V.K. Shah - Director

This is me.

My Past
I grew up in New Orleans, LA and graduated from a great high school in Natchitoches, LA.  In high school, I got an opportunity to learn basic editing and things took off from there.  I became interested in visual arts because something about seeing my results and not having one exact answer made sense to me.  Upon graduation, I attended the University of Southern California Film School where I honed my skills in editing and film making.  I loved my experience there.  When I entered the "real world" I focused on editing and made a solid career in that field.  Through my quest of knowledge, I learned more about post production and all the technical aspects of production.  

My Present
Since graduating from film school, I've spent years in editing films and tv documentaries.  I've edited short films, feature films, web series, and television documentaries.  I love editing and I am good at it.  Editing is a form of story telling and that is why I am attracted to it.  The best of editing is what I take from it a as a director.   Not only do I learn about coverage, but I learn the way actors work.  Throughout the short films I've directed, I've learned that there are two things you can control - actor's performance and editing.  It can be a but intimidating working with actors with more experience than you, but the more I directed, the more I realized how remarkable it is when a director and talent work together.   No matter how little money I may have for a project, I know that I am only limited by my own creativity.   Since there never seems to be enough time to finish your production, I planned out my shots in advance and I became selective.  Instead of the shooting traditional coverage (wide, medium, closeup, over the shoulder) I made each shot matter and I made sure the angle and lighting fit the feeling of the scene.  Not only does that make post production much easier, it allows me to focus on a clear vision throughout pre production and production.  

My Future
I want to direct a film that I want to see.  When I finish watching a film, I need about 30 minutes to process it.  After that 30 minutes, I either like the film or dissect it. When I enjoy the movie, it can be for many reasons, but the most important reason is that it related to me.  It could have made me laugh, angry, or just pulled me in emotionally.  A movie that I enjoy is a movie that I want to make. Some of my favorite films include: The Best Years of our Lives, In America, The Namesake, Big Fish, Memento, Dr Stangelove, JFK, Apollo 13, Bagdad Cafe, Black Hawk Down, and Crash.  I am drawn to films that show a relationship between working class people.  What may seem like a simple problem to an ordinary eye could evolve into several layers of emotion and true human compassion.  I relate to these type of stories, but more importantly, I can connect the audience to the story.  


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