I’d define ‘cinematic creativity’ as the vision for storytelling scripted by the filmmakers in context with the purposes of delivering content of entertainment value or the likes. In that sense, there are multiple reasons why movies in India, one of the largest movie industries in the world, do not get released in the cinemas, while most of them get heavily censored — meaning the so-called offensive scenes and dialogues are sliced by the CBFC and the original content is pruned to make it more viewer-friendly, so to speak. In short, what you eventually see on the big screen is not what the makers intended to showcase for the public. At times, the trailers depict one thing while the final cut of the movie does not have the scenes or the dialogues from the trailer which is disappointing! Luckily, nothing of that sort happened with ‘Sacred Games’ thanks to a platform like Netflix. Clearly, the likes of Netflix are not just an instance of a digital platform for streaming of original content, it’s an ecosystem for cinematic creativity and storytelling for filmmakers of any scale. It’s quite practical, that an underworld epic like the ‘Sacred Games’ would have been completely stripped off of its originality had it been released in the theatres in India, that lesson was bearing heavily on my mind as I was awed by the profanities in the script, albeit, it never seemed unwarranted or thrust upon us merely for its darker content. This is also an opportunity for a deserving sequel to a fully Indian-made series, what the magnificent Powder couldn’t achieve. Then again, unlike some other movies, there are those with a good content value which could never release in India for lack of a distributor which got a voice on this platform. ‘Sacred Games’ was brilliant, but I’d also say, “Viva, Netflix!”
My Book Reading List For 2018…So Far!
In between a hectic project schedule, I have also committed myself to a reading list of books, the first half of 2018 is already behind me (can’t believe!) and I’m just letting myself wade through this hot summer with some practical knowledge books. I am already through a few titles and I am attempting to get that number up with some interesting non-fiction titles lined up for the latter half of 2018, so fingers crossed. I only decided to read about design so far, but now I’m accessing titles on communications, psychology, strategy, business and marketing. My overarching goal from reading the books is to broaden my vision of how I could commit to my long-term objective of merging creativity with building a value proposition for products while staying focused on service innovation & customer experience. Lastly, instead of doing an annual review/recommendation of books I decided to write a post as soon as I finish some volumes just so that I get my views out to the world quickly. Which also helps me to remember the value of my reading list and the freshness of the knowledge I gain each year.
The Business of Design: Balancing Creativity and Profitability (by Keith Granet)
Even though the target audience for this book seemed like the architects and interior designers, this book didn’t disappoint me so far as comprehending the principles of business were concerned. Keith Granet brings his insights from his experience of 30 years from bringing profitability to customers and setting up his architecture design firm Granet & Associates from spending considerable time on projects as a full-time employee. There are some terms and details which could be only be comprehended by someone from that industry, like for instance, the promotion cycles for employees or the contractual obligations for clients, etc., but despite that seemingly nonessential information, the rest of the principles in the book from billing and human resources, to managing a team, stay pretty much relevant as foundations for setting up any business. In the end, this book is profound and inspirational in its approach towards design entrepreneurship, even if you don’t plan to work as an architect or an interior design.
That Magical Tool For Facing Deadlines
It’s time to acknowledge a permanent and a frequently visited attribute of my professional career otherwise known as ‘meeting deadlines’, and who could better express that emotion visually other than a Calvin & Hobbes. That sense of accomplishment is briefly trounced by an uncanny nervousness with sticking to timelines, on whether it’s a strategic design proposal or preparing slides for an upcoming discussion on a creative project. And although the groundwork had truthfully commenced the minute all information was rounded up it wasn’t until the eleventh hour that the conception magically began taking shape! Yes, magically. But how? Much like most things today that are easily derived using a mobile app or other similar contraptions at the click of a button, that one ethereal tool which I use in filtering the surge of my creativity and delivering within deadlines is called the ‘panic button’.
Source: Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson
The Nintendo Classic Is Back In Stores
The Nintendo Classic (aka NES Classic) is making its way back to the stores beginning tomorrow. After its initial but limited launch in November 2016; like always, I was disappointed that I couldn’t grab this legendary gaming console, however, I was told there was a chance that it would be back in stores very soon until news came in that Nintendo was discontinuing the product for lack of “resources”. Sigh. With its in-built package of 30, classic games and a price tag of around C$80, the NES Classic feels like a great purchase for reliving that wonderful era of low-pixel gaming on the big TV.
On the other hand, the enthusiastic market reaction to the NES Classic back in 2016 should have prompted them to invest in a new product line and it was a clear mistake to discontinue it. In fact, tomorrow’s launch could have been an updated version with some notable improvements, such as in the product design by making it relatively distinct to the original Nintendo 64, as well as, adding more games to the list. Sadly, the loyal fans are being thrown under the bus with an unvarying experience, again.
Don’t miss your chance to play 30 of the best retro games ever with #NESClassic Edition, returning to stores this Friday, June 29! https://t.co/HZ63QoStdO pic.twitter.com/u7wSRbQEgy
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 27, 2018
A Sultry Start To This Summer
Toronto weather never fails to surprise me, not even with its topsy-turvy weather system, possibly since I’ve anticipated nothing short of a spectacle from the skies most of the time. The alerts and heat wave warnings of the past few hours are ample proof of the abnormally balmy summer lying ahead! For a start, it was a particularly hot and humid Father’s Day on Sunday and the sultry wave persisted on Monday as well. When I checked the weather in the morning it was feeling like 39°C, though in a few hours, the complexion of the system changed and there was a thunderstorm with heavy showers. This was as chaotic as a Toronto weather could be. And talking about summer, it might come as a rude shock but the sunlight in this part of the world isn’t the same as in the tropics or India, in fact, it gets brutal due to Canada’s geographical proximity to the north pole.
Put in a nutshell, it’s not about the amount of sunlight you receive but the UV radiation which it transmits that causes skin damage including cancer. So when you move up north and nearer to the Arctic circle, you are closer to the ozone layer which is damaged owing to ‘climate change’ (the same with Antartica). The one way to protect against the Sun’s intense heat in the north pole and the direct exposure to the UV rays is by covering yourself and applying sunscreen generously during summers. This is even more critical for someone close to where I am in comparison to the deserts of UAE, although I wouldn’t dare challenge the Sun anywhere without copious protection. Besides, I learned this frighteningly quickly that I need to check the UV Index before stepping out. I am already sweating thinking about the next few months!
No surprise that heat warnings and special weather statements blanket southern Ontario today. Stay safe in this heat! pic.twitter.com/KsaJTP0Eut
— Michelle Mackey TWN (@michellemackey) June 18, 2018