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Visual impact in 30 seconds

A.K. Vinod's commercials have won him many awards

VISUAL MAZE A.K. Vinod says the growing challenge of advertisement is to effectively communicate within shorter durations

The scooter slows down and the hitchhiker promptly perches himself behind the driver. He then begins to bluster in typical Thiruvananthapuram slang. Irritatingly, he asks the helmeted driver to move forward to give him more space, orders him to drive faster, pulls down the collar of his shirt to check the brand and finally gets off with a huge smile. The harried driver is left to seriously think of finding a second-hand car to escape such travails... .

This is one in a series of television commercials for a classifieds column of a Malayalam daily. This series, which went on to win a clutch of awards, has made A.K. Vinod one of the hottest filmmakers in the business today. And it took this Kochi-based filmmaker hardly four years to establish himself in a fiercely competitive business.

Mumbai stint

Vinod worked for two advertising firms in Kochi, basically involved in client servicing. Though it did provide him the early lessons in advertising and help build contacts he found it reaching a point of saturation.

"I fled to Mumbai with no particular aim in mind. When funds drained out I went back to advertising, as that was the only job I knew. "

Returning to Kochi, Vinod started Virtual Eye (V Eye), which was primarily involved in communication solutions before specialising in making commercials.

"All the work I put up in client servicing helped. I ventured into making films on my own. The first work, a commercial for a marble and granite company was a different one in that category."

The commercial that really `changed' his career was the one for a fairness cream.

"That one, for Kaveri, which went on to be dubbed in other South Indian languages, is still beamed these days. The catchword was `enthoru change,' and it clicked."

The offers began to flow and Vinod went to make some eye-catching commercials.

"Ad-filmmaking is all about finding your way through a visual maze, standing up and being noticed in just 30 seconds or lesser than that. "

Some of Vinod's commercials that have caught the eye are the ones with Mohanlal for Pankajakasturi, the subtle ones for D.C. Books dictionary, the twisty Kalyan jam ad and so on.

"Traditional ways of reaching the consumers through the 30-second on television spot is fast losing its power to persuade. The growing challenge is to effectively communicate within shorter durations. Now commercials are expected not just to deliver a message, but even entertain consumers."

The dictionary commercial is one of Vinod's favourites. With a brilliantly shot visual of a rooster chasing a petrified hen, the filmmaker states that this, in the English language is referred to as `molest.' Browse through D.C. Books dictionary if you want to know the Malayalam equivalent for this word. The subtle commercial series went on to win the Radio Advertising Practitioners Award 2005 in the vernacular region section. This year Vinod's `classified series' won the Big Bang Award, instituted by the Bangalore Ad Club, for the best multi-media rural campaign.

Like most ad-filmmakers is Vinod contemplating a career in movies? "Not now anyway. Yes, there have been some, like Rajiv Menon and V. K. Prakash from the ad-world who have made it big in movies. But they are big names who have firmly entrenched themselves in their career. I still have a long way to go."

K.PRADEEP

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