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Minalee Madanayake: Taking video by storm

22 Mar 2021

By Mahika Panditha  The world is changing every day, and with that so are all of the industries in business. The creative industry globally, as you may know, is male-dominated but we are making strides the world over and in our very own island as well. Meet Minalee Madanayake, a Creative Director at Viral Media LK. She is a recent entrant to the industry but has already produced some of the most stunning commercials for some major players in the country such as Cargills Online, Softlogic Life, and so on and so forth. Minalee is passionate about film and wildlife and hopes to work with National Geographic right here in Sri Lanka. You can check her work out on her Instagram @minaleemad.  We had the chance to have a chat with her earlier this week about her work, and this is what she had to say. We cannot wait to see what Minalee has lying ahead of her!    Hi Minalee, nice to meet you! Why don’t you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?  Hi Mahika! I’m a 24-year-old Creative Director at a video production company called Viral Media LK. I love being active and trying out new things. If I’m not working, I’m either at the beach, in the jungle, or hiking (mostly in the jungle).  My father is an avid wildlife photographer, which is how I got into photography and film at a very young age.  I pursued my undergraduate degree at the University of Tampa, where I majored in Film and Media Studies with a minor in Communications. I am super grateful for the four years I spent at Tampa, and for having the opportunity to learn under one of my mentors, Prof. Aaron Walker.  While interning at a video production company in Tampa, I was lucky enough to work for one of the company’s biggest clients, and my dream company, National Geographic.  I was a Production Assistant on one of their shows, Secrets of the Zoo. After the show ended filming, I got a job offer to join the post-production team for the show. Unfortunately, I did not receive my visa on time and decided to move back home. I was completely heartbroken and did not think I would ever find a job that I loved as much here in Sri Lanka. A month after moving back, I started working for Viral Media LK, and I haven’t looked back since.    What made you want to become a creative director? To be honest, at first, I had no idea I wanted to become a creative director or that I wanted to direct TVCs (television commercials). At the start, I thought I wanted to be in production. Working at Viral Media, changed that perspective because I was always presented with opportunities to try new things.  This is all thanks to my boss, Dulanka Weraduwage, who always encourages me to be better. That is when I decided to take on that challenge and I soon came to love everything about it.    What is your favourite thing about your job?  I am very fortunate to do a job that I’m passionate about and there are many things I love about it. One of my favourite things about my job is that every week, I get to work on a new project. This definitely keeps things exciting for me.   What has been the biggest challenge you have faced thus far and how did you overcome it?  No matter how much planning goes into a project, there is usually always something that does not go accordingly. To overcome this, I have to think quickly on my feet and come up with a solution fast.     What would you say is the most unexpected aspect of your profession?  Some projects can be very last minute. Even the big ones. We’ve received projects that require us to plan, shoot, and edit within four days. We’ve had shoots that start at 6 a.m. and end at 4 a.m. the next day.   These projects are most definitely challenging, but what’s life without a challenge right?  Knowing the efforts put in by everyone and then seeing the amazing results, is very rewarding.    Do you have any advice for aspiring creative directors?  I don’t think I’m in a position to give out any advice, as I’m very new and still figuring my way in the industry. If I were to give any advice – and I know this is very cliché – but I would say hard work does pays off.  At the end of the day, everyone wants the same thing – a great video. Sometimes that requires you to stay after work and try out new camera or lighting techniques or be on YouTube all night watching videos. Whatever it is, that extra effort is needed, but trust me, the end result is worth it.    PHOTOS ©️Viral Media LK 


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