Rthoughtindia's Blog

The actual shoot

rthoughtindia — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 07:58:20 +0000

So, finally we embarked on our week long hectic schedule to shoot the video at the company’s plant and the sites where their products have been installed. We had a week of long driving hours, very little sleep, sometimes no food and sometimes, eating at shabby restaurants. But that apart, the whole process was very exciting and delightful.

A typical shoot crew consists of a producer, an agency representative (who ensures that the quality and essence of content is maintained), a director and a Director of Photography. Here we had a 2 camera setup, so while one camera shot the wide angle shots, another camera covered the close ups, various perspectives etc. Therefore, we were shooting with two expert directors of photography and we got some killer shots. However, for now, I am just putting up the shots taken by the no-expert me

Am off to Vietnam tomorrow and will come back with more on the progress of the project. Cheers!

The action begins..

rthoughtindia — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:38:49 +0000

We had been pitching for a large company’s contract for making their corporate video and brand film which would play an important part in their re-branding exercise and induction process. The client himself is really dynamic, passionate, powerful and a very awe inspiring man with great vision and rich experiences.

So finally, we got the project and now work has started in full swing. After spending the entire last month understanding different facets of the company and the values it stands for, we are standing at the drawing board crafting out a script that will best talk about the company and its operations, values, mission etc in a very engaging and fun manner without losing the basic seriousness of the project.

Drafts after drafts are being put together and re-worked to get one that will excite, inspire and teach all at the same time. This is in my view the most critical phase of the project, because like they say in Hollywood- The beauty lies in the script.

As per plan, we should embark on our shoot starting Friday, where we will capture the roaring cadence of Jog Falls near Goa.

More bytes soon..

Amazingly creative advertising you can’t afford to miss

rthoughtindia — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:53:50 +0000

Courtesy: 10 Awesome things

HTML 5 Vs. Flash

rthoughtindia — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:29:43 +0000

Hearing all the buzz about HTML5 soon being able to push Flash out of the internet scene, can be a sign of changing times to some, bad news to some other(especially veteran flash designers) and a need to upgrade to well…almost all!

I would put myself in the 2^nd and 3^rd category simultaneously, so obviously I have been tracking all arguments for and against the two. A recent study posted by Mike Chambers has given me considerable comfort in knowing that newer is not always better.

Two of the things that Flash is often criticized for is that it:

Uses too much CPU
Performs significantly worse on the Mac than on Windows

Mike has taken the effort to test rich content like video deployed via HTML 5, JavaScript / Canvas animations, Flash Video, and Flash animations on CPU usage and other performance criteria across different browsers and operating systems. Though this was not a scientific study, this one holds relevance in normal , non-lab scenarios.

The study found that

From these tests, Flash content does not perform consistently worse on Mac than on Windows.
There is a wide range of CPU usage for HTML 5 video, depending on the browser / operating system it is being played back on, with Mac generally being slower.
Canvas / JavaScript animations (at least those tested) seem to have high CPU usage, and generally run slower on Mac than on Windows (although not in all cases).
Some of the HTML / JavaScript content would not run across all browsers.
There seems to be some bug in the tested Flash Player when playing back video in Firefox. CPU usage would climb very high, and then drop. (I have reported this to the team).
Availability of hardware acceleration for playing back video looks like it makes a huge difference in CPU usage (duh!).
Regardless of technology (Flash and JavaScript / HTML), performance of rich media can vary widely depending on which browser / operating system it runs on.

You can look for details of the findings on Mike’s popular blog http://www.mikechambers.com/blog/2010/03/01/relative-performance-of-rich-media-content-across-browsers-and-operating-systems/

So all Flash lovers, take heart and move on. But remember, this world is all about upgrade or perish!

Torrp-it-Up: A brand new restaurant to hit Mumbai

rthoughtindia — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:42:09 +0000

Here is the latest in fast food restaurants in Mumbai. This new chain promises a healthy quick and complete meal for people on the go. Check the website here:

www.torrpitup.com

Some screens from the website :

Amazingly photoshopped images!

rthoughtindia — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:24:28 +0000

Here’s what photoshop can do that genetic engineering cannot!

Courtesy: www.funzu.com

Sunidhi Garg by Reverse Thought www.reversethought.com

10 Strategies to make your e-commerce website a success

rthoughtindia — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 09:19:04 +0000

I found this article really useful for people wanting to start their online store. Read it here.

