Equinox Films is a production house in India. Founded by Ram Madhvani, the company has produced ads and collaborated with brands.
Equinox Films has worked in Indian advertising for over two decades, and is continuing to focus on innovation with a roster of directors like Nitin Parmar, Deb Medhekar and Tanvi Gandhi and Executive Producer Manoj Shroff.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Deb Medhekar filmmaker and director Equinox Films
- Could you share the learnings from Equinox’s journey in creating commercials?
Equinox is a Gurukul. It has been for many filmmakers before. Some come and go, and some stay forever, but everyone learns. Ram Madhvani is a mentor to many – a walking film school. Everything I believe and practice as part of my craft is either a reaction against or a modified emulation of his ideology. But my favourite two lessons are as follows:
I remember early in my career, I would often clash with agencies about what I believed was the right way to approach a project versus the client’s expectations. Ram once took me out for a drink to explain it to me. He said, “Treat your Creative Director as an Associate Director.” He didn’t elaborate. He just smiled, leaving me to figure it out myself. At the time, I was a hard-headed film school grad with high ideals about what cinema should be like. I didn’t get it initially, but I tried it nonetheless, and my films changed. In the process, I made some great friends who remain so to this day.
The second lesson was more difficult to adopt. I used to be extremely secretive about my edits. Sometimes only Manoj Shroff, our producer, would see them before the agency came in – no one else was allowed in the Edit Suite. However, I remember Ram showing his edits to everyone. Literally everyone. He would listen, respectfully nod, take notes, and filter the feedback. Somewhere, something would click. The editor would go back to square one, but the exercise would give the film its own identity.
2. Are there similarities in the fundamentals of storytelling between ads and movies?
I teach a six-day workshop every year at XIC called “The Three-Act Structure in 30 Seconds!” That’s what it all boils down to. All stories have a beginning, middle, and end – not necessarily in that order, and the end does not always mean resolution. The three-act structure holds as true in advertising as it does in long-format filmmaking. You introduce characters, make them memorable, and try to talk as much about them without explicitly saying anything.
Then comes conflict – a need unfulfilled, an obstacle to be overcome by sheer will and determination. In advertising, the situation somehow gets sorted, thanks to the product or some new innovation. Finally, there’s a comeback after the product window, where we see the resolution and how life goes on.
- How is AI helping Equinox deliver better work from ad films?
I think the jury is still out on the ethical use of AI and the debate around creative usage. Personally, I’m torn. I know I’d rather have AI wash my utensils while I do the creative work than have AI do the creative work while I wash my metaphorical utensils. But the reality is, that people come to me for whacked-out, VFX-heavy films, and it’s impossible to show references for something that hasn’t been done before. That’s where MidJourney helps.
However, we need to be our own moral compass and ensure the idea comes from us. Otherwise, given how capable AI already is and how fast it’s learning, we’ll all be out of jobs soon. The client is relatively indifferent about creative integrity as long as the product sells.
- Could you talk about recent work done with clients that stands out?
For two years in a row, we’ve had the opportunity to create the Infosys Pride Commercials. It’s a great campaign that does wonders for the soul every time we work on it. I’ve had close friends come out to their parents and families using the commercial as an icebreaker, saying, “That’s my story!”
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- While short-form video ads on digital are popular, are long-form ads making a comeback in some categories?
I don’t know how it happened, but yes, films are getting longer again, and I’m glad. It gives us a little more space to build character, to add quirks that make the experience more cinematic and enjoyable. We just did a film for Spaces with Atom about a little girl coming to her new forever home from an orphanage.
There was no way this could have been a 30-second ad! I’m glad we had the time, that the client indulged us, and that eventually, after seeing the film, they suggested it go on as is. I’m also glad the song had time for a couple of verses and a repeated chorus. Content is king. If it’s made well, people will watch. I’m glad that in a time of disruption and waning attention spans, there are still a few films each year that allow you to indulge.
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- Is there a growing trend of campaigns starting out in the digital realm?
Digital budgets are increasing, and the realms are merging. Clients negotiate for perpetuity rights across all media, so you never know if what you made for a digital-only brief will show up while switching channels on TV. Honestly, it doesn’t matter to us if it’s digital or broadcast; we put the same amount of heart into everything.
