours you work because that is a sure shot way to failure. Instead tie it to the hours you spend polishing your craft. Also you don’t want to work yourself to death…which brings me to the second important thing I want to tell you. 

Stay active, eat healthy, rest well, make your body stronger and mind more peaceful. A little less substance abuse, maybe? (or none at all!). In the past couple of years we have lost so many of our fellow artists, before their time, to bad lifestyle. 

Lastly, be woke and be socially and environmentally responsible. Be vehemently political when the world turns unjust, apathetic, and oppressive. We are about to step into a decade where words such as “Liberal”, “Secular”, “Environmentalist" and “Feminist” have been reduced to abusive epithets. Wear these badges with pride. Thousands of artists have stood up for their convictions and shaped our collective consciousness over centuries. Let the voice of the oppressed and downtrodden be heard through your art and your words. No one has the right to undo the progress we’ve made as a self-aware empathetic species. 

Have a splendid 2020. Now back I go into my cave.

That customary turn of the decade selfie. 
Yes, I have grown older.
Yes, I could use more sleep...
And yes, that's enough of my mug for a year. 
Back to art now.

Yesterday, a certain friend and well-wisher of mine who insists on being called a 'fan' asked me why I have become a lot more media-shy over the years. To be frank, that I haven’t been talking much about what I do for a living hardly has anything to do with my media shyness. When you’ve been doing something for a while, it’s not just your craft that evolves but also why you do what you’ve chosen to do for a living. 

Art, to me, is no longer just the means for a quick buck or glory. I have gone back to loving the process of attempting new things, at times failing, and always learning on the go. Also as you grow older you become more streamlined and your priorities change with it. It’s a little like how when you’re younger, the only reason you work out is to look good naked. As you grow older, you work out because it helps you feel good and function better. Looking good naked is just a bonus. The moment that becomes a priority, the need to feel good and function better just adds to the overall pressure.

Yes, I’ve turned down a few interviews of late and said no to several projects, and that’s only because right now isn’t the time for gloating in mediocre achievements. There is quite a lot to be done, and I promise that when the time is right I will not shy away. As the saying goes - To everything, there is a season.

Here's wishing you all a creative 2019

-Kish

Instagram: @kishoremohan

Art Blog: kishoremohan.blogspot.com

Rain-washed

I find comfort in the rain. Always have. Feels as though nature is washing the guilt off all of humanity while you and I sit comfortably behind the wheel, driving through well-washed suburban streets. I love how the red break lights from the vehicles ahead bleed onto the wet tarmac. May be I should turn off climate control and roll down the window a bit. What’s that fragrance I’m groping for?…ah!…Petrichor! But I don’t find any. Outside, by the streetlight, I see four heads sticking out from a gap between the slabs on top of the drain . A beady eyed mom and her three pups sat helpless in the water, getting drenched, not knowing what else to do.  Water level had risen and they could no longer find shelter under the slabs. Suddenly, I don’t feel so comfortable anymore. Should have just stayed indoors, sipping on some hot chocolate, continuing to believe that everything is peachy

Rage

We may have evolved, but our ideas of gender have not evolved. As an adolescent, I’ve had the toughest time identifying myself as a feminist, solely because the word did not sound gender-neutral enough to me. I used to argue that we should all instead be ‘equalists'! But one look at the things happening in the world around us was good enough to understand why the word sounds just the way it must. I know it is not a good thing to spew rage first thing in the morning, but that is just what I’m about to do. I am angry. You too should be. 

When the city of Bangalore celebrated the new year’s eve by assaulting and groping our women, lawmakers and politicians came out to defend the assailants, saying that the women brought it on themselves by "copying the Westerners”. Apparently our women are deviating from the Indian culture and hence deserve no better. 