E commerce websites have come of age. As customers realize the ease and benefits of online shopping, the popularity of e-commerce websites have soared like anything else. However, with the increase in the number of Ecommerce websites vying for attention, it has become important for them to devise strategies to be better than the competition and attract more traffic. Here are some new trends and techniques that can help your Ecommerce processes.

Focus on User Experiences

Often we concentrate so much on improving the usability of the website that we completely forget about the user experience. The way users feel on the website goes a long way in influencing their purchase options as well as their general perception of the website. Therefore, try to connect with the visitors on intimate level and then build up your branding through strategic marketing techniques.

Provide Customized Messages to Specific Audience Segments

The chances of sales increases when the audience is more targeted. When you segment your audiences, you know about their general common preferences and likes. This will also give you an idea about what segments are useful and most profitable. In turn, you can customize your sales message and make sure they receive more relevant and personalized information and offers.

Create Compelling Content

Content is the only source of direct communication with your website audiences. Therefore, make it as compelling as you can . The main objective of your product page should be sales conversions. Include product images and videos along with content that convinces them to hit the ‘Buy’ button.

Eliminate Unnecessary Page Elements

A majority of Ecommerce websites carry a bulk of undue weight because of unnecessary page elements like blinking banners, rotating graphics and annoying flash-animations. Attention grabbing works best on subtle levels. Also make sure the information you provide on the website is short and crisp.

Include Videos on the Website

Videos are an emerging source of product promotion with more and more website embedding videos on their websites to promote their businesses. You can upload videos that provide demonstrations of your products and show how they work, exhibit their different features and show how users can benefit from their use. Moreover, video inclusion has certain search engine benefits as well.

Involve your Website Audiences

The three main elements of a successful website are – Content, Communication and Commerce. You need to involve your audiences and make them feel that they are a part of the website. Include a form on audience interaction on your website. Provide them with an option to review the products and participate in forum discussions etc.

Provide Free Shipping Options
A little known secret of the e commerce industry is that shoppers often shy away from buying a product because of the additional shipping costs that are involved. Thus if you decide to waive of the shipping costs, you’ll have more sales. If its not a profitable option individually, provide free shipping options for bulk orders.

Optimize Products for Local Searches

While it is great to business on a global scale and cater to international customers, you can get huge visitor traffic with localized search engine marketing. Promote the products on your website on domestic search engines. You can also customize your product descriptions, tutorials, public relations and ad campaigns to suit the tastes of the local markets.

About the Author:

Kabir Bedi works as a senior web consultant at LeXolution IT Services, a premier offshore web development company based in India. He guides his team of professional web developers to create powerful web solutions for their clients.

To get your own e-commerce portal visit www.livewebmart.com

Mozaic- The Store

rthoughtindia — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:57:06 +0000

Check this exciting invite for the opening of an upcoming home decor store in Bandra, with a unique, promising collection of home decor ideas and solutions. Housed in a quaint Victorian bunglow, the store is an experience to look forward to.

This is just a glimpse of the invite. We got excellent feedback about this from our client, as the client got fantastic positive feedback about the invite from her. guests. Now, just look forward to the website!

About Reverse Thought:
Reverse Thought is a design studio based out of Mumbai committed to out of the box solutions for all areas of design and web development. Check the portfolio at www.reversethought.com

FIFA 2010- Everyone’s a winner

rthoughtindia — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:56:55 +0000

FIFA is here and with it millions and billions of dollars in the marketing game waiting to be played around with. Game events like these are usually a win-win situation for all involved. The players, the viewers, the sponsors, the hosts, the vuvuzela sellers, the federations –everyone. You don’t really need to win to be an ultimate winner. And that’s the good thing about sport.
During this period we had the rare opportunity to design some promotional websites for FIFA . The basic premise of these promotions are to ensure that even the viewers become winners. Not just by betting, which is allowed in many participating countries, but by also having their favorite brand of beer or munching their favorite brand of chips or consuming anything that may be dear to their senses.
Add to this the zillion promotions that are going on right from the local eateries to the large establishments, make winners out of the business-owners as well as the ubiquitous consumer. So who loses? Actually, the only one who loses is the one who is neither of the above. Not being in the game is exactly what will make you lose.

So, just jump on the bandwagon and become a winner. It’s time to blow the horn!

Responsibility in Design

rthoughtindia — Thu, 13 May 2010 07:22:45 +0000

Design? Responsibility?? What’s that supposed to mean???

I am sure most of you would come up with that reaction. But, this