Sepia – Story Behind the Imagery of the Short by Manikandan

Sepia is a story of a man after being rejected from re-entering his own country must cross the desert to return home to see the love of his life. It is full of heart-touching moments and emotions.

Sepia is plainly beautiful with some astounding visuals. We see beautiful, desolate landscapes and orange sunset. The filmmakers have kept the film as realistic as possible to give an immersive experience. To prove it right the film is doing well in the film festivals and has won the ‘Best Cinematography award in Austin Indie Film Festival’ for its amazing visuals.

The guy behind those stunning visuals is Manikandan Mathivanan, the Cinematographer from India. Mathivanan is a renowned cinematographer who has worked in an impressive array of projects across film, commercial, online and live events. In the commercial space, Mathivanan has worked with major brands, including YouTube promos for the new beverage company, Bali Juice, as well as a leading online campaign for McDonalds Brasil – “Everybody Loves Free Refill”.

As a filmmaker, Mathivanan produced and directed the critically acclaimed short film “Fated” Winner at LA Shorts Awards (2017), Semi-Finalist at Los Angeles Cine Festival and Official Selection – London Independent Film Awards. Throughout his career, he has worked with an array of experts in many fields, filming live fashion events for world-renowned visual artist Domingo Zapata, known for his “Polo” series focusing on polo horses, and for exploring themes of sexuality, opulence, and vitality with his signature pop art style, whose clients include such luminaries as Leonardo DiCaprio and George Soros; global internet personality, musician and actor Rudy Mancuso; and Kahi Lee, the renowned interior designer, television personality and author who has appeared as a host and designer on numerous television programs including Trading Spaces (TLC), While You Were Out (TLC and HGTV) and Design On A Dime (HGTV). His work has been covered by major international media outlets including CinemaPlus, NewsToday, Buzzfeed, and MovieBlogger.

Let’s see what he has to say about his experience working in this film “Sepia”

indieactivity : Please tell us about yourself and your path so far?
Manikandan Mathivanan : I have been employed actively as a cinematographer since about 2017 but before that, I was in film school doing my masters degree. Like everyone at the University I wanted to be a director until I was introduced to Cinematography and lighting classes. I was really fascinated by this side of the art and I started working as a cinematographer for a lot of my friend’s class project. I enjoyed it and that’s when I thought maybe I should aim towards being a Cinematographer. So, I started working towards that and now here I am.

Interview: Manikandan Mathivanan, an Indian Cinematographer Crafting LA-Filmscape

indieactivity : Let’s talk about “Sepia”. How did you get involved in this project, and what are your usual consideration before signing a project?
Manikandan Mathivanan : I always put the script first and see if it is something I can connect with on an emotional or creative level. And I also look at the director’s previous work and meet them in person to get a vibe of them. I would like to make sure that I am working with someone who is willing to collaborate and make a great film.

And I chose to work on this movie because of all the reasons I mentioned above. The script was well written and the director was very a kind person who had a clear vision of what he wanted. He was ready to bounce off ideas and work as a team.

indieactivity : What was your inspiration for this movie?
Manikandan Mathivanan : This movie is all about love, isolation, and loss. As a cinematographer, it is important for me to convey those emotions in my frames and make sure that the audience feels it too. I used a lot of long shots to show emptiness and how the character feels small. Things like that add a lot to a movie.

During the pre-production, I watched Andrei Tarkovsky movies and also saw some Russian photographs to get some inspiration. The reason was that Andrei Tarkovsky is a master of long shots and his frames are like a painting. I am fascinated by his visuals and choice of shot sizes.

indieactivity : What was your biggest challenge filming “Sepia”?
Manikandan Mathivanan : 80% of the movie happens outdoors in the desert. I think that was the challenging part because you don’t have much control of the environment and light. Plus, the heat was unbearable. We had to put extra effort into the shooting. We went to location a couple of times before the shoot and tracked how the sun moved. This allowed us to block the scenes according to sun position.

indieactivity : How do you feel about the best cinematography award?
Manikandan Mathivanan : I am really happy and proud. It is very important for every artist to get recognition for his hard work. I am also grateful for Sepia’s producer and director. They are doing a wonderful job in sending the movie to film festivals.

Sepia
“But Still, like dust, I’ll rise.”
Written and Directed by – Vicente Almuna Morales
Produced by – Sommer Saqr 
Featuring – Vicente Almuna Morales and Mara Stefica Topic Verduga 
Director Of Photography – Manikandan Mathivanan 

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