Dreams and despair of Studio Crimson: From ‘Chilekothar Sepai’ to what?

A group of seven friends, who happened to be doing an animation course under the CSE department at Dhaka University, used to have their usual "adda" at a tea stall in front of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.

As a part of their course project, they were to create a short 3D animated film. But they were yet to conjure up an idea for the story. 

During one such "adda" session, a friend was trying hard to light up a cigarette. He had wasted a few matchsticks before succeeding.

Meanwhile, this scene had done its job; for them, it was Eureka!

Poster of Chilekothar Sepai. Photo: Collected

Watching him fail, another member of the group cheered, screaming, "Why don't we make our animation with just this idea?"

Over the following weeks, this simple idea gave birth to the full-fledged plotline.

And that is how "Chilekothar Sepai" came into being. 

This is an approximately 4-minute-long animation film where the story is about when someone is trying hard to light up a cigarette but fails each and every time.

Studio Crimson is the brains behind the production of Chilekothar Sepai - a studio run by the seven friends mentioned earlier in this article. 

What happens when a person cannot light up a cigarette? 

Well, the answer is in the film and most of you might have watched it already.

Recently, I had the opportunity to converse with two of the team members - Ragib Shafayet and Tariq Zamil. They disclosed what is going on with their lives and provided scoop on their future works.

Ragib got the conversation rolling. "Five of our initial team members, including me, were studying in Charukola at Dhaka University. All of us wished to make animated films but we didn't have any technical knowledge."

Chilekothar Sepai. Photo: Courtesy

"Our first attempt was to make a 2D animation but the result wasn't good. Later, our interest shifted to 3D animation and at the same time, the CSE department offered a year-long course on 3D film-making," Ragib continued. 

While doing the course, the dup met Tariq Jamil and Shariar Mamun.
"We had to submit a final animation project as part of the course module. The four of us crossed paths then," recalled Ragib.

The course began in 2018 and ended in the middle of 2019. The production of Chilekothar Sepai took place during that time and was completed in the middle of 2019, just before the end of the animation course.

But how were we only able to watch it this February?

Tariq then took the lead, explaining Studio Crimson's bumpy journey and mismatches with their original plans.

"We did the first screening in Charukola in the middle of 2019. Before releasing it to the public, we submitted it to various festivals, which barred us from going public earlier."

He added, "Then, the Covid-19 pandemic had created misery as most festivals were either delayed or cancelled. We could have gotten a better response if the festivals were held."

However, it took them more than a year to release it publicly. Although public reaction overwhelmed them, the initial momentum was somewhat lost during the long waiting period.

"Now, the case is a little different. Most of us are busy with jobs or are studying in other areas. And really, we have moved on," Tariq said.

Team members of Chilekothar Sepai. Photo: Courtesy

Studio Crimson is their passion project but it has gotten sidelined now. Presently, they have just started working on another project but it is still in it's very early stage.

"We are hopeful that in the upcoming four or five months, we'll have the final product. But it depends on many factors as nobody is working full time here," said Ragib.

For Tariq, the bigger issue is that Studio Crimson is not a commercial studio. And currently, the team is a little scattered as every member is busy with something else. Tariq himself, for instance, is working for a gaming company.

Here comes the obvious question: What are they planning for the future?

For Ragib and Tariq, the answer lies in the growth and strength of the industry. In this respect, they lament the lack of financial support and sponsorship from both the private and government sources.

Having no commercial backup for the moment, there is no immediate plan or possibility of Studio Crimson becoming a full-fledged studio. 

In the meantime, the creators of Chilekothar Seepai are more interested in developing personal skills. 
Some of them are collaborating with international production houses with individual initiatives. 

Looking at the not-so-distant future, they feel optimistic that things will change. They believe that their upcoming production, reactions from the viewers and, most importantly, the growth of the overall industry will determine the fate of Studio Crimson.