If a woman wears short skirts, lip gloss, and high heels, it is for herself. It is in no way an invitation for depraved men to come and grope her. Sadly, we - men and women alike - are products of a society that has taught us that a man is more important than a woman. So it’s easy for our elected representatives to say “But these things happen all the time. It’s no big deal!” and to make lewd remarks like “Women are like sugar and men are ants”. And when these ignorant, idiotic ‘leaders’ say so, they are also nurturing a whole new generation of chauvinists, bullies, and rapists. Of course I am angry. Why shouldn’t I be? But I am also hopeful. A feminist world is a fairer one where everyone, irrespective of gender, gets equal opportunities, respect, and treatment. But knowing something intellectually isn’t the same as feeling it emotionally. I am a feminist, married to a feminist, and I live in a feminist household. I know I am not the only one. It’s time for us to spread our influence and start healing the world one person at a time

As seasons go by

I have stopped enjoying blatant self promotion. That is the reason why a lot of what I do don't make it to my blogs anymore. Which brings me to a paradox, because it was all the shameless promotion of what I can do that jump-started my career as an artist and set me off on this trajectory. But, to be frank, it is no longer about the struggle to prove my worth as an artist. I seem to have matured a little and I can finally afford to take a breather and go back to just enjoying what I do. But for those interested to know what's happening on the work/personal front, my Instagram is quite active.

All that's happening in the world today is bound to cause disillusionment. It's so easy to lose faith in humanity and crave for detachment. I've been backpacking through strange lands, thumbing rides, and pitching tents on unfamiliar grounds in the past month with Merryn, Rohith, and Sneha (see pic below). No Thanks to demonetization, the money we had on us had little practical use in places without internet or ATMs. It was through sheer luck and the kindness of complete strangers that we made it back to civilization. Instead of feeling detached, I now feel closer to humanity in a way I never thought possible

With that comes the urge to give back to humanity. I believe it's time to move out of my comfort zone and start sharing the tricks of trade I've picked up on the way while working on my craft. While it may be way too early to call myself a mentor, it might be a good time for me to start internalizing my approach to art. Trying to explain how or why I do things the way I do them could also gain me some perspective and help me recognise what I need to do to move on to the next level. Looking back on my work from a few years back, I get great pleasure when I see that I've improved. I hope that I never stop learning, and that someday not so far away, I can look back on what I'm doing right now and see that I've progressed further.

Chat with Helter Skelter

Ram and I had a chat with Manav from Helter skelter

Click on the image for the full interview

And here's a small excerpt:

What other media did you derive inspiration from when creating Black Mumba?

KISHORE: As far as the artistic process goes, I ended up choosing a visual language that I felt would put the reader in the exact state of mind that Ram wanted them to be at each point in the story. The art style I’ve used in Black Mumba is very different from the ones I’ve used in my previous works. Calling it film noir would be an over simplification, but noir comics like Torpedo (Jordi Bernet) and Blacksad (Juanjo Guarnido) were definitely on my mood-board. There is a constant sense of foreboding throughout the story that felt almost supernatural, and I had to make sure that the elements that I chose to compose each frame subtly hinted that something darker lurked right around the corner. It’s like that ominous musical note you hear in a horror flick when the dog runs up the stairs to inspect the strange sounds. You hear that note and you know instantly that Timmy isn’t coming back. What happens between the frames happens entirely inside the reader’s head and that, in fact, is where the real magic of this medium is supposed to happen.

RAM: Yeah, I think the noir influence is obvious. Old ’40s Bogart films and Hitchcock were my touchstones for creating scenes and using visual cues. In terms of comics, I learned from reading Azarello and Lemire (apart from the staples of Moore, Morrison, Gaiman). As for the literary influences, the idea for Black Mumba germinated after a reading of Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy, although the content and subject matter is nowhere near Auster’s work.

Need support, friends!

Friends, Family, and all you wonderful people out there... the Kickstarter for Black Mumba is now LIVE. Ram, Rosh, Dev, Aditya and I have been working on this hard-bound 100-page graphic novel for the past one year. The book also includes some amazing pinups by Bhanu Pratap, Devaki, Somnath Pal, and has a fantastic cover by Anand Radhakrishnan. 

The response during the first 24 hours has been overwhelming and we are close to 75% funded already. it’s time now for you to support our art in whatever way you can. Please take a look, contribute, and spread the word. Every pledge counts, so even if you can just pledge £1, it would be immensely appreciated. Also check out all the goodies we have for our backers

Kickstarter link: BLACK MUMBA

Art Drop Month

This happened in September



You can find more about this along with pictures and artwork HERE

And here's another newspaper snippet that came earlier this year

Post OKK interview

Here's a scanned copy of my interview from a couple of months back

OK Kanmani (Main stream Movie project #2)

Exactly one year after Gangster, Our second big screen project - O K Kanmani - released yesterday to full houses. The response has been overwhelming so far. Kudos to my team at Studio Dreamcatcher for pulling off the animated segments on time. Our sincere gratitude to Mani Ratnam sir for this wonderful opportunity, and to Pratheek Thomas and Studio Kokaachi for working shoulder to shoulder with us and making this an enjoyable experience.

P.S: You can see my name credited as Show Director along with the 2D Game sequence credits in the end credit roll
‪#‎OkKanmani‬
P.P.S: Here's a pic of all of us who could make it to the opening show yesterday

Pic Courtesy: Pravin

Going green on the eve of love

The 13th of Feb this year is also Friday the 13th. It also marks the beginning of the tenth year since Merryn and I got together. Yes, we beat St Valentine by a day! Why am I not talking about our recent wedding? Of course, that was a hell lot of fun. But it was merely another day that we got to celebrate with friends and family.What still tops our list of memorable days is the one where we decided to let our guards down in front of each other and decided to take the leap of faith together. We've had our spring-summer-fall-winter cycles, both literally and figuratively. Having gone through our fair share of ups, downs, and kittens, having realized that what we share is not a mere martian-venusian pact, and having gotten to a point where we can look back and see that the happiness outweighs the tears by a ton, we decided to do something different this year. Something that can grow with what we share and stick around long after we're gone

So we planted a Frangipani tree. Well, it's not a tree yet. That's kinda the point, right? You plant something together, you nurture it, prune it, let it grow and blossom, and watch it stand tall, all in the span of a lifetime. It's a safe bet, I think, considering that that an average Plumeria tree lives for more than a hundred years, provided you don't start a war on it. I kid you not! It takes over 500 degrees of heat to burn a Frangipani and it can stand pretty much everything once it has survived the initial few years

Yup, that's the 'tree' we've planted. It's also the first one we've planted together. And with planting a tree comes bigger responsibilities, one of which is encouraging others to plant some. So if the above reasons weren't tempting enough, here are fifteen more reasons (all of which have been copied off the internet for the sole purpose of spreading awareness) why you should plant a tree.

1. Combating the greenhouse effect

Global warming is not a myth. keep burning those fossil fuels and destroy tropical rainforests, and we'll all learn it the hard way. Heat from the sun, reflected back from the earth, gets trapped in the ever thickening layer of greenhouse gases (courtesy, you, me, and the rest of the world), causing global temperatures to rise. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major greenhouse gas. Trees absorb CO2, removing and storing the carbon while releasing the oxygen back into the air. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced when you drive your car 26,000 miles.
(Source:  http://www.treepeople.org)

2. Cleaning the air

Trees absorb odors and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. So if flatulence is your thing, make sure you plant a forest

3. Providing oxygen

In one year an acre of mature trees can provide enough oxygen for 18 people. And trust me when I say this, we're a lot more than just 18 peeps

4. Cooling the streets and the city

Trees cool the city by up to 10°F, by shading our homes and streets, breaking up urban “heat islands” and releasing water vapor into the air through their leaves.

5. Conserving energy

Three trees placed strategically around a single-family home can cut summer air conditioning needs by up to 50 percent. By reducing the energy demand for cooling our houses, we reduce carbon dioxide and other pollution emissions from power plants.

6. Saving water

Shade from trees slows water evaporation from thirsty lawns. Most newly planted trees need only fifteen gallons of water a week. As trees transpire, they increase atmospheric moisture.

7. Preventing water pollution

Trees reduce runoff by breaking rainfall thus allowing the water to flow down the trunk and into the earth below the tree. This prevents stormwater from carrying pollutants to the ocean. When mulched, trees act like a sponge that filters this water naturally and uses it to recharge groundwater supplies.

8. Preventing soil erosion

On hillsides or stream slopes, trees slow runoff and hold soil in place.

9. Shielding us from ultra-violet rays

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. Trees reduce UV-B exposure by about 50 percent, thus providing protection when we spend hours outdoors. Sunscreen can only do so much

10. Providing food

Where do you think all those fruits in your salad comes from? Aside from fruit for humans, trees provide food for birds and wildlife.

11. Healing

No hocus-pocus here! Studies have shown that patients with views of trees out their windows heal faster and with less complications. Children with ADHD show fewer symptoms when they have access to nature. Exposure to trees and nature aids concentration by reducing mental fatigue. Feasting your eyes on some greenery also improves vision

12. Reducing violence

Neighborhoods and homes that are barren have shown to have a greater incidence of violence in and out of the home than their greener counterparts. Trees and landscaping help to reduce the level of fear.

13. Marking the seasons

Is it winter, spring, summer or fall? Look at the trees. If you're in the right part of the world, you'll know

14. Creating economic opportunities

Fruit harvested from community orchards can be sold, thus providing income. Small business opportunities in green waste management and landscaping arise when cities value mulching and its water-saving qualities. Vocational training for youth interested in green jobs is also a great way to develop economic opportunities from trees.

15. Providing a canopy and habitat for wildlife

Sycamore and oak are among the many urban species that provide excellent urban homes for birds, bees, possums and squirrels.

That's all from me for now. Tag me once you've planted your tree. And for all those who missed the wedding, here's a pic from 1-11-2014. It wasn't just the anniversary that had gone green ;) 

When Kittens Fade

Every time a kitten fades -oh yes, they do fade sometimes -I promise myself: never, never again shall emotions be invested in something so fragile. I even stick by it for a while -for as long as I refuse to look at another pair of saucer eyes, or let another tiny paw touch my soul, or let a soft purring melt my heart. But then I sense something inside of me yearn for all of the above. Inevitably, I relent, and become putty in another kitten's paws.

As I drove home today from the vet's, with my two little powderpuffs in a basket, I watched them look out the window, intrigued by the world rushing by. They had never seen so many people before. Nor had they known anything of what exists outside our compound wall. As they looked at me and 'mewed' in amusement, I felt a cinder sear my heart, for I knew this would also be their last wonder. I have been told that there is nothing that can be done. My little boy and girl had no clue that they had already started fading.

With every passing hour they'd fade some more. I'll start seeing the floor right through their skins and in the end, they too would disappear. But in the four short months of their lives they have grown enough on me to leave behind two kitten-shaped holes in my soul. Two more to add to my stash of tiny little kitten-shaped holes, that in time, will make me relent again to the look of saucer eyes, the touch of a tiny paw, and the sound of a soft, heart-melting purr
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


HAPPY UPDATE, on 10th Feb
Though we lost our little boy, we've been able to nurse our little girl, Delilah, back to good health. I can't believe that the vet said she wouldn't make it! Thank heavens, they don't always fade! And a big YAYYY for little miracles!
P.S: Thanks a ton all the support, friends
P.P.S: Here's us saying hi to y'all

Righteous rage

People should learn to keep their religions within the walls of their houses and places of worship. I am saying this for the sake of their own faith which seems to be so fragile that it is threatened by the faintest breeze. And I'm not saying this about any one particular faith. I doubt if there's any such thing as a peaceful religion. They are all outdated and if people really need an anchor of hope, it is high time they got replaced by some universal kind of benign spirituality

More than two decades hence

It was all a long time ago, before school started, and way past bedtime. I remember lightning crackling, and a gush of wind that carried me through the ventilator. Of course I was still in bed watching the rain through the open window. But I was also out there, with the raindrops passing right through me, and I was looking down on the world bathed in a blinding light as if the person in charge of special effects had forgotten to switch off the lightning. And now, more than two decades hence, I get to look out the same window and wonder if the things that I remember are truly the things that happened. Of all the things that fade with time, what I will miss most is perhaps that sense of wonder we start off with, and slowly trade away for reason

Article about Studio Dreamcatcher in today's Newspaper

The Hindu, Fri, 18th of April 2014

 

Here's the text copied from the online version the newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/dreaming-big-with-reel-graphic-story-of-encounters/article5922460.ece

Animation studio Studio Dreamcatcher has collaborated on the animation sequences in Mammootty’s Gangster

Aashiq Abu’s Gangster has not been spared by critics. But one aspect that has made viewers go ga-ga a are the animated sequences in the film.

This has put the city-based Studio Dreamcatcher on cloud nine. The team at Studio Dreamcatcher did the animation sequences along with a team at Bangalore-based Studio Kokachi.

“We are surprised and happy about the appreciation that has come our way. Our team of 43 artistes worked on two animation sequences in the movie. In fact, it is for the first time that such extensive animation sequences have been used in live-action feature films in India,” says Kishore Mohan, who has co-directed the segments with Pratheek Thomas of Kokachi, who is also the co-founder of Manta Ray comics.

Gangster opens with a 10-minute animation sequence that narrates the story of Mammotty’s character Ali Akbar’s past, covering 35 years.

“In yet another segment, animation comes in at an unexpected juncture of the story and this experiment has got us mixed reviews,” he says. There is a portion where we have used 2D and 3D, he adds.

The sequences in the graphic novel genre have been executed in film noir style, a term you associate with crime movies, characterised by grim lighting and dark shadows.

It was at an event organised by Manta Ray Comics at Aashiq Abu’s Cafe Papaya in Kochi that they got on board Gangster.

“Pratheek is a good friend and he invited us to be part of the event where we did live comic sessions. That impressed Aashiq and during the discussions we suggested including animation in his film project. It was a big risk because it was unprecedented in Malayalam cinema,” says Kishore.

Armandale Healthcare Technologies, a United States-based company with its office in Technopark, has been funding the studio.

He also talks about some of the interesting facets of the animation that they incorporated in the scenes.

“If you have noticed, some of the characters in the animation section have been modelled after actors who are no longer with us, such as Balan K. Nair and Bob Christo who’ve played umpteen negative roles. Also, in the portions showing Mammootty as a youngster, the character resembles Dulquer! On the whole, irrespective of what critics say about the movie, it was great fun working with the team of Gangster and Kokachi.”

The sequences have been written by Pratheek and Abhilash Kumar. Roshan K. has done the art direction.

Abilash Narayanan has done character design and supervision.

Ultimately our aim is to gain 2D animation is its rightful place among the mainstream mediums of entertainment, Kishore says.

Team work

It was love for art that brought together Kishore Mohan, Roshan K. and Sinu Chandrasenan who formed Libera Artisti. Hooked to graphic novels and illustrations, they came up with their first graphic novel, Autopilot: A Traffic Novel. A group of like-minded artistes joined hands with them and they formed Dragonmill Media, an animation studio based out of Bangalore. Later they shifted to Thiruvananthapuram and renamed it Studio Dreamcatcher.

The team works from its office at Kesavadasapuram, where they do concept generation for short films and television series, handle 2D animation projects, and develops characters for games, films and comics.

The studio had made a signature movie for Lal Jose’s Ezhu Sundara Rathrikal. They have also been working on a series, Adventures of Cocoman, which is about a lungi-clad superhero. 

 

Team Dreamcatcher

My animation squad minus all those who couldn't make it to the Cinema yesterday

The first official sneak peek into our segment. Enjoy!

Gangster Official Trailer #2:

Gangster - A new chapter for Studio Dreamcatcher

With just a week left for the big day, it is time to finally break the silence. I've been told that for many directors, moviemaking is often an extension to photography. My chosen medium for storytelling has mostly been sequential art. I have been a sucker for comics, graphic novels, and animation films all my life and have been earning my daily bread creating them. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that if I'm ever allowed to make a movie (in this particular case just a segment in a movie), it would most certainly be an extension to 'comic art'.

I've been given an opportunity to take sequential art to the next level. The canvas this time, is the big screen - a destination whose borders I had not dreamt of crossing until much later.

I thank Aashiqettan (Aashiq Abu, Director) and my dear friend Pratheek Thomas (who co-directed these animated segments with me) from the bottom of my heart for this spectacular opportunity. And to Rosh, Abhilashettan, Ansal, Danny, Anoop, Sumesh and the rest of my amazing team at Studio Dreamcatcher who pulled insane hours to complete this project on time - you guys are the heart and soul of this project; hats off to you all! It's a little too early to say anything more about the segment(s)

Will be sharing more about the process and the entire credit list after the release. Gangster releases nationwide on the 11th of April, and yes, it has a little surprise for all of you from Studio Dreamcatcher. Stay tuned!

- Kishore