Meet Minolae Jain | Production Designer/ Art Director

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

Hi Minolae, how do you think about risk?

I personally to a large degree have a very logical and technical aspect to taking risks. My parents are very complementary to each other in thought, one is very logical and calculated whereas the other is very emotional and true to what she feels. And growing up with them, I was exposed and inhabited both sides. If I have to break it down step by step – most ideas come out of emotion, which I then comprehend and breakdown logically- what is this going to do, how sustainable is it with my lifestyle, all the how, what, when questions are answered and a pro and con list is made. And once I have understood all the aspects of it – this is when the emotion comes back into play. It boils down to what I feel about it, if I feel having understood the risks and the pro and cons of the topic and I still want to do it – I go ahead with the idea. Once you have analyzed the risk aspect of the idea – you know the payoff but also the downfall, first, you have to be open to the idea of either outcome. But having said that, I understand there are xyz factors that are not in your control, but the other things are in your control and if you systematically think about it and take the right steps you are a step closer to the risk paying off.
I started out as a science student with a flair for art and management. Even as a 16-year-old – I understood the instability of working in film- I understood how location-dependent it was, the long hours, and the instability of being a freelancer. But irrespective of all of this – I knew I wanted to move across the world to master’s in Production Design, and all of this was just an idea with no practical insight into this world. Thinking about it now it might not have been the smartest thing to do. But this is exactly what I did- I loved design and pursued an undergrad in Interior Design, knowing that it would help me understand space and which would not only help me get into a master’s for Production Design but would also be a good safety net. And then in 2017 I applied for my master’s in production design – having never been or even shadowed a film set. I threw a stone into a dark room and prayed and hope it landed onto something I loved. Almost 4 years into this world, I can definitely say the risk paid off, it has been an exponential learning curve, I have learned a lot but still have a long way to go, and I’m excited about it!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a production designer and I work in the art department of different visual mediums, be it films, television, youtube, and music videos. As production designers, we mainly collaborate with the director and cinematographer to express the story visually in the best possible way. The one thing that sets me apart is growing up in India a diverse and multicultural country that is currently a melting pot between tradition and globalization. It’s mind-boggling to be exposed to movies in more than 20 different languages. From a design and linguistic point of view, it’s representative of the regional cultural intricacies and varied filmmaking techniques. I consider myself a product of content from the Indian Film Industry and Hollywood. Growing up in one culture and academically educating myself in another helped me as a filmmaker. It’s the influence of two worlds that inspires my work all the time. I’m truly grateful for this cultural confluence in my everyday living and learning. Today I work in the art department at different positions and across different mediums of entertainment. It definitely hasn’t been easy, moving across the world into a world I hope I would like, the instability, uncertainty, and long hours are definitely taxing but the creative satisfaction when you’re working on a project and it works out – definitely makes up for the rest. I think the biggest challenge for me personally was moving from a structured guided world of school to the uncertain world of being a freelancer. There have been days it hasn’t been the easiest but eventually, you start accepting that you’re not going to be constantly working and start looking at it as a break for you to explore and rest. And something I have learned along the way is that every job big or small will teach you something even if you don’t realize it immediately, so go in with an open mind and celebrate the small victories!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a foodie, so a lot of this trip would be planned around food! But I think one of the best parts of being in LA is that it’s a melting pot of people and food from all around the world. Be it BCD tofu house in Korea Town, or Badmaash on Fairfax, to Tsujita for Ramen and Bavel for incredible Mediterranean and Grand Central Market for everything. And rooftops like Perch and Tera and Speakeasy like No Vacancy are definitely making it on the list. And for places to see other than the must see like the beaches, museums, universal studios, Venice canals – I think something very particular to LA and the Hollywood life here is the WB Studio Tour – it encapsulated a lot of the Hollywood magic and when you want to get away from the noise to go up to Griffith Observatory or Pacific Palisades – it definitely gives you perspective and helps you find your little quite in this busy city we call home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family for supporting me through all of it, my teachers and classmates at American Film Institue for being a safe space for me to learn and make mistakes and for giving me a foundation of opportunities to launch my career.

Website: https://minolaejain.com/

Other: minolae1997@gmail.com