Meet Sameer Shajahan | Engine Calibration Engineer & Amateur Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sameer Shajahan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sameer, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
In the creative field, one of the most important lessons that I’ve learnt is that having talent is not sufficient. To survive and to grow, be it in any business, you need to go out there and advertise yourself no matter how uncomfortable it makes you. It’s up to you to make sure that you are heard and people notice the work that you are doing. Opportunities don’t just fall into your lap so that you can show your skills. You have to become your own biggest fan and be your own biggest cheerleader. The other aspect I have since ingrained is to not take rejection to heart. I’ve been playing soccer a large part of my life, and sports has taught me that winning is only fun when losing happens along the way. The same way, I’ve learnt rejection of art is not the end of a dream. Appreciation of art is subjective.
 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My short film projects are usually a long drawn out process. I first spend time researching ideas for a genre and a rough outline. Once I have an outline ready, I start developing characters and adding to the storyline to turn it into a script. The whole script takes a few months to flesh out. After that, is the hard part when I go looking for a cast that can fit into the characters I have in mind. The shoots themselves take only 15-20 days, and it is the most creatively fulfilling part of the entire process. I didn’t learn everything about movie making overnight.

I’ve learnt a lot from each short film that I have made – good and bad. I have been into making videos and short films since my university days and now that spark has returned. I wouldn’t say my process comes easily to me, but it does come naturally. There are a lot of challenges in making movies, especially with a 9 to 5 job. The entire process becomes fairly long and you have to keep the fire inside you burning to sustain the creative workflow. One of the hardest challenges I’ve faced is to convince your team and to sustain their enthusiasm so that they buy into your vision. I am fairly new to this process and I have a lot to learn. But so far I have learnt that it doesn’t matter what film gear you use, what cameras or lens you use, at the end of the day people are more interested in the narration and storytelling. That’s the most important factor. The rest of it is secondary.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would start with taking them around downtown Detroit. There is always some event happening, and the area is quite busy. I love one of the speak easy’s in an old building there, I would spend a whole evening hanging out and enjoying the vibe. I would end with dinner at The Apparatus Room nearby. It used to be part of a fire department and is one of my favorite places downtown with beautiful interiors. I’m big on food, and one of my favorite places after a long night out is a restaurant called Madras Masala in the heart of Ann Arbor. I’ve been going here for the last 7 years and the food never disappoints. They have a widespread Indian buffet that we would load up on. After that I would take my friend around the UMich campus and burn off the calories! Honestly, this would take more time but I would always try to make a trip up north to show people how beautiful MI is. Every trip has been a one of a kind experience, that it’s never enough to go just once. I would take them to the Headlands International Dark Sky Park (this was where I watched the northern lights once, and I always stop by for some star gazing). From there, I would head straight for Marquette, and create the perfect camping experience ending with a cold dive off the lake cliffs. We would then drive back to southern michigan and go straight to Paradise Biryani Point. They serve Biryani, a dish made with goat meat & rice and they are open until 1am. Finish dinner, head home and then drop them off the next day at the airport

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife Sameera & my extended family for supporting this idea of mine in the first place. I’ve realized in the process that even a 15min short film takes a considerable amount of time from idea to execution. Time that I am allowed to allocate to myself in a selfish way so to speak, with their support & encouragement. Some of my closest friends have given months of their time to help bring my vision to reality. I will always be grateful for that.

Also shoutout to my inner circle of friends who are upfront & honest with me with their reviews & suggestions to help me improve my craft.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sameer.shajahan

Youtube: www.youtube.com/@sameer.shajahan