While boasting a masters degree in molecular biology, York alumnus John Babu has become a filmmaker after pursuing his hobby during his studies.
Babu says that his love of watching films led him to co-found the ‘Movies At York’ student club from 2010 to 2017 on campus.
“While promoting one of our movie nights on the live campus radio, the interviewer randomly asked me if I was interested in making films. I hadn’t even considered the possibility and shrugged it off saying that I was in biology, so it wouldn’t make sense,” says Babu.
“That conversation had planted a seed in me, to the point that when I dreamed of a story idea a few weeks later, I jotted it down after waking up with the intention of developing it further. Although I knew nothing about filmmaking then, I spent the next few weeks searching up how to write scripts, while expanding on my initial idea. I had taken my first steps to being a filmmaker.”
Babu says that his science background seeps into his filmmaking process in various ways.
“From having checklists to make sure my scripts have hit the required points, to meticulously storyboarding and scheduling shoot days, delegating specific tasks to each department, and being particular about sticking to the written lines as much as possible, I tend to be fairly rigorous in my preparation.”
Babu adds that his films also try to be “succinct and non-judgmental, often trying to explore complex concepts.
Babu’s The InTEXTigator film series is about Sherlock, an artificial intelligence developed by the Toronto Police Service, solving various cases through its unique approach.
“Although the premise may seem very tech-savvy on the outside, my focus is on exploring how machines are different from humans through the pros and cons of technology. This particular film sees both Sherlock and a human cop simultaneously investigate a missing painting.
“Perceiving and finding meaning in art is thought to be one of the traits that distinguishes us from machines, and thus, we juxtapose these approaches in the setting of an art gallery. The film was inspired by many events including art thefts and the growth in automation in various fields,” explains Babu.
Without formal filmmaking training, the filmmaker did not have a network of like-minded individuals that he could collaborate with, nor did he have a breadth of film projects under his belt.
“I had to do everything from scratch, relying on the limited resources I had. I tried everything I could, including borrowing film textbooks from others to learn, messaging random strangers around the world on social media to collaborate, spam mailing various people to get locations, telling stories purely through texts, and so on,” says Babu.
“My naivety in the field has probably also been an advantage though, as I sometimes do not realize how difficult certain things truly are until after I finish them.”
In contrast to his science courses, Babu explains that pursuing artistic endeavours allowed him to relax and to let his mind be somewhat free.
While the sciences and the arts are contrasting, Babu explains there are many skills learned in both, such as communication, people skills, leadership, organization, and time-management, that are easily applicable to any field.
“James Cameron, for instance, was someone who took his love for science and tech, and gave us many sci-fi blockbusters. On the other end, Santiago Ramón y Cajal was a gifted painter who went on to create pioneering drawings of brain cells, before being hailed as the father of neuroscience. There are usually very creative ways that seemingly unrelated fields can be bridged, and a deep interest in them is the first step to it.”
Babu’s latest film of his series, The InTEXTigator 3: The Line of the Four can be viewed online, and Babu can be connected with through his Instagram.
