Michel Gondry - Eternal Dreamer

I first heard about Monsieur Michel Gondry, when I watched the HP -Computer is personal again, advertisement.
Found out that he was the director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and I loved that movie. So decided to do some reading up on him, and checked out some of his work.

I was amazed, as well, I mean, the editing style, the effects were just awe-inspiring.



I'm a novice at editing, but I learn through what I watch, and this video was really creative. In all senses of the word.

Then today while going through my feed of /SlashFilm i came across the new commercial by him, for the new Moto RAZR 2.



It's called experience. It is really fluid, and sort of very Gondry style of concept and visuals. Very appealing, and abstract, with his trademark choice of music.

The next ad is one he created for Levis. It's a black and white one. I think the concept is nice, it was for the open pocket in Levis Jeans. And a good link with the start and end of the ad. A few shots I loved was the in car shots, and the train going by with the puff of steam.




These are just a few of the ads he created which I managed to locate on YouTube.

Hope you enjoyed them, if you know any other work of his on the www, leave a comment with the link. Cheers.

SnapShots

Just installed Snap Shots on this blog.

When you scroll over the little icon next to a link, it opens a preview window of the link.

Check it out.

If it's intrusive, click the options wheel in the preview window and choose disable.

Cheers.

Windows Vista DreamScene

UPDATE:
This is the DreamScene effect on my desktop.
Cool i must say. For a few moments after the video started, i was actually wondering if there was water in my desktop! :P



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First i would like to show you this video.



Well I have always had this huge debate between which is better Windows Vista or XP. Well Vista gets brownie points at many times, and I think DreamScene might be one more of the reasons it scores.

Sure it's eye-candy, but just think you have an animated, non static display in front of you...and with me, well to have a dynamic background on this monitor is totally droolalicious!!!!!!

Will update this post once I try it out for myself. For now enjoy the video.

OH I FORGOT TO MENTION.

this is available only for Windows Vista Ultimate Edition...yes yes...Microsoft discriminates! :P

The Bad and The Good

No this is not about a sequel to the good,the bad and the ugly. Though now is the time for sequels, considering RGV just made his Aag (remake of Sholay), and Pritish Nandy has said that he will be making the remake, the prequel, sequel and an animated version of Sholay. Overdose I tell you.

So anyhoo, I was just about to go for shower, and wanted the nail clippers, and dad was like, what must you cut your nails at night... i was like what? why? and he's like it's a bad omen. My reaction...right...and the moon is made of cheese. It's funny how even the most rational people, can still be god fearing and superstitious. I was surprised for sure.

Indian cultures, and not just Indian, but also other cultures, have many superstitions linked within. I dont understand why, probably it's just about the fact, that human's like to beleive in an other realm, in which, if certain things occur in our world, they somehow co-link the worlds and bad things happen.

Examples:

1.Dont walk under a ladder.. bad luck.
2. Black cat crosses your path... bad luck. (i've noticed, my chauffeur, actually takes the car in reverse and then drives forward if a black cat crosses his path.
3.Mirror breaking... seven years bad luck...phew! These and many more..
I would actually lose count if i started to list them.

Now lets drift from the bad, and move to the good.
First a video.



I shall not go into detail about Ganesh Chaturthi and shall leave it to Priya to explain.

Basically, I wanted to capture, sights and frenzies of the whole festival, and that's what the video is about.

And today, well there was a whole frenzy about the I cricketers returning from a successful ICC World Cricket T20 campaign, the videos of which will be put up here soon.

Also ALL MY PROJECTS ARE OVER! woohoo! Finally..

So I guess that's all..and till next time.

Cheers.

Mumbai Tiffin - The New Dabbawalas

Before you get worried, and wonder what the hell happened to the dabbawalas, well nothing really.
Dabbawalas was the topic for our Advertising Project and listed below are the things I designed for the same.

So basically, we said that the dabbawalas were bought over by a fictional company FoodCorp(a division of NewsCorp), which was a major player in the packaged retail food sector in India.
So basically, they take over the dabbawalas, and well, then, they rename is "Mumbai Tiffin".

Then they need an ad agency to inform the public about the change.
That's where we, Solvent Solutions, comes into the picture.

This is the logo we designed for them.

So we decided on a 360' Campaign:
1> Online Media
2>Outdoor Media
3>Radio
4>Print
5>Television

1> We posted a video on YouTube, which was supposed to be a viral, called "Fastest Lunch Packing" to build buzz about dabbas and dabbawalas

2> We launch the hoarding campaign shown below.


3> We then launch 3 radio jingles - 2 are teasers, and one is the final revealer

4> We then have our print campaign.


5> And last but not the least our TVC.
(text might be blurred, it's as follows:
1> double shot scene: German Engineering
2> Train shot: Japanese Technology
3> Dabba packing shot : Indian Precision
4> Last shot before logo: Features about product)



Would love to hear your feedback on the whole campaign. Positive or Negative whatever it is... get commenting!

Vodafone to Hutch - The Transition

9pm on 20th September 2007.
Finally the transition begins.
The orange to pink, seems miniscule in comparison.
This is BIG.
This is MAMMOTH.

VODAFONE is in India,
and they must make their presence felt.

First the biggest takeover in Indian Business History,
many legal issues,
battles ensue,
and yet, one winner emerges.
And now the time has come, to say, How Are You?

Brief History
-------------------------------
Hutchison-Essar was taken over by international telecom major, Vodafone, earlier this year, and the day September 20th was chosen as the day of transition from the pink Hutch logo brand, to the globally recognized black,red and silver, speech symbol of VODAFONE. A mega 360' campaign is planned to initiate consumers of this name change!
The deal enables Vodafone to reach viewers across 13 channels in five languages of Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi and English. The 13 channels from the STAR bouquet include Star Plus, Star One, Star Gold, Star Movies, Star World, Channel [V], Star Utsav, Vijay, Star News, Star Ananda, Star Majha, National Geographic Channel and History Channel.
Maxus is the media agency and O&M is the advertising agency for the print campaign i think(need to confirm)
-----------------------------------------------
wow! that's quite a lot happening!

--------------------------------
Information via: exchange4media

MegaPost - Fun and Fury

If I could some up this past week in two simple, non complex words of the English language,
FUN and FURY
would be it.

FUN
----------------
It's been fun to be working on projects, learning new softwares, making my first magazine,partying,sleeping, consolidating friendships.

Projects -
So many I lose track. 1 project still left(that falls in fury section). So we had the Ad Individual Project submission, good stuff definitely, take good ads, take bad ad's and recreate them.So basically analyse and work like an ad agency. Definitely engaging.

Then there was the culture studies project, a documentary on media culture... it was clearly fantastic fun shooting it, and then was editing, which was a bitch,but a learning crazy experience none the less.

Then... the journalism group project, a magazine, we chose the topic food, and the magazine was called Bhukkad (in hindi means person who eats too much).Designed the layout in Illustrator, the first time i worked on it, so quite pleased with the outcome. Our coordinator and prof, loved the magazine, the layout and the content, so bottomline yay!

Then.. now we have the ad project coming up, which is huge, but quite agency like nonetheless, and should be fun, because most of my group members are those who I havent really worked with in the past. A new experience. Looking forward to it.
PR, Public Relations.Another documentary. Our topic (Reema and Me), UnHealthy Youth, so everything from smoking, drinking, insomnia, to junk food! That submission my loyal readers is on the 20th, which is in 4 days, oh boyy are we screwd!

Parties -
Went for Harshita's Birthday, last Saturday, and was good fun, she left for UK, this Thursday(missed the party!)...sigh... will miss her!
(PIC: me..looking like a dead dog, and harshita at prevae)

Then mom headed out of town so we had a V to the A and B to the W party. Was it fun! Hell yeah! You can read about a spectator's view on Priya's Blog( yes yes, she was the first one to write about it!), and well my view, was one of getting tobasco sauce into my eye(it burns!), and dancing like a maniac, falling, and wiggling my ass(amn't I crazy)... oh I almost forgot, and clicking some quite amazing pictures *under the influence* of Priya... shots she could use in a fashion magazine, or as her portfolio(yes I'm not being modest!)
(PIC: Me,Malvika and Reema)
So the party attendees:
(PIC: Reema,Me,Priya and Tanima)
Malvika,Reema,Priya,Purab,Tanima(she's the culprit who poured tobasco in my eye!) and Monali.
So we had a stay over, not all but Malvika,Reema,Purab,Monali and Moi. Reema absconded..where to I will not say!
(ME DANCING LIKE A CRAZY DUDE WITH ASS SHAKING INCLUDED)



All in all a fantastic party.Loads of chocolates, and stuff(listed on Priya's blog)
Purab stayed over last nite...was in a zonked mood(scroll to almost end of FURY section)
But the whole time was fun....we recorded this crazy as video... it's a parody on the song "Lonely Goatherd" from the Sound of Music.

*PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT MEAN TO INSULT ANY RELIGION,PERSON LIVING OR DEAD THROUGH THIS VIDEO AND IT WAS JUST MEANT AS A BIT OF HARMLESS FUN. IF ANY OF YOU HAVE OBJECTIONS TO THE VIDEO, LEAVE A COMMENT AND I WILL REMOVE IT.*

And today is Sunday, slept like a log, till 3 in the afternoon, woke up, watched India get pulverized by New Zealand in the 20/20 Cricket World Cup. Then watched Kimi Raikonnen kick Massa, Alonso and Hamilton's arse in the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix... woohoo!!! Kimi you are true world championship material!

NOW AFTER ALL THE FUN I HAVE HAD OVER THE PAST WEEK, THERE IS THE FURY.

FURY
------------------
Lazy people,Lethargic, Disinteresting, Stress, Overworked, Dissatisfied, Freedom.

Group people can be very lazy and so disinterested. I mean i have working ethics. A) I would not get my projects done by professionals. B) Even if I didnt know a software I would try to learn it before saying that oh, I just dont know the software!

Then I've delayed my Journo Group project by 4 days now, and I cant seem to get down to doing it. Not coz I'm lazy but coz I just cant think straight, and this project has been bearing down upon me, and sort of *I* put it on the backburner.
Anyhoo, I need to get done with that tonight, anyway, anyhow, come hail or storm!

The other fury, overdemanding mom, she made me make a poster, ticket design and print ads for her play, 'Flawless'. Ack... I was soo irritated and dead, it isn't even funny!
But that's the final product below, let me know how it is.

Last night was sorta crazy for me, cause I had these crazy suicidal thoughts(dont even begin to ask why!) So called up my blood-bro Purab, and i love that guy, cause even without me saying anything he suggested to come over, dunno what I'd do without him...
Then my voice of reason, Reema, I called her up, and she immediately realized that it was coz I was overworked(yes I keep thinking it's hundred's of other reasons like relationships and bla), and hehe..she asked me to drink water.. my reply, "Im not thirsty,"to which she bellows, literally, "DRINK IT!".. and i scurry like a mouse!
Purab stayed over(rest of the thing is fun..so scroll to the above section)

So I had a tiff with my parents today, and then resolved it, which puts me at ease... cause it was the mother of all tiffs, if there ever was one!

So well my next post, is going to be on family, and finally, at the end of 18 years almost, my understanding of it...

Life brews

From the stony mountain tops,
To the rivulets edge,
Where the arid land meets,
The violet beds of crimson reds.

A lone car travels,
Along the black snake,
Twisted around the mountain,
Like a prey in its vice.

And as the sky roared
And the mountain shook,
A vain little brook,
Flowed on like a crook.

Twas then that the lighting struck,
And sparked the vast beds of grass,
That had yellowed with the passing rain,
And were brightly set aflame.

But as the grass burnt
And the car tumbled,
A lone voice was heard from deep within the jungle,
A voice that said all was not lost.

For the grass would grow again,
And the car would move again,
And the rivulet would flow again,
And when the twain do meet,

Life would brew again.

The Silky Story - Advertising Genius!

Take an average creepy looking dude,
take a major deodorant brand,
take the music channel of the youth,
add the biggest film industry in the world,
add scandal and gossip..
what do you get??

Silky Kumar.

and as the video says.. "THE TIGER OF TESTOSTERONE WAS NOT A MAN, BUT A CAN!"

THE STORY TILL NOW
-----------------------------
On the 23rd of August I broke the story that Silky Kumar was an Axe Campaign.
The agency(now i know is BBH Asia Pacific) didnt deny the story.
They sent an email, which obviously was blogged, bcoz it sounded like a threat.
The buzz spreads around the blogosphere(WATBlog,Trak.In,Supriya Narang,IdeasMarkit)
So then, what happens.
As usual...
They denied it was so.
Then a website, exchange4media, finally on September 6th publishes the truth.
And so, voila.

Here we are,
it's 6th September,2007, and I'm about to publish all the videos,
surrounding the Silky Kumar story.

Lets start with the Initial Video:

Silky Kumar - The Tiger of Testosterone


Silky Kumar - The Krazy Fans


Silky Kumar - The Big Expose!


Is the Indian Media waking up to the phenomenon that is web 2.0?

That is my question to you.

Leave your comments here, and Priya and Me, will discuss it in detail on our WireBlue podcast (yes yes.. smurf & smurfette's identities are revealed!)

The Ground Beneath Your Feet

Kiss the ground beneath your feet,
its moving under you,
it may pull itself,
from under you,
unleashing the savage.

The twisted homes,
the wooden pillars,
crushing a woman,
baby in womb,
the silent cries.

The dog,
alone in the home,
burning,
unconscious,
fire eating away flesh,
flesh,
bone,
a silent death.

A school,
a flash flood,
little souls,
swept away,
drowning,
silently.

Kiss the ground,
when it moves,
it kills,
silently.