The project brief was to make a three minute animated music video for a music track that was part of an album composed by Ram Sampath and was based on the semi-classical genre of Hindustani music called the thumri.

The central theme of the album was the city and its loss or change which had to be incorporated into the video conceptually and visually. The video could be animated using 2D cells, 3D software, models or even live people. I was able to experiment with and had full freedom to use both my imagination and skill to give the song and its narrative a deserving treatment.

The final visual piece consisted of a mix of various animation techniques 2D, 3D, hand drawn, painted and even computer generated elements that came together to tell a non-linear story cutting across the fabric of space and time.

This project made me realise the importance of the inherent communication message and its vital role in giving a visual form to an intangible piece of music. It provided a wonderful chance for me to hone my skills as a filmmaker and animator at both conceptual and technical levels enabling me to redefine my story telling technique. The translation of the mood, lyrics and nuances of this unusual song into a coherent series of images greatly improved my understanding of this highly expressive, modern and unconventional form of communication - the music video.