Kanmani

Child Prodigy

2009-05-02T00:23:00.000-07:00

My good friend Manoj Empranthiri sent me a video a while ago last year. This child is a gift from god. I was in tears listening to it.

This is Parvathi who won this year's Amrita TV Superstar Junior. I wish her all the blessings in life and hope she can be part of the next album.

കേള്‍ക്കാന്‍ രണ്ടു പാട്ടുകള്‍ - കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം soundtrack

2008-09-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

പലരും ചോദിച്ചു കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണത്തിലെ പാട്ടുകള്‍ കിട്ടാന്‍ വഴിയുണ്ടോ എന്ന്. ഇതാ ഇവിടെ കേള്‍ക്കുകയോ download ചെയ്യുകയോ ചെയ്യാം.

http://www.purevolume.com/sonictales

കണ്മണി ടീം അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നു : കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം

2008-09-11T02:12:00.000-07:00

കണ്മണി ടീം അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നു : കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം

നിങ്ങളുടെ കമ്പ്യൂട്ടറില്‍ ഒരു കോപ്പി download ചെയ്യാന്‍ ഈ സൈറ്റ് ഉപയോഗിക്കുക: http://http://www.ouideo.com/youtube/download.php

Enter : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvWWX_0I3zQ&fmt=18 in the video url. You can get a cool 35MB higher resolution video file out.

The main song is available for download here: http://www.purevolume.com/sonictales/albums/99514350. Other songs featured in this video will be available soon.

കുമാരേട്ടന്‍ യൂട്യൂബില്‍ നാളെ

2008-09-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

അങ്ങനെ, ടീവി ചാനലുകളില്‍ ഉള്ള ഓട്ടം കഴിഞ്ഞു , കുമാരേട്ടന്‍ ഇന്റര്നെറ്റ്-ലേക്ക് വരുന്നു. നാളെ 11 നു , ഉച്ച കഴിഞ്ഞു , കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം youtube.com- ഇല്‍ കാണാന്‍ സാധിക്കും. ഈ വീഡിയോയില്‍ ഒന്നു രണ്ടു പുതിയ പാട്ടിന്റെ കഷണങ്ങളും ഇടുന്നുണ്ട്. എല്ലാവരെയും ഞെട്ടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഒരു പാട്ടുണ്ട് ക്രെടിത്സ് കാണിക്കുമ്പോള്‍.

എല്ലാവര്‍ക്കും ലിങ്ക് അയച്ചു കൊടുക്കുമല്ലോ?

കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം Asianet-ഇല്‍

2008-09-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

സെപ്റ്റംബര്‍ 6, ശനിയാഴ്ച രാവിലെ ഇന്ത്യന്‍ സമയം 11:30-നു, അമേരിക്കന്‍ ജാലകം എന്ന പരിപാടിയില്‍ കുമാരേട്ടന്‍ വരുന്നു. ഇതേ പരിപാടി അമേരിക്കയിലും 9:30am PST ക്ക് കാണിക്കുന്നതാണ്.

ദയവായി കാണുക. നിങ്ങളുടെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങള്‍ അറിയിക്കുമല്ലോ.

ഏഴ് ദിവസത്തെ യത്നം

2008-07-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

ഷൂട്ടിങ് -ന് ഇടയില്‍ നിന്നെന്നെടുത്ത കുറച്ചു ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ ഇതാ വീണ്ടും. "കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ.." എഡിറ്റിംഗ് പുരോഗമിച്ചു കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. ജോലിയും കുടുംബവും എല്ലാം കഴിഞ്ഞു കിട്ടുന്ന ഇടവേളകളില്‍ അത് തന്നെ ഇപ്പോള്‍ പണി. എന്തായാലും എല്ലാം നന്നായി വരുന്നുണ്ട്.

ഈ വീഡിയോ-യില്‍ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെടുന്നവരുടെ എണ്ണം ഞാന്‍ നോക്കി ഇന്നലെ. മൊത്തം 38 പേരുണ്ട്. കേള്‍ക്കുമ്പോള്‍ എല്ലാര്ക്കും അതിശയമാണ്. ഇത്രയും വലിയ ഒരു സംരംഭം നടന്നത് തന്നെ bay area മലയാളികളുടെ ഒത്തൊരുമിച്ചുള്ള യത്നം കൊണ്ടു മാത്രം ആണ്.

ഇതിനിടയില്‍ എത്രയോ കഥകള്‍ കിടക്കുന്നു. AT&T parking ലോട്ടില്‍ നിന്നും സെക്യൂരിറ്റി-ക്കാരന്‍ ഞങ്ങളെ ഓടിച്ചതും, പോലീസ് വണ്ടിയുടെ പടമെടുക്കാന്‍ സ്റ്റേഷനില്‍ പോയി ഒരു പോലീസുകാരനോട് സംസാരിച്ചതും, റോഡിലുടെ ഷൂട്ട് ചെയ്യാന്‍ വേണ്ടി തേരാ പാര വണ്ടി ഓടിച്ചതും, സെറ്റിലെ ഷൂട്ടിങ്-നിടയില്‍ ഫ്യൂസ് പോയതും, (ഫ്യൂസ് പെട്ടി എത്ര തപ്പിയിട്ടും കണ്ടില്ല എന്നിട്ട് അടുത്ത ബില്ടിങ്ങില്‍ നിന്നു കണക്ഷന്‍ എടുത്തു. ആരോടും ചോദിയ്ക്കാതെ തന്നെ..). അങ്ങനെ ഏഴ് ദിവസത്തെ യത്നം അതിരസമായിരുന്നു. ഇതില്‍ മലയാളികള്‍ കൂടാതെ നാല് സയിപ്പന്മാരുമുണ്ട്. എന്തായാലും അടുത്ത് തന്നെ ഇതു ടി വി ചാനലുകളില്‍ എത്തിക്കാന്‍ സാധിക്കും എന്ന് വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നു.

കുറച്ചു ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍

2008-07-17T23:40:00.001-07:00

കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണത്തിന്റെ ഷോട്ടുകളില്‍ നിന്നും കുറച്ചു ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍. മോഹിനിയാട്ടം അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നത് നീതു രാജ്, സുമന്‍ റ്റാട്ടപ്പുടി, സ്മിതു നായര്‍.

പ്രയാണം

2008-07-09T00:32:00.000-07:00

ഈ കുമാരേട്ടനില്‍ നിന്നും

ഈ കുമാരേട്ടനിലെക്കുള്ള പ്രയാണത്തിന്റെ കഥയാണ് "കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം".

കഥയുടെ പകുതി ഇനിയും കിടക്കുന്നു ക്യാമറയിലേക്ക് പകര്‍ത്താന്‍. പിന്നെ എഡിറ്റിംഗ്, ശബ്ദം, ഡബ്ബിംഗ്, മിക്സിംഗ്, എന്ന് വേണ്ട എത്രയോ പണികള്‍ കിടക്കുന്നു പൂര്‍ത്തിയാക്കാന്‍. പക്ഷെ, ഞാന്‍ ഏറ്റവും സന്തോഷിച്ച മൂന്നു ദിവസങ്ങള്‍ ആയിരുന്നു കഴിഞ്ഞ ആഴ്ച്ചയിലുള്ള ഷൂട്ടിങ് ദിനങ്ങള്‍. ഇതില്‍ ഉള്ള എല്ലാവരും വളരെ ആത്മാര്ത്ഥമായിട്ടാണ് പങ്കെടുത്തിരിക്കുന്നത്.

കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം. ഷൂട്ടിങ്.

2008-07-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

From Kumarettante ...

ഷൂട്ടിങ് -നു ഇടയില്‍ എടുത്ത കുറച്ചു പടങ്ങള്‍ ഇതാ.കഴിഞ്ഞ മൂന്നു ദിവസങ്ങള്‍ ക്ഷീണവും ഉറക്കവും വകവെക്കാതെ ഞങ്ങള്‍ അധ്വാനിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു. എല്ലാം വിചാരിച്ചത് പോലെ നടന്നില്ലെന്കിലും ചെയ്തതൊക്കെ നന്നായി ചെയ്തെടുത്തു. ഇനി ബാക്കി അടുത്തയഴ്ച്ചയില്‍. ഒരു വലിയ സെറ്റപ്പ് തന്നെയാണ്. എല്ലാം നന്നയില്‍ വരും എന്ന് പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥിക്കുന്നു.

തയ്യാറെടുപ്പ്

2008-06-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം അടുത്ത ആഴ്ച ക്യാമറയില്‍ പകര്‍ത്താന്‍ പോവുകയാണ് ഞങ്ങള്‍. അതിന്റെ തയ്യാറെടുപ്പുകള്‍ നടന്നു കൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നു. അഞ്ചു ദിവസത്തെ ഷൂട്ടിങ് ആണ് പ്ലാന്‍ ചെയ്തിരിക്കുന്നത്. അഞ്ചു ദിവസം, മുപ്പത്തിമൂന്നു പേര്‍ സ്ക്രീനില്‍, പതിനന്‍ചോളം പേര്‍ തിരശേലയ്ക്ക് പിന്നില്‍, പിന്നെ ഒരേഴു locations. അഞ്ചു മിനുട്ടിന്റെ കാര്യത്തിന് വേണ്ടി ഇത്രയും കഷ്ടപെടാണോ എന്ന് എന്നോടൊരാള്‍ ചോദിച്ചു. എല്ലാ കലാരൂപങ്ങളും പോലെ തന്നെ ആണ് സിനിമയും. അഞ്ചു മിനുട്ടായാലും രണ്ടു മണിക്കൂറുകള്‍ ആയാലും, ചെയ്യുന്നത് ആത്മാര്‍ഥമായി ചെയ്യണം.

ഒരു ചെറുകഥയുടെ സിനിമാ ആവിഷ്കരണം ആണ് "കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം". അരമണിക്കൂറ് കൊണ്ടു പറയുന്നതിലും വിഷമമാണ്‌ അഞ്ചു മിനിറ്റിനുള്ളില്‍ ഒരു കഥ പറയുക എന്നത്. ഇതു പൂര്‍ത്തിയാക്കി പ്രേക്ഷകരുടെ മുന്നില്‍ എത്തിച്ചാല്‍, എല്ലാ വിഷമങ്ങളും കഠിനാധ്വാനവും മറക്കാം. നിങ്ങളുടെ പ്രാര്‍ത്ഥനകള്‍ കൂടെ ഉണ്ടാവും എന്ന് വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നു.

കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം storyboard-ഇല്‍ നിന്നും ഇതാ കുറച്ചു ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍:

കൃതാവ് : sudesh balan

കൃതാവ് : sudesh balan

കൃതാവ് : rajesh naroth

കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ ഓണം

2008-06-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

ഇതാണ് അടുത്ത വീഡിയോ. ഇതിലെ നായകന്‍ Kramer അഥവാ കുമാരേട്ടന്‍. വര്‍ഷങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് മുമ്പ് അമേരിക്കയിലേക്ക് വന്ന് താമസമാക്കിയ ഒരു മറുനാടന്‍ മലയാളി. പക്ഷെ കുമാരേട്ടന് നാട് വേണ്ട, നാടുകരെയും വേണ്ട. കുമാരേട്ടന്റെ സര്‍വസ്വം അമേരിക്കയാണ്. കുമാരേട്ടന് ഒരു ഭാര്യയുണ്ട്. ഭാനു. ഒരു തേങ്ങ കണ്ടാല്‍ നടോര്‍ത്തു കരയുന്ന ഒരു പാവം. അങ്ങനെയിരിക്കെ, ഓണക്കാലമായി. ഓണവും കോണവും ഒന്നും വേണ്ടെന്നു കുമാരേട്ടന്‍. ഓണത്തിന്റെ സാധനങ്ങള്‍ വാങ്ങി കൊണ്ടുവന്നില്ലെന്കില്‍ പട്ടിണിക്കിടുമെന്ന് ഭാനു. ഭാര്യയുമായി തല്ലു കൂടി, ഓഫീസിലേക്ക് കാറോടിച്ചു പോകുന്ന കുമാരേട്ടന്‍ ഒരു അത്ബുധം കണ്ടു. ഇനി വരാനിരിക്കുന്ന സംഗതികളുടെ ഒരു മുന്നോടി മാത്രം ആയിരുന്നു അത്.

വളരെ വ്യതസ്തമായ ഒരു ദ്രിശ്യ സങ്കല്പമായിരിക്കും ഇത്. മലയാളത്തില്‍ തന്നെ ആദ്യമായാണ് ഈ ഒരു format -ല്‍ ഒരു music വീഡിയോ അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നത്. 5 മിനിറ്റിനുള്ളില്‍ നിങളെ ചിരിപ്പിക്കാനും രസിപ്പിക്കണം ഈ video-യ്ക്ക് പറ്റും എന്നാണ് എന്റെ വിശ്വാസം.

- Rajesh
http://www.sonictales.com

Second life

2008-06-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since the last posting. The casting call was disaster but that didnt stop me from polishing the story. That video will happen soon.

Kanmani team is launching a new project for Onam. Its not exactly a music video. Its more of a short film for our Keralam from US of A. Its going to make a stir for sure. I'll keep you all posted on the details. All I can tell you now is that its very ambitious and will be possible because a bunch of like minded people will pour their heart into making it a reality.

Thanks for reading.

When does a dream die? The answer is "never".

Casting call for Video #3

2008-02-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

I've been lucky so far with all my videos to get the perfect cast. So here I go looking again. This is for the song 'Neelarav' by Madhu Balakrishnan. The theme is romance with a touch of comedy. This will be like the male version of Kanmani video. A boy in search of his dream girl. This work is more of a short film than a music video but it will work as both. Here I go:

Actor required for short film:
Male. 19 - 25 look. Boyish charm.
Ability to act with a bit of comedic timing.
Must be a SF bay area resident for flexibility in scheduling .
There will be compensation for the work.

There is no language or race barrier as long as it can relate to the Indian sensibilities. There is a certain quality that I am looking for in the face and acting.

If you know anyone, please feel free to recommend.

For more details, visit AlbumKanmani.com

Tools of the trade

2008-01-30T13:47:00.000-08:00

There is an obsession/attachment to things and brands in today's culture. All my tools so far has been PC based. Because thats what worked out for me. I think for an independent musician or filmmaker, PCs provide a very low budget platform to 'get it done'.

I have had some of my friends ask me why I never used Mac products. I started tinkering with Music and Video software back in 1999. Honestly, I wasn't impressed by what was available in the Macs for my needs at that time. The price was another factor. Macs have come a long way around. At this point, I believe I have as many options on the Mac as much I have on a PC. Except that I can't afford them.

I recently built a Quad core system with 4GB RAM, 2 DVI port video card and 2 500GB SATA drives for under $600. To get something similar on a Mac will cost me about $3000. Its true that it comes with a lot of perks. Still, with that left over money, I can get more gear or make a new short film or music video.

I have gone through an array of music software. Cool Edit pro, Cakewalk, Cubase, Reason, Protools and another array of Software synths. My latest projects are on pro tools. If something better comes along, I'll switch. There is no love affair here.

I have to admit that its incredibly cool to walk around with a Mac Book pro than a 10 pound Dell Inspiron. But to me, its cooler to post my next music video on you tube and entertain thousands. To do that, I'll put up with anything.

So the moral of this blog is: Get the tools that fits you not what makes you look good - except for things that are specifically meant to make you look good.

( AlbumKanmani.com )

Interview with Indulekha.com

2008-01-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

Kanmani is front page article today on Indulekha.com

Here is a permalink: http://indulekha.com/music/2008/01/kanmani-and-rajesh-naroth.html
For more details, visit AlbumKanmani.com

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T12:08:00.001-08:00

I love the last week of the year. Its really the most wonderful time of the year. So on behalf of the Kanmani team, I want to wish all my readers (all 5 of you lol) a Merry Christmas.

My memories of Christmas celebrations back home included hanging the star and Christmas cakes. When I was 12, I was at my grandmother's place and I wanted to do a Christmas tree. So My brother and I went out and cut a tree from the wild and hoisted it in front of the house. There was no electricity yet in that house then. So We decorated the whole tree with candles. The tree was short lived but the memory of it still remains.

There was no Santa Clause.. It was only about celebrating the birth of Christ. It is a bit sad that good old USA now tries to be politically correct and masks Christ with Mr. Claus.

So once again.. "Merry Christmas everyone...". This is the time to rest, rejoice and rejuvenate.

Kanmani video crosses 15000 views

2007-12-20T16:09:00.000-08:00

Hurray! The video is the one of the best album videos ever made in Malayalam (IMHO). So here it is. Reposted to celebrate 15,000 views on YouTube.

For more details, visit AlbumKanmani.com

Say thanks to the troops by sending a card. Its free and only takes 5 seconds

2007-12-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

As we celebrate Christmas and New Year, scores of military personnel are abroad from all all the fun, risking their life, doing their duty. Please take 5 seconds and send them a card. It is free. All you have to do is pick a card, pick a message and Xerox corp will print it out and send it overseas. Click here.

Kunnimanikal gets a node from MalluSpice

2007-12-16T01:23:00.001-08:00

Some of you are familiar with this site: http://malluspice.blogspot.com/. Its a great place for Mallu recipies. The author, Shaheen goes to great lengths with explanation and photos. Check today's recipe for the Malabar Biriyani.. the king of Kerala recipes. Shaheen's passion is evident in her presentation of the recipes. There are a lot of recipes for the busy people that think there is no time to cook.

MalluSpice posted the Kunnimanikal video 2 days ago. Thanks Shaheen.

Kanmani honored at Manca Christmas Celebrations

2007-12-12T00:22:00.000-08:00

It was my privilege to be recognized on stage. Tambi Antony (actor, producer and the brother of Babu Antony) conducted the event by accepting a copy of the CD from me. Here are some of the photos from the event.

See the complete album here:

The event was preceded by Gopakumar and his son Govind singing the song Kunnimanikal.

Thanks to Manoj and Vinod Empranthiri for taking these pictures..

Kunnimanikal featured in insidekerala.com

2007-12-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

First of all, here is the link.
http://www.insidekerala.com/n/article/Entertainment/10923/

Inside Kerala is a popular news portal from God's Own Country. The coverage is quite extensive with topics that include main stream politics, Entertainment, sports, NRI, Travel, Careers, Lifestyle and more.

My first attempt at directing

2007-12-06T00:14:00.000-08:00

This is crazy. But true. I was 8 years old. At the school anniversary event, I wanted to present a play. I didnt know any but I remembered a play that my cousin told me about. This was performed in one of her school events. The story goes like this.. I a house, some one is stealing sweets from the candy bowl. The thief walks in, take some candy, throw some to the audience and leaves. The owner is concerned. So he calls a police and the police sets a trap. He sits on a chair with the sheets covering him. The next day, the thief walks in, steals candy and sits on the chair. And he is caught.

I though I could pull it off. So I instructed my actors about the story. I played the part of the police man. There were no sheets available. So I used a newspaper. Everything played well until the boy sat on me. I tried to get a grip on him but he ran away. Well. Jerk. He was my neighbor too.

Funny how selective our memories are when it comes to the childhood. I cannot remember a whole lot but I remember enough. Things that makes no sense.. like the dream I used to have when I was four! The day when I met the boy who became a great friend of mine.. For a couple of grades.. Well.. I got another best friend after that. Ok. I'm going on a tangent. But childhood is sweet. I thought it would be so cool to be an adult at that time. How wrong I was ..

Albumkanmani.com revamped

2007-12-05T00:02:00.000-08:00

When you get a chance, check out albumkanmani.com .
There has been a major site overhaul, more content added and presentation made better.

Have you seen the free download section? Wallpapers, Ringtones and mp3 files. Please did in.

By the way, it is a php site now. How can a UI Engineer run a plain html site.. He he he. If you have ideas on how to make it even better, let me know.

A free mp3 download

2007-12-04T00:09:00.001-08:00

If you've already bought the CD, you may have heard the Remix song. I mixed it up just for fun. Some people really loved it. It sounded like a Malayalam Trance fusion. So here it is in full form.
Kanmani Remix mp3 (6MB)

I had an idea about a video for this song. But I can only do it in Kerala. So it may be a while before I do it.

I've gotten a lot of testimonials about the Kunnimanikal song. Its all been positive. I'll try and post them in the next couple of days. These compliments are a big comfidence booster. Film is a fine art. Story telling is not as straightforward as it seems. I am glad I was able to convey what I wanted to with this sing. It keeps me humble.

I'll write about my next project in the coming days. Its very ambitious but it will beworth it when I pull it through. I'm looking forward to building a small team to get that task done. No more one man army.

Nostalgia Revisted

2007-12-03T01:15:00.000-08:00

First listen to this mp3 clip:

While Kunnimanikal is making fairly good rounds on the net, I thought I'll throw in a sound that is bound to trigger up some thoughts. Especially those who has taken those long train rides in India. I was 10 hours away from my home and I have several trips great memories. There is something hypnotic about that sound. Its rhythmic most of the times. When it goes over a bridge, the tempo changes. I really wish I had recorded more sounds while I was there.

ANyways.. If these brought any memories to you, please share...

Introducing Sreehari Jayaprakash

2007-12-02T00:42:00.000-08:00

Sreehari is the son of my school teacher. He was a great motivator to me and I give him a lot of credits for the role he played in my life. I recorded this song last year. Sreehari's voice had not cracked yet. Lucky for me. His boy voice had a magical quality. The ending of Kunnimanikal still tugs my heart a bit.

3 months ago, I met Sreehari and recorded some video. It was done impromptu and while his brother was playing computer games nearby. He is an incredibly talented young man. Obviously his voice has changed. But that doesn't mask his abilities. So here is Sreehari.

On the album video front, there has been a lot of hits on YouTube and people have been kind enough to leave comments. Keeps me humble and I hope all the hard work behind this album will pay off eventually. Thanks everyone, please send it to your friends and family, add it on your blog, orkut videos or web site.

Kunnimanikal video, In better quality.

2007-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

I like Revver. Its better quality than youtube. But Youtube has the crowd.
If you enjoyed the video on you tube, you should be able to enjoy it better on revver (their audio could use some improvement). Here it is..

You can also download a quicktime movie to your PC from here

By the way, thanks for all those wonderful comments on youtube and orkut. Your encouragement means a lot to me. Really appreciate it.

Nostalgia unleashed. Kunnimanikal on YouTube

2007-11-30T12:38:00.000-08:00

At last.. The video that I have been aching to show everyone is here.

Here are the Tech details

Vocals: Unni Menon, Master Sreehari

Cast
Sameer : Surendran / Master Sandeep
Joy : Sajeevan / Master Arun
Appukuttan : Sunil / Master Shyam

Lighting: Pappan
Art: Ravi

Location: Vadakara outskirts.. Kadathanaad area.

Camera: Canon XH-A1.
Format: HD 30fps
Tools: Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Magic Bullet, Canopus Procoder

Consultants : Sudesh Balan, Balagopal Ambalakkat, Anand Somasundaran, Santhosh Kumar RKC.

Thanks: This list is very long and I am afraid that I might miss out someone. The on man army thing is only a joke. A lot of people played key role in this project. Its a miracle this video even got made. I am not questioning it. I am grateful for it.

Story, Camera, Direction, Music, Lyrics, Editing and Compositing : Me

Triggers

2007-11-25T18:52:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I do get a jolt of nostalgia.. Something triggers it. It could be a song, a sound, a picture, a thought even the weather. For us Malayalees, having to leave God's own country is a soft pain. Kunnimanikal video goes beyond the theme of nostalgia but I've tried include some sounds and visual that is going to tug on your heart.

Here is an audio clip that might trigger something. Listen with your eyes closed and you're sure to remember something. Click here

If it did, let me know..

I'll post another unmistakable sound in a couple of days.

Tools that save your neck

2007-11-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

Neck or any other part of the anatomy. Figuratively speaking.

I rolled the camera for the Kunnimanikal video. It turned out alright. I am happy with the final video. An overcast sky mute the colors quite a bit. I had to do some color correction to make the childhood images more cheerful.

Here is an example:

The last day of the shoot. Its do or die time. It was raining. Light was falling quickly and I shot this near a canal. The structure, now abandoned, was built long time ago to house a water pump. Its amazing how a tree managed to grow so well on top of that.

Anyway, the results are dramatic. You can see the transformation from a gloomy rainy evening to a hopeful dawn. Like I said in my previous post.. Its democracy time in media. Tools are available. All it takes is some patience and will power.. and some luck!

Democracy in media

2007-11-23T18:00:00.000-08:00

There was a time when editing a video was a mystery. Cheap PCs, the advent of digital video and the availability of non linear editing software changed all that. One company I would like to thank is Adobe. Now, Mac folks, before you are ready to chew my head off, read further.

When I started creating video clips and stuff, it was just out of curiosity. Just like music. I discovered that I had a talent for creating visual media. My boss at my job at Cingular was a great guy. His name is Dave Doyle. He helped me build some cheap but powerful machines. He also got me some 'cracked' software. I remember working in Premiere 5.0 and editing some video of my daughter. This was 8 years ago. Even with the crashes and burns with Premeire, the experience of creating a video was exhilarating. Adobe got their act together with Premiere a few years later. But I was hooked in to the possibilities. Then came After Effects which in my opinion is the most powerful compositing software out there. Only your imagination is your limit.

By the time, I started with Kanmani, digital video had matured to a great level. Apple made headways with their cool machines and Final Cut Pro. HD video was already mainstream. We shot the first Kanmani video on HD but edited in SD (Standard definition). Premiere wasnt capable with the current hardware and we barely had access to any good Mac system. The visual beauty of Kanmani belongs to cinematographer Sudesh Balan. A person who knows his craft. I still wish we had edited the video in HD but we did with what we had at that time.

Kunnimanikal is a whole different story. I would have very much like to have Sudesh do the cinematography for Kunnimanikal. It would have taken the story to a whole different level. It didnt work out. Even though I had the story and script ready, by the time I started to produce the video, I only had 10 days left for my return trip. As far as I was concerned, I'd rather try and fail and not attempt making it at all. So I shot Kunnimanikal with 6 actors and a crew of 3 people. There were no fancy cranes or rails or huge reflectors or anything. I prayed for at least one day of sunshine and clear sky.. The prayes went un answered. But the overcast sky let me shoot all day in those 5 days. I left for US on the 6th day. There was no time to even preview the footage.

When I got back, the first thing I did was upgrade my PC. Frys had a sale for a Quad Core processor. The experience building my own PCs paid off. WIth less than $600, I had upgraded my PC with a Quad core processor, 4GB of ram and 2 SATA hard disks 500GB each.

Adobe Premiere smiled at me this time. Editing in HD was now possible! And I started my work on Kunnimanikal.

So how does democracy fit in here? The truth is that the only thing that stands in your way to tell a story now is your will to do it. Period. Its not rocket science anymore. There is a price to pay but if you want to do it, you can. And if done right, no body cares if it was done at and editing house where you spent hundreds of dollars a day or at your own home PC or Mac with affordable tools.

With blogs, social networks and video sharing sites, you are virtually unstoppable.

No more mysteries.

Kunnimanikal Trailer Released on YouTube

2007-11-22T01:44:00.000-08:00

Kunnimanikal Video Release

2007-11-19T01:52:00.000-08:00

The kunnimanikal video will be released on the web in 2 weeks on the web. I am hoping to get a TV release before that but there are sensor board approvals required for music videos which will delay the process quite a bit. But I am sure that this video will reach far through the web than TV.

This video is for all Malayalees that has fond and nostalgic memories about their childhood in Kerala.

Editing is in the final stages. The initial reaction is very encouraging. I cant wait to put it out and see the impact it is going to make.

Kunnimanikal: Photos Part 4

2007-11-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

Some more photos from the video.

Rain and nostalgia

2007-11-11T15:29:00.000-08:00

There is something about the monsoon season that brings out nostalgia. When I went to India this time, it poured like crazy almost all the 10 weeks I was there. I prayed hard for the last day of my shooting to have some sunshine with no luck. However, the ambiance seems to have played to the advantage of the music video.

Kunnimanikal: Photos Part 3

2007-11-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

Here comes a bunch of melancholic screen shots

Kunnimanikal. Stills from the shoot.

2007-11-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

These are all scenes from the Kunnimanikal music video. There is a lot of story and drama told in the 6 minute video. Its fun editing this video really. I only wish I had more time. I hope I can release it soon.

Kunnimanikal Video. A brief history

2007-11-05T23:44:00.001-08:00

The work on the Kunnimanikal video started over a year and a half ago. Thats a long time!. But what it was then and what it is now are two different things. My first experiments with video started there. The first story was about 2 people. A man and a woman who had no connection. They are just going through their lives sad with nostalgia. Quite an insipid storyline. But some people did like it. I was not happy about it. I had a colleague of mine and another girl act for the whole thing. Balu and I spent a lot of time on this thing. Soon I realized that the girl's role wasn't working. People were confused by the relationship. Splitting the story lines was not working. So I canned that part. Then I went to India and shot scenes with a kid. I had everything to make the video but.. I wanted something more significant.

I then started toying with an idea about coordinating with people around the world making a single video. That was in the works and then got thrown out.

Finally, during this vacation when I went to finalize Kanmani, I shot Kunnimanikal again. This one has a good story line and some excellent actors. Not the glamourous looking kind but with everyday people.

Its about friendship and childhood nostalgia. Shot in the rainy season, the visuals will bring a lot of memories to anyone that watches it. The editing has started. 5 days of shooting. about 5 hours of video. Now I have to cut it to a 5 minute song. Stay tuned. This is probably the first Malayalam music video to be shot and edited in HD.

Balachandra Menon

2007-11-04T12:40:00.001-08:00

Yesterday morning 5:00 am, the phone rang. I was recovering from a flu so my sleep wasn't deep. Divya picked up the phone and gave it to me telling me that it is someone called Balachandra Menon. The moment I heard the voice, I knew that it was The Balachandra Menon who had presented us with a whole bunch of great movies. He said that he had seen the Kanmani video and he liked it. He said the lead girl was excellent. He is looking for a new heroine for his next movie and wanted to find out if Suman would be available for that project. I told him that I'll consult with her father and let him know. Unfortunately, they were keen in getting her finish her studies than pusuing a career in movies yet.

I called him back to give him the news. He thanked me and told me that he understands that totally. Anyway, its an honor to me that he watched the Kanmani video.

Okay, a lot of people has been asking "So.. what happened? No news at all.."
Here is the answer.. Kanmani is still being worked on. I am not giving up. Currently work on the second video has started. If it takes me to make 7 videos of all the songs and then sell Kanmani as a video album I will do it. Being a one man army has its benefits but it gets tiring sometimes. But I guess it has everything to do with will power and persistence.

After the Kunnimanikal video, I will start up the Venal video which will be the first of its kind in Kerala. A new project will get started today evening with Prasad Bhandarkar as well.

Here are a couple of teaser photos from Kunnimanikal video:

Vinod Balakrishnan

2007-10-20T17:15:00.001-07:00

A moment of pride for all Malayalees. Here is an article that appeared in Mathrubhumi weekend edition. It was a full page article. If you have ever used photoshop, you would never have missed noticing his name listed in the splash screen.

Personally, I have known Vinod for a few years now. He is a good friend of mine. Vinod also was instrumental in the development of Kanmani project. He is also from T K M College of Engineering, where I studied as well.

The USA Release

2007-09-29T21:54:00.000-07:00

This post should have been done long time ago after the Maithry Onam Celebrations. We released Kanmani officially by presenting a copy of Kanmani CD to Mr Dileep the founder of Maithry. The song video was presented and we also had the CD for Maithry members at a special discounted price. We sold quite a few CDs by the way. It was awesome.

I have set up an online buying scheme with Paypal. It is available on the blog now. This is for customers in USA only. I am yet to figure out the logistics of shipping it internationally.

Found this in a google search

2007-09-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.insidekerala.com/n/article/Regional/6563/

I don't know who created this article but I am grateful.

Kanmani at Maithry Onam Celebrations

2007-09-14T12:41:00.001-07:00

Kanmani will be featured at the Maithry Onam celebrations on Sep 15th, 2007. ie tomorrow. We plan to use this opportunity to make an official USA release. CDs will be available for purchase here as well.

Meanwhile, Manorama has uploaded their Kanmani article on Manaorama Online. I haven't had much luck reading it in Firefox. Use explorer after you install the Manorama font. (if you haven't already installed it).

Meanwhile not much luck in getting the album to the shops in Kerala. Eventually it will. Please hang in there with me. In tis case, sow and steady just might win the race.

Kanmani on iTunes USA

2007-08-30T03:49:00.000-07:00

The first sales outlet. Thanks to apple.

For those in USA can download Kanmani from iTunes. iTunes requires you to install the iTunes software. You can download and listen to the songs on the PC/Mac. iTunes will also allow you to make an audio CD.

For those who needs the packaged CD, I'll have it available on sale on the album site in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for all your support.

Rain Rain go away

2007-08-29T12:37:00.001-07:00

I literally sang this rhyme while shooting Kunnimanikal. Because it either rained or was overcast all the 5 days of shooting.

For the 11 weeks I have been here, there has not been more than 7 days of total sunshine. I guess the mood will work. One of my friends said that for Malayalees, rain brings those nostalgic memories to us. This video needs all the nostalgia it can muster up. I'll know for sure when it gets to the editing table.

Today, let me present you the three actors in the video. They are real thespians. They come with plenty of stage experience. My method of work was new to them but they all enjoyed the work and in this short time, we had become very close friends. Here is Surendran, Sunil and Sajeevan.

Here are their counter parts (not in that order). Don't let the rustic appearance fool you. These are sharp kids. They all CAN act. I just needed to guide and tone them down a little. They are all 1st prize winners of the state youth festival drama competition.

Here is Arun, Shyam and Sandeep. Arun is also the winner of the best actor in state level.

Shooting Kunnimanikal

2007-08-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

The past 4 days has been tiring.. shooting Kunnimanikal with a small crew. One more day of shoot left. We've had nothing but rain and overcast days in the past few days. I am praying for a clear day tomorrow. The cast and plot is quite extensive. The video tells the tale of 3 friends. How they meet in 2007 and how events that transpired 20 years ago rejuvenates their friendship.

The story is set in 2 periods 2007 ans 1987. It was quite a challenge finding a place and actors (3 adults and 3 kids) in a short duration. But like I said, an invisible hand has been helping us all through out.

Here is the first photo from the set. Thats me. The person who is totally exhausted after leading a one man army.

I'll introduce the actors one by one. All the adult actors are stage performers and very passionate about the art. The kids are 1st prize winners in the State Drama competition. It has been a pleasure working with them.

Kanmani: Phase 2

2007-08-25T10:04:00.001-07:00

While the struggle to put Kanmani on shelves still goes on.. Video number 2 is under production. Its a very different song. Dont expect glamour and puppy lovein it. Thats what Kanmani song was all about. This one, once completed will be total emotional piece. Set in a village. Performed by thespians. Kunnimanikal will be ready to go in about a month.

For folks in USA, Kanmani will be available for purchase on www.albumkanmani.com in about 2 weeks.

Happy Onam everyone.

Kanmani Video in ACV Jukebox and Medley.

2007-08-18T04:54:00.000-07:00

Kanmani song is now available on Jukebox and Medley channels. Apparently it is also available in Jukebox Plus.

Most of the major centers already have it. The rest of them will have it by Monday. It some times takes time for the video to reach the centers by courier. If you have access to these channels please pick up the phone and select the song. It helps us a lot. The video will be available inside Music Videos -> Album Hits.
Once the song list starts, press # to go forward in the menu. Press * to go back.

Thank you all.

Meet Bennet

2007-08-13T23:58:00.000-07:00

One thing you'll notice in the song Kadal are the beautiful guitar lines and its my privilege to introduce the genius behind it.

Bennet was described as "the lean mean rock machine" by a radio documentary by AIR. But Bennet is much more than a rock musician. This young musician's uncanny sense oif rhythm, dazzling tonal colors. rich flowing melody lines and interesting chord progressions have truly enriched Malayalam Film music beyond measure.

Bennet has penned music for the Malayalam movies Out of Syllabus and Soorya Kireedam. The songs in out of syllabus has won the hearts of malayalees and won a state award (2006) for best lyrics. Besides feature films Bennet is an all rounder with ghazala, gospel music, Rock shows, Fusion concerts and TV programs in his arsenel. When it comes to Bennet, versatile is an understatement.

Kanmani Poster

2007-08-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

Here is what will be displayed in the shops. This poster is available for download in the album site

For people who love wallpapers, you can get one from the same page. If you dont find your size there, please let me know. I will make one.

Kanmani in Manorama

2007-08-09T20:21:00.001-07:00

Kanmani made it's appearance in Malayala Manorama's Friday Edition. It was featured in "Yuva", the youth segment. Here is a scan. Once it comes up online, I will post it. This is quite a feat. Manorama reaches about 1,600, 000 subscribers in Kerala. They also are have the largest distribution among regional language newspapers in India.

The 7am Sunday telecast

2007-08-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

It was in full glory but not (at all) in full. I am assuming that channels need to play by some rules and make cuts. Now we can't worry about things not in our control. So the push starts again. Thanks everyone.

7am on Kairali TV

2007-08-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

I hope some of you caught it on Music Train. What made all the difference was the introduction. Amrita TV started including album songs only recently. So they recieved over 40 submissions. Kanmani was the only one selected. Kudos to the team especially Sudesh Balan. The visuals are spectacular.

Thanks to all the phone calls, emails and blog comments. If you can please send them your feedback about the album here. It might help us get some repeat viewing.

The video was part of the game and was shown in about a quarter of its original size. A bit disappointing but hey it was on Prime time TV on a Saturday. So here is another breath of fresh air.. Kanmani will be on Kairali TV at 7am (very early.. :-) tomorrow aka Sunday the 5th. I hope it will be shown in its full glory.

Hope some of you can catch a glimpse.

The first News paper spot

2007-08-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

Kanmani is starting to popup in the press. Slowly but surely.
Here is the article from "The HINDU"

The Amritha TV segment "Music Train" happens on Saturday 7pm IST.
I am not sure when it will be shown in the US but I assume, they wan to keep the timing almost similar.

Music Train on Amritha TV

2007-08-03T02:34:00.001-07:00

I confirmed it. It is going to be the first featured song on MUSIC TRAIN. (7pm saturday) Please tune in and if possible, call them and tell them how great the video was. If you're in a music shop please ask for Kanmani CD even if they don't have it.

The video will start making its appearance in many music channels soon. We have sent it to Asianet, Kairali, Kiran, Amritha and Rosebowl.

The next video in the Kanmani series is in the works. I will update you folks on that soon.

The first TV spot

2007-08-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a great news.
Kanmani will be featured in AMRITHA TV on this Saturday (4th) at 7pm.
The program name is Music Train.

The video should start popping up on other channels pretty soon.
If you're in India, please tune in.

(Yes. I know I have been absent from blogosphere for a while. I've been traveling quite a bit and in talks with several distributors. We need to get Kanmani in shops ASAP. Please hang in there with me. It will all start rocking very very soon.)

Albumkanmani.com is up !

2007-07-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Albumkanmani.com is up and running. This is the first draft.
I will be updating it with more material soon.
Your feed back is welcome.

Meet George Paul

2007-07-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

You all know Jose K Paul. He is the artist behind Kanmani CD work. George, his younger brother is gifted as well and I had the distinct pleasure of knowing George during this trip. George is designing a brand new site of Album Kanmani. We will have it up in a few days.

George is quite an accomplished graphic artist.
You can check out his work here

The First Sale

2007-07-10T23:18:00.001-07:00

The first sale to my brother (in law).

The CDs are priced at Rs. 75. The first one was sold for Rs. 100 and that was killer profit and oh so easy. he he he.

One down. A few more thousands to go.

Released

2007-07-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

Release

2007-07-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

When you hear "Release" what comes to mind.. A large room full of well dressed people, VIPS, a stage, Mike hum, a buzz and flashes from press photographers. Well "Kanmani" release is going to be in Mookambi temple. A quiet place (except for special days). This is where musicians go to start their new ventures. This is where people take their kids to start their education. The temple hosts goddess Saraswathi who blesses fine arts, music and education.

I still believe music is a gift from above (regardless of your religion). You are just a conduit. So when folks suggested about this, dedicating it to the source made sense. I'll see you all in a couple of days.

For those who have been sending me emails and orkut scraps, checking this blog, rating the utube video, adding comments and above all, spreading the word, THANK YOU. With out that Kanmani will be lost.

Jassie Gift on Kanmani

2007-07-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a clip from Jassie Gift of Lajjavathiye fame.

Manjari talks about Kanmani

2007-07-06T01:45:00.000-07:00

Manjari talks about the album.

For youtubers, you can also find a copy of this in my channel.

A minute with Franco

2007-07-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

A brief moment with Singer Franco where he talks about Album Kanmani.

I have used Revver for its high quality video. Audio is passable but is in stereo. I am also noticing audio/video sync issues. But for these clips, revver seem to fit the bill perfectly.

Kanmani Music Video

2007-07-04T12:27:00.001-07:00

Its time and here it is.
"Kanmani". The music video.
(Please bear in mind that youtube audio/video quality sucks.)

The website is still coming up. As I gear up for the release I may be absent from the blogosphere for a while. Mean while enjoy the video and the audio excerpts.

Kanmani Juke Box

2007-07-04T00:24:00.000-07:00

You will see a new list to the top right corner of this blog. This is the Kanmani Jukebox. All the song excerpts are available right here. I am removing the previous two posts. They are redundant.

Enjoy.

AlbumKanmani.com

2007-07-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

In about a week, albumkanmani.com will be up. I'm planning to put sound bytes, video clips, photos, news items and stuff in there. I'll set up an RSS feed for podcasts and stuff. I'd very much like to post that music video on the web ASAP. I'll just have to check once with the TV channels if they have any issue with that.

The site Kanmani.com was already taken. I tried chasing that owner to see if I could get it from him. No luck.

Kanmani has also been submitted to itunes USA. I'm not sure how long it will take for it to show up there.

A flute clip

2007-07-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a clip by Nikhilfrom the song "Neelarav". This is how that song ends.

Nikhil

2007-07-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

In one of my previous blog's I talked about Nikhil. The flautist in Kanmani. Prasad Bhandarkar rendered the flute pieces for one song "Kanmani". The rest of them are all Nikhil.

He visited me 3 days ago and was very happy to hear the songs. I managed to take some snaps. So here he is:

Kanmani CD art

2007-06-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Here is how the CD is going to look like.

There is a good chance that Kanmani will be available on ITunes USA. This way you dont have to wait till September when the CD will be launched in US.

The song Kunnimanikal is generating waves already in the friends and family circle. I had a chance to meet Mr. Unni Menon last week. He played the song and everyone in that room just loved it in the first hearing. When the website is up, you will be able to sample all the songs.

Couple of photos for Franco fans

2007-06-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

When I met Franco last week, he had just come back from his US tour. He gave me a couple of photos for the album cover and promotions. For the fans, here comes Franco's cool Photos:

Presenting Kanmani

2007-06-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

Album front cover.
Jose K Paul. My old pal from college is the artist.

Album back

The graphic designer is this humble blogger.

Arthi's new film song

2007-06-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

Arthi recently finished her debut film song in a Telugu movie called "Bahumati". The film will be released on June 30th. If you like to hear the song, here it is:
http://www.raaga.com/channels/telugu/movie/A0001170.html

The song is titled "Onamale".

Arthi sang the title song "Kanmani" in my album.

Album Kanmani dot com

2007-06-27T02:37:00.000-07:00

So you've noticed the title and color changes in this blog.

The new website albumkanmani.com will be up very soon. With the video and mp3 clips from all the songs. The album cover is almost done. It looks good I should say. I've been traveling quite a bit lately. It has been tough to keep up blogging.

For those who have been adding comments to this page. Thank you. Thanks a bunch.

Perfect Pitch

2007-06-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

The music industry uses pitch correction software quite a bit. Imperfections in a song can be polished out without having to re record a performance. Its a blessing usually. For Kanmani, you can hear me crooning here and there. Its all pitch corrected. I am not a singer. I have just tried to provide some effects to the songs.

Pitch correction also can produce false illusion of a talent. With inumerable takes and software like Autotune, I can make you believe that I am the next genius in the industry. That is until you ask me to perform live or I get a call from a music director to render his new song. Pitch correction is only a tool. Its not the solution to bad singing.

While working with Manjari, I realized that this singer had perfect pitch. There was no need to tweak anything at all. Kanmani features a very different song by Manjari. I am sure it is going to be a big sensation.

Breaking the rules

2007-06-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

One song breaks a lot of rules in the album Kanmani. It is about "kadal" or the sea. Its rendered perfectly by Manjari and backed up by the geniuses of Anuradha Sridhar and Bennet. (More on Bennet later).

The song runs over 9 minutes. It doesn't color Manjari's voice with a lot of echo and reverberation like her other other songs. The song ends with nothing but over a minute of waves crashing on a beach. Some of the instruments were recorded when it was raining cats and dogs outside. The rain sound added a certain flavor to the mixing. The next thing is that there the song is not in a hurry to finish up.

This is the last song aka the climax of the album. I did it on purpose. For one, I wanted this song to be easy going and relaxed. When you go sit at the seaside, you don't hurry. You're there to take your time and chill out. Same about this song. You will know when you hear it.

The cyclone knocked out the power here for the past 2 days. I'm blogging right now from my laptop, connected via a mobile connection.

Work on the album and website is progressing well. In about a week you will be able to see the video and sample the songs on the new site albumkanmani.com.

Some snaps from our picturesque state

2007-06-20T20:29:00.001-07:00

Things I used to torture as a kid now become marvels of nature.

There are two predominant tones in monsoon. Grey and Green. Here is a water hole wearing a green blanket.

A train passes by while I wait at the gate.

The last lap

2007-06-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

If I'm missing from the blogoshpere, it is because I've been caught up struggle of the last lap. All the recordings are over, the video is finalized. Just a few more important things (like ordering the CD) remains.

I'll have the album available on iTunes pretty soon.

The album website will also be up soon. Hang in there.

To quote from the first song in the album..
"Eee Kathirippin-avasaanamai
Aashakal tun noopurangalil
Deepa-maala theliyaarai"

Monsoon

2007-06-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

Monsoon is in full swing now. Its beautiful. Especially near waterfront, the rainfall is magical. I took this photo near our house. A river, coconut grove and incoming rain.

The renovated Calicut airport

2007-06-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

To say I was impressed is an understatement. Check out the photos:

Some more photos

2007-06-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

Me checking notes.

Photos from last day's recording

2007-06-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

Manjari and mother.

A day in Trivandrum

2007-06-16T03:57:00.000-07:00

I flew down to Trivandrum from Calicut today morning. I'll post some pictures of the new Kozhikode airport tomorrow. I ran into Mr Jassie Gift at the studio. The recording with Manjari went really well. To reiterate, she is incredibly talented. There are no questions about that.

Manajri and Mom agreed to pose for a couple of photos. I'm trying to post it here. I am on mobile internet which is a bit low in speed. Not sure if the photo will come through. If not I'll post them tomorrow when I am back home.

Planning to meet Vidhu today evening. Fortunately for me, its not raining much.

When it rains..

2007-06-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

The monsoon erupted yesterday. It is pouring outside. They say the rains are late this year.

My blogging is following the same pattern. A lot of things are in the pipeline yet I don't have much to show now. So stay with me. Keep coming back. I will have a lot more to say in the coming days.

The YouTube version

2007-06-11T23:34:00.002-07:00

No matter how crappy the quality is, nothing can substitute its popularity. So here it comes. The YouTube version of the album trailer.

How far is too far?

2007-06-11T04:51:00.001-07:00

Most of my friends who has a copy of the latest mixes seem oblivious to the fact that it is missing the song Kadal. Thats because I didnt have the heart to show it to any one. I messed up the lyrics in the second half. It was too mediocre. It is passable but I cringe every time I listen to the last part. Beautifully rendered by Manjari but sloppily written by me. Ok. Enough of whining.

So I decided to redo the song. Perfectionism showed its ugly head again. I called Manjari and booked a time for next week. I am going to Trivandrum to redo the song. This time I will get it right.

How far is too far? I really don't know. But if it is worth putting in my album, it is worth making it right. No regrets.

Kanmani 30 sec ad

2007-06-09T23:26:00.000-07:00

From jumpcut.com (The best quality I have seen so far)

From Blip.tv (Hi quality but jittery)

Click To Play

From Google Video (low quality)

Ad work

2007-06-09T10:03:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to get Internet connection at the place I am staying now. Currently working on a 30 second ad for Kanmani.

Building a road

2007-06-07T01:09:00.000-07:00

I sometimes feel, bringing this album to life is like building a road from scratch. When you build a road, you make a basic plan, clear the path out, prep the ground, lay asphalt, then polish to the requirements (thats an oversimplification). And then you open up the road to the traffic. Most of the work is in preparation. If you fail in this part, the traffic that you opened up with a lot of hope will stop in no time.

As far as Kanmani goes, a lot of hard work has gone behind the preparation. I have no doubts about the quality of the product. And now its time to open up the road. Most important of all, its time to tell everyone about this road and how awesome of a ride its going to be if they take this route.

Faith

2007-06-06T03:49:00.000-07:00

Its fun to blog while globetrotting. I make an exception for today for me. I am blogging from the Singapore airport. Free internet. What an awesome airport.. Whats up with our aiports in USA? No free lunch ever? Anyway, its not my idea to crib today.

Ever since I started my work on the album, I knew there was some other force at play. Something beyond my control or scope. No matter how you define it, I call it God.

Here is something that happened on Monday. Everything is under control. I am backing up my files and stuff, packing my gear. DIvya is out there running last minute errands. At 1:30, I start setting aside the passports, greencards and tickets. And to my disbelief, my son's Indian visa had expired 4 months ago. How do you explain the wave of panic that hit me? When I called Divya and told her she had her share of the panic. Phone calls happened but our only option was to make a dashto the consulate in San Francisco and attempt to win their sympathy so that they'll bend the rules and help us. It was too late. Embassy will not do such things normally. We'll be there only by 3pm. 3 hours late for the application.

30 minutes from the consulate, I asked Divya to call Ajit, a good friend of ours. Why I chose to make that call I have no clue. However, it turns out that Ajit had a good friend of his who worked there. TO make the long story short, that person went the extra mile and stamped the visa for us. We were back at home, late but relieved.

The next task was to complete what I started in the morning. Getting all my music files ready. If not for those, there is no point taking the trip. Everything was resolved. We made it.

But why did I decide to look at the passport when DIvya had confirmed, everything was current? That too at 1:30! One hour later, it would have been too late.

Of all the people I knew, why did I decide to call Ajit?

My answer lies in that second paragraph. I have stpped asking that question. Inside, I know that everythig is going to be fine. I just know it.

Control Vs Faith

2007-06-04T00:55:00.000-07:00

I recently read this in a book: People chose to be a director because it gives them a position of control over the project. But nothing could be further from the truth. Movie making is a team event. Not a one man show. Ideally you work with a bunch of highly talented individuals. And you work off of the choices these individuals bring to the table. You can't run every aspect of the production. You can't have a bunch of 'mini-me's running around doing everything just the way you want it. You have to learn to have faith in people, get out of their way and give them creative freedom and breathing room. Of course its your vision but you have to have faith in your team that the final product will be more powerful than what you originally envisioned.

I recently finished a short film and a music video, if I could do them all over again, I would do them a bit differently. And thats the way it should feel. Every project is a learning experience. Like doctors, a director is always practicing.

Roll. Don't fold

2007-06-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm in the middle of a packing spree, here is a tip that I thought I would share. This has nothing to do with music.

When you pack a suitcase, Don't fold your clothes. Instead roll them up. You pack more and tighter. Someone from my previous job suggested this.

The last lap

2007-06-02T01:21:00.000-07:00

Three more days left before my highly anticipated trip to Kerala. A lot of planning, last minute adjustments, shopping etc etc are going on. Blogging is taking a back seat. I have to take leave for a few days. If time permits, I'll make some updates. So see you in a week folks. Hang in there.

More photos from the outdoor set

2007-06-01T00:28:00.000-07:00

Photos by Vinod Balakrishnan.

Suman posing for the next shot.

Suma and Manju pretending to flirt with Shalin.

Shalin practising his enchanting smile.

There were a lot of funny moments in the set.

Photos from the outdoor set

2007-05-31T01:23:00.000-07:00

(Photos by Vinod Balakrishnan)
Sreejith

Director and DP

Balu

Some frame grabs

2007-05-30T02:57:00.000-07:00

Flights, Buses and Rental cars

2007-05-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

I was in Los Angeles the past 3 days working on the music video with Sudesh. It was supposed to be a 2 day trip and I booked my flight tickets accordingly. But it turned out that there was more to be done. So I cancelled my return flight and bought bus tickets for the next day. The bus station was a bit crowded and I did not want to risk damaging my camera or laptop stuffing them along with other baggage. So at 9:40 pm, on the phone, I booked a rental car to San Jose. The only problem was that the rental place closes at 10:00. Thanks to Sudesh and his GPS, we reached the place at 10:03 right when they locked up the front doors.

I drove all the way back, taking naps in between and eventually reaching home. (Of course they reopened the door and gave me the rental car). Except a train ticket (or a boat) , I had paid for all the other means of travel in USA. Funny.

So officially the first Kanmani music video is done except for some minor color correction. I cant wait to release it.

The creative process

2007-05-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Most of us know this. Our left and right brain work differently. Left focuses on logic, organization, analysis, rationalization etc. Where the right brain operates on intuition, synthesis, imagination etc. Left brain thinks in smaller segments where the right deals it as a whole. So is creativity a right brain thing.

Here is my take on it. Neither side by itself will lend to creative results. Many times, you have to force yourself to start creating something. And sooner or later you are flying in high gear. Its like kick starting your right brain into action and you need your left brain to do that. If you wait to be in the right mood to create something, chances are.. you are not doing much. So use your left brain, do our planning, reading, listening and most importantly deciding to do something. Then enjoy that ride.

When I sit down to make a song, I start thinking about the tempo, mood, scale etc. Then I would lay a very basic rhythm and shruthi track. Then I would pick some instruments and start playing some tunes. By this time, the right brain is awake and listening to what Mr Left is doing. And at some point, something clicks and Mr Right jumps in. At this point, I lose track of time. The task at hand is the only thing. Everything else is secondary. And at some point I have to go to sleep.

When I wake up the next day and listen to last day's work the results are often good and I am surprise how it came to be. Mr Left Brain takes over now to do the fine tuning.

A news reporter asked Steven Spielberg how he was able to create such masterpieces. Among his answer, one line he said stuck with me. He said, "I don't question the creative process." Very true. Creativity just happens. You only have to decide to do it.

High standards

2007-05-25T01:52:00.000-07:00

When I called "wrap" Last Saturday, deep inside I knew that not everything I wanted in the music video was shot. This fear was confirmed when I laid out what we shot to the song time line. A few critical things were things were really missing. Sudesh was back in LA. Balu was busy at work and I wasn't sure if Suman would be available. Anyways, I called Sudesh and explained the situation to him. My solution was .. maybe Balu and I could try and do the shooting here in the Bay Area. Not the right solution but a possible one. It would probably wont match with Sudesh's work so far. But with out those shots, the video would tank. For voluntary work, reshoot is a dreaded word.

Phone calls happened, schedules and arrangements were made and in the end, we finished the scenes today. Sudesh and family drove up about 6 hours to shoot the scene at the San Luis Reservoir. Divya, Suman and I drove down to the location. We shot for about 2 and a half hours. We were done by around 8:30. For Sudesh and family they had a long 6 hour drive back home.

Why would we do such a crazy thing? This is Sudesh's idea of perfection. When it comes to work, there are no compromises. And for the work on this album, there hasn't been any compromise (its debatable;-) But I have no regrets). It was all worth it.

Its fun and very satisfying working with people who have high standards like this. It stretches you. Makes you take a different look at a situation that once you thought were not solvable. It also tells you that when you are working towards your dream, taking an extra mile is not a luxury but a necessity.

I'll be on my way to LA tomorrow to finish the editing. If you don't see that many updates, you will know why. But I'll definitely try to give you some juice about it.

Meet Shalin Shah

2007-05-24T01:07:00.001-07:00

I met Shalin through Suman. They are both from the same college. Shalin just graduated from Berkley University and is getting ready to go to Medical school. There is no need to mention the academic skills of people who graduate from Berkley. What surprised me was the talent that Shalin brought to the table.

Shalin is an excellent dancer. He also sings well (I have not heard him sing but I believe him when he says so). Apart from these what made him stand out was his skills as a choreographer and the energy that he brings in from of the camera. Theatrics come very natural to him. He does not strain. He is confident and very creative.

Like I said before, if not for Suman and Shalin, the Kanmani music video would have been a very different story.
(Photo Credits: Vinod Balakrishnan)