Photo Credit : Agenda Suria Communication & G2 Photograph
Arvintharan Vallithan recently won Best Music Video Award at the AGNI Showdown 2016 on 25 October. AGNI Showdown 2016 is the first Tamil music video and short film competition that enables aspiring Malaysian Tamil filmmakers to submit their short films.
Emphasising ‘hope’ or ‘inspiration’ as its theme, the competition enables aspiring Tamil filmmakers to showcase their five-minute short films to the public. It was organised by Agenda Suria Communication and TouchTronics Entertainment with the support of the Malaysian Indian Creative Content Council (MICCC), Special Unit Program for Socioeconomic Development of Indian Community (SEDIC) and the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS).
Supportive Mentors
“The lecturers provided consultations for the students whenever we needed it,” he said while adding that the University’s lecturers have provided him with tremendous support.
“Even if you know that your project is good, it is important to consult your lecturers,” he said. “This is because you might not notice the flaws in your work.”
“In any projects that I worked on, I would consult my lecturers,” he added. “They are my mentors as well as advisors.”
More importantly, he learned to manage his resources while maintaining the quality of his work. This allowed him to perfect his film projects and sharpen his skills.
“The lessons that I got from my lecturers are all about the content,” he explained. “Make use of the things you have around you.”
Showcase Opportunity
Lecturers at the University encourage students to participate in film festivals and competitions.
“It is like an exhibition where people will start to notice you,” he said. “People will begin to approach you and want to know more about your work.”
Arvintharan also explained that by participating in various events, the exposure allows them to establish a platform to showcase their work to the public and other industry players.
At the same time, it is the easiest way for aspiring filmmakers to showcase their work.
Establishing Industry Network
During these showcases and projects, he began to develop new contacts with other industry professionals.
“I was able to get in contact with a few of them and got to know more about the industry,” he said. “I believe that this is crucial for students to experience the real world.”
The experience has helped him gain a deeper understanding of behind the scenes activities in filmmaking.
“The exposure helped me develop my work ethics,” he said. “I learned to face different clients and meet their requirements.”
Learning from experience
“Cinematics are not about the equipment,” he advised. “They are about the images that you make.”
Arvintharan explained that among the challenges he experienced was achieving cinematic quality while using an entry/mid-level camera such as the CANON EOS 550D. At that time, he was not sure the camera would enable him and his crew to achieve the desired quality.
“People tend to think that only an expensive camera could create cinematic quality films,” he said. “But when used correctly, we are able to achieve the same results as professional film camera.”
“We learned that we don’t need to invest in high-end equipment to produce a good film,” he said, emphasising the importance of resourcefulness, patience and discipline.
“If you fail once, don’t stop there,” he advised. “Keep doing and you will learn to improve.”
“I learned a lot from my failures and I try not to repeat the same mistake,” he said. “As you practise, you are less likely to repeat that mistake again.”
Experience at Limkokwing University
“The experience you get here at Limkokwing is very different,” he said while adding the University’s multicultural environment enabled him to nurture his creative potential.
“Seeing people from different parts of the world was a new experience for me,” he added. “As time went by, I began to realise the importance of having exposure to a globalised environment.”
Arvintharan worked with classmates from various parts of the world which provided him with a lot of ideas during the brainstorming sessions.
“They can give me the right advice, because each of us have a lot of opinions on how to get good content,” he said. “Usually, I have problems with editing, calibrating, and whenever I have insufficient equipment, they often provide their assistance.”
Other works and Achievements
Arvintharan is currently working on a project with the Malaysian Armed Forces such as PASKAL (Malaysia Naval Special Forces) and PARA (Malaysia Paratrooper Brigade). At the same time, he is working with clients from the Philippines, China, Doha, India, New Zealand and Singapore.