Hayk Paytyan
DIRECTOR OF DRAMATIC THEATRE /FILMMAKER / PERFORMER
I am Hayk, I bought my first camera which was a cannon rebel SL2, in February 2020 and started to teach myself how to see through the lens. So I started taking photos, then videos. After several months, I opened my YouTube channel ( Linvis ).
Started to film dancers, then got better with every other project. This is already my fourth short film already making its journey in festivals.
Before getting involved in filmmaking,
I got my Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography as a «Director of Dramatic Theatre»
I have participated in different projects, festivals and received international awards.
Worked as a theatre director, actor, and dancer as well.
Actor in Yerevan State Pantomime Theatre (2018 till now)
Director assistant in G.Sundukyan State Academic Theatre (2017-2018)
Actor in Chamber Musical Theater (2015-2016)
Director in State Theatre of Choreography. (2013-2014)
Soloist in State Ministry of Defence Dance Ensemble «Sardarapat». (2008-2010)
Started to film dancers, then got better with every other project. This is already my fourth short film already making its journey in festivals.
Before getting involved in filmmaking,
I got my Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography as a «Director of Dramatic Theatre»
I have participated in different projects, festivals and received international awards.
Worked as a theatre director, actor, and dancer as well.
Actor in Yerevan State Pantomime Theatre (2018 till now)
Director assistant in G.Sundukyan State Academic Theatre (2017-2018)
Actor in Chamber Musical Theater (2015-2016)
Director in State Theatre of Choreography. (2013-2014)
Soloist in State Ministry of Defence Dance Ensemble «Sardarapat». (2008-2010)
Your project has entered our festival. What is your project about?
I am glad that my project has been included in your festival. We made a film where we want to show a person who has real visions of this world and she understands that there is nothing more left to do. Or the rest is not important anymore.
What are your ambitions with your project?
This is not my first try at making short films. And I understand that each new creative process suggests a reviewing period that opens the door for the next one. Imagine a quest that passes each door you get the key for the next one.
Tell us something about your shooting? What pleasantly surprised you?
We had only one day to do the shooting. And it happened so that the time we reached the location of shooting we realized that the weather was surprisingly so bright and not ideal for our shooting. And also we had some technical difficulties with the shooting devices. And I was and still am pleasantly surprised by the fact that our team, made of 5 people, was very organized, and very quickly everyone was involved in creating something better than our conditions at the moment could offer.
For what group of spectators is your film targeted?
In general, for me, it is very important to be able to present an aesthetic view of art. It is for those who seek the same.
Why should distributors buy your film?
My film wasn’t made for the purpose of being sold or bought. I want to see how it is received by the audience․
How would you specify your work? What characterizes your film?
Theatrical aspects are included in their unique forms in Nia&Lu. That gives the film the specific theme and harmony it needs.
Why did you decide to become a filmmaker?
Well… it happened. From the age of 6, when I was already conscious enough to remember I entered the world of arts. For a long time, I was in the theatre, film shootings and I have never felt that I am doing the wrong thing, and that is the thing I used to think about a lot… Why am I playing in the theatre? Why am I acting in the films? Why am I staging a production and finally why am I making Films?... And then I was staging a new production, shooting a new film, and playing a new role because I simply couldn’t stop doing it. There is no work that should not be presented when it is made simply because it needed to be created to find its place in the hearts of people.
Who is your role model?
The exemplary creative individual for me is Peter Brooke․ He proposed the theory of minimalism and at the same time was maximally involved in the performing arts and film industry․ He was an endlessly experimenting personality who never limited himself.
Which movies are your favorites? Why?
Children of Paradise (1945) is one of the best movies which purely presents a person who carries qualities. Gulliver's Travels (1996) For its dynamic story elevation. Moby Dick (1998), there are several movies based on the novel by Herman Melville but I appreciate Franc Roddam’s version the most. Cloud Atlas (2012) is also one of the best in storytelling.
Where do you look for inspiration for your films?
It is all about the endless process of finding the contemporary human character with ideal qualities.
As for the starting steps for a new creation now, the idea forms based on the options I have. The image of every scene is very important to me, which means I should choose the location and the action which is going to happen there very carefully. How the characters will respond to the challenges based on the location and situation. And this is the moment where I follow my instincts and try to understand the objective understanding of each word in action.
Which topics interest you the most?
Those topics, which are related to human relationships, communication, and the manifestation of behavior.
What do you consider your greatest achievement in your career?
I will reach my greatest achievement on the day I will be satisfied with the film I have created.
What do you consider most important about filming?
When everything goes exactly according to plan.
Of course, there are lots of other important things that need to be considered before starting the shooting process but most of them are decisions that as a Director you are responsible for. But the moment you already made all the decisions and calculations, then the most important thing becomes the stability of the process because the immediate change of weather, or any unlucky accident is going to make you change the plan and even a slight change is a pain when you already started the process.
Which film technique of shooting do you consider the best?
I prefer to use the camera as the site of a character involved in the action. I tend to give people the feeling that they are also involved in the movie. Involuntarily, I start to get affected by Wes Anderson’s style of filming, because it is very pleasantly different.
How would you rate/What is your opinion about current filmmaking?
I get the impression of the fact that commercial films have occupied the industry and there are no opportunities left for creative films to come to the fore. So the new wave cannot form because pure creativity is covered with shadow.
What can disappoint you in a movie?
Unnecessary or meaningless acts and special effects.
Who supports you in your film career?
I get emotional support from my closest ones. At this moment in my film career, I don’t get any financial support.
What are the reactions to your film? (opinion of spectators, film critics, friends, and family)
As such, I have not had the opportunity to present my films to people who are not personally familiar to me. it is true that my previous short film “ALL GOOD” has participated in festivals and won awards. However, all those festivals were held online and there was no opportunity to communicate with the audience in person.
I prefer not to mention the reactions of close ones, because usually their opinion is mixed with the impressions of the past.
Have you already visited any of the prestigious film festivals?
Not the “big” ones yet.
What are your future plans in filmmaking career?
I have already started the pre-production process of my next film. It will take more time than any previous projects of mine and it will be very different in its own unique way.