Viren is a cardiology registrar and your resident digital Spielberg. His fascination with the mise en scene of popular fantasy film such as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings has led to an exciting videography venture outside of the medical day job. This has been humorously dubbed The Reel Doctor. Viren’s motion content emanates a signature glossy yet simply compelling feel where a sense of fun and adventure is clearly central to his enterprise. “The best work emerges from intuitively exploring the subject and being as invested in the mechanics of the process as the final polished product,” he shared with us: “I started to experiment with video from a young age on my phone, trying to replicate scenes from my favourite films while adding a personal touch e.g. “like the time me and my brother had a light sabre dual and I used it as the chance to try some VFX to make the lightsabres glow.”
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Nowadays, Viren creates content for websites, Instagram, and private social events, including promoting product, managing social media, and filming special occasions such as weddings. It is then important to be proactive about one’s passion as this is what can manifest in the concrete profitable profession. Viren is especially fascinated by the latest contemporary technique such as transitional drone shots which enhance his unique cinematic charm: “I love drones: you can fly them as if you are playing a videogame with a headset on. I have evolved into having more complex toys! This can be difficult to do but worth it for the wild shots. Specialist equipment such as this is more accessible today and not just a hobbyist’s selection.”
Here, there is also an overlap with Viren’s vocational training as a young doctor who must come to grips with the nuanced technical methodology of medicine, hospital life and the human body: “You do have to be able to master the basics before getting elaborate in medicine and have a lot of patience. It is similar to how I have self-taught videography: doing the equivalent by watching lots of videos on You-tube to learn about aperture, using different shots and lenses and understanding what each setting means. It is about how you adjust and versatility”. However, Viren emphasised the equally innovative nature of being a medic: “You do have to think laterally and in that sense it is an art as much as science”. However, the two trades are ultimately different because one can use videography as an escape to distract oneself while being a doctor only gets more intense:
“I’m lucky to have both seriously in my life. I do enjoy the fact that I’m continuing to explore with Reel Doctor: with every project you are growing where infinite possibility is part of the fun of the business. It’s getting the right balance between capturing authentically the energy versus the practical filming. You are also moulding yourself according to the vision of other people – your clients – and so collaboration keeps the videography dynamic.” Viren concluded by commenting on the secret to a success when starting a new platform online: “be consistent with a niche quality product and it will likely take off. Perseverance, in particular, is key – a lot of people have started off slowly, refining along the way and rejecting the fear of failure.” Finally, the ebullient entrepreneur shows us that being creatively curious is not just fundamental to any profession but also thriving in life.
