Meet Sophiyaa Nayar

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sophiyaa Nayar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sophiyaa, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

My optimism on set comes from preparation. I go into extreme detail with every department in pre-production to ensure that we’ve answered all questions and have thoroughly thought through the script, not only creatively but also logistically. So by the time we arrive on set, we are working towards executing a well thought out plan. Having done that level of preparation, it’s difficult not to come in with a positive mindset. Because, I’ve done everything I can do to prepare for what lies ahead. All obstacles and challenges that might arise on set (as is natural with filmmaking) will be things I have room for and openness towards because I have thought through most other issues. Suddenly there’s room for problem solving. This preparation for directing on set helps in my approach to most things. Being prepared and thoughtful allows me to lead with curiosity, openness and optimism, rather than fear.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m a filmmaker from New Delhi, currently at NYU Tisch’s Grad Film Program. My work centers around stories of migration and immigration, in hopes to subvert pre-existing notions and stereotypes about South Asian cultures. What I love about using film as a medium to tell stories like these is that the quietest, most subtle gestures become magnified and take on such deep meaning. The medium allows us to truly experience another person’s point of view in the present moment, and discover with them (or sometimes before them) something that’s going to drastically change who they are.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Take all the practice as seriously as you can. It’s really easy to take on a smaller project or assignment and do half the amount of prep work because it’s not the “real thing.” But what I’ve learned is that I’ve become a better director when I’ve raised the stakes for myself and pushed myself to rise to a challenge. So, by taking practice directing seriously or smaller projects seriously, I’ve worked out some kinks in my style and am prepared to take on bigger challenges.

2. Finding the note underneath the feedback you receive. Often times, people will give you the solution to a problem they see in your film but not state what the problem is, so their feedback may seem confusing or like they are trying to change your idea. I’ve learned, in those moments, to try and find the note behind their solution. What do they think is missing that this idea might solve for them? What is unclear?

3. Don’t sit in the failure for too long. There’s no way to get good at film without taking big risks and failing so I try to reflect on my work when it’s not something I’m proud of but then push myself to let it go and move on so I don’t let the failure of one project become a part of my identity.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

Coming into film school, I had strength in directing actors and working with designers due to my theatre background. I had practiced and felt comfortable with most aspects of directing, generally. But as we learned about equipment, sound design, camera lenses and took on various crew roles throughout the first semester–I learned the value of each role at a significantly deeper level, and suddenly found myself tweaking my directing style based on this new knowledge. I don’t think we need to be good at everything in order to be a good director but having a real sense of what each crew position is meant for will only help make your directing stronger, more precise and efficient.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sophiyaanayar.net
• Instagram: Sophiyaa_Nayar

Image Credits

Photos from on set for Sophiyaa’s next short along with stills for her previous short, Chhaya. Read more at chhayafilm.com