Today we’d like to introduce you to Dip Mazumder.
Hi Dip, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The journey so far has been one of continuous and relentless metamorphosis. The young person who started out from northeastern India is a part of who I am today and yet feels very distant from who I have become. Growing up, I was an avid viewer of Hindi movies, with the occasional Hollywood blockbuster sprinkled in. The media, whether it be television, movies or books, occupied my entire life and were my constant solace. However, it was not even a passing thought that I would work in that industry. Back then, the visual medium was simply the enveloping magic that transported me to realities I wanted to become part of.
I came to the US with dreams of becoming an automobile engineer, enamored by the aesthetics of some of the most magnificent cars in the world. But as I began studying the subject, I realized that my heart didn’t really connect with the process, just with the end product. I found myself in a state of confusion and turmoil, unsure of where I’d go. But thankfully, around the same time, a decision to take an Intro to Film class, along with participating in a 48-hour film festival, gave me a new trajectory and infused me with renewed spirit. I remember distinctly being awake the entirety of those 48 hours, writing, shooting and editing that film, and loving every minute of it. Looking back, the film itself wasn’t good, but it brought me the realization of what enjoying the process felt like. It wasn’t smooth sailing immediately after. It still took me a while after that to sort all pieces of the puzzle before I could commit to studying film and finding my place within it. I graduated with a degree in Film Studies and with a community of storytellers passionate about understanding the medium. Unconditional support from amazing people, who I now call mentors, provided me opportunities to get my foot into the industry, and I got to work as a PA on my first feature film, ‘Oh Crappy Day.’
An internship with CNN’s Creative Marketing department brought me to Atlanta, and I got to see up close the incredible amount of creativity that is constantly brewing at an organization of the magnitude of what was then called WarnerMedia. I got to observe and learn from some of the best people working in the company, and helping write and produce promos for CNN provided an incredible boost to my resolve to continue working in the industry. That internship was followed by another internship at Turner Classic Movies, which deepened my knowledge and connection with film history, and provided me incredible experiences like meeting and listening to Robert Yeoman, the cinematographer of ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and all other Wes Anderson’s live-action films, and working on the podcast, ‘The Plot Thickens.’
At the same time, I also took the decision to pursue my Masters in Film and Television Production from SCAD Atlanta. My time at SCAD ushered in many invaluable relationships that have helped me grow immensely both creatively and personally. Even though a significant portion of my education was during the pandemic, under the careful stewardship of our professors, me and my classmates got to work on a myriad of projects, from commercials to short films, to music videos, all of which broadened my horizons, helped me discover my voice as a creative, and develop an acute understanding of the entire production process. One of these projects was my thesis film, which became the core of my film school experience, and challenged me unlike anything else before. I had to tap into my own vulnerabilities to tell a story which felt authentic to life as I experienced it. With the help of an incredible group of collaborators who brought in their invaluable perspectives and artistry, we were able to make a film that we felt proud to put out into the world.
After graduating from SCAD, I was incredibly thankful to find my way back to TCM. As an associate producer there, I have been able to work on incredible projects which showcase the breadth and depth of the TCM library and programming, and I get to collaborate with some of the finest people in the business in making our campaigns and franchises a reality. I also get to join forces with filmmakers in Atlanta as a cinematographer, helping them create the vision and the world for their incredible projects.
The journey has taken me on all kinds of tangents and explorations, but I am grateful for each and every one of them because they’ve helped me grow into the person that I am today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been a lot of challenges and struggles as I’ve sought to figure out and refine my course of life. Like I mentioned in my previous answer, there was a significant period of turmoil and confusion before I found my way to video production. That was an incredibly tough period of my life as I had felt rudderless and completely unsure of my purpose or my abilities. It put a significant strain on my mental health, and for someone with a lot of anxiety, it made functioning really hard. Thankfully, through my university, I had access to mental health resources, as well as career counseling resources which allowed me to navigate the mazes of my own mind as well as those of the future in front of me. A strong community of support in the form of my friends, my family and my mentors also ensured that I was able to keep forging ahead despite all the setbacks and challenges that came with being an international student, including the shortened timeframes within which to figure out major life decisions. For every struggle that I’ve faced, whether in my personal or my professional life, I feel incredibly grateful that there has always been support and resilience which has allowed me to persevere and look for the light that carries me forward.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
There are multiple realms that I simultaneously like to coexist and nurture myself in. One side of that is my role as an associate producer at TCM, working on promos for the channel, highlighting an esteemed brand which has a reputation, a prestige and a purpose that not many other channels can lay claim to. I’m part of an incredibly passionate group of people who put in their heart and soul to ensure that classic movies continue to find their space in contemporary discourse and remind viewers of the incredible echelons of filmmaking that have flourished. The other facet that I enjoy a lot is where I engage in independent filmmaking, whether in writing and directing my own short films or in working as a cinematographer with other creative minds. There’s immense satisfaction in being able to build a world from scratch, imagining the point of view of characters, the tone and feel of the world they reside in, and how that comes alive within the visual medium. But all my endeavors come together in my purpose, which is in finding stories that resonate with authentic human experience and amplifying them into the world.
While I am incredibly proud of every project that I get to be a part of, I have a very special place in my heart for the short film that I wrote and directed, ‘Here and Now.’ With ‘Here and Now’, I was able to tell a really personal story that stemmed from my authenticity and yet spoke to an aspiration and a desire for connection that resonates universally. It was deeply touching for me to see the audience’s reactions and responses to ‘Here and Now’ wherever I screened it, people resonating with the characters based on their experiences and the phases of life they were in. I was also proud that I was able to tell a South Asian story that was South Asian not in any performative way but rather by just being an authentic telling of a South Asian relationship. I hope to continue telling and elevating stories that showcase the diversity and inclusivity of the world that we live in, particularly from the South Asian perspective.
What I hope sets me apart is the intentionality and the sincerity with which I approach anything that I do, embarking on a journey not because it is the prescribed way to go or what everyone is doing but because it resonates with my values and connects with something larger than the limits of the project itself. I strive to work on and champion projects that connect with the heart and soul and reveal the breadth of human experience instead of flattening it.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The pandemic, especially at the onset of it, brought a lot of upheaval and uncertainty to my life and deeply affected my well-being. At that point, I had just started my time at SCAD and was still getting used to the new environment. The sudden vanishing of in-person interactions, compounded with a new context, flared up my anxieties and made me feel incredibly isolated. Virtual connections and socially distanced interactions ensured that I didn’t completely spiral but I was still incredibly disoriented. Feeling a tug of war between wanting to have control but knowing that there was none, I found my surrender in meditation and breathwork. As I built up my practice of meditation, looking up videos on YouTube, buying books from Amazon, I found a resilience building with me and an ease in being able to let go. That practice that I started then has continued to help and develop me in every sphere of my life, challenging me to pause and breathe, to think deeper, to see those around me as full-fledged human beings with their own anxieties and aspirations. This in turn has made me a better collaborator, a more empathetic listener and hopefully a more understanding, holistic human being. My anxiety still affects me and can bring me to a standstill, but now I have the tools and resources to compassionately help myself through those periods.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dipframes
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dipankarmazumdr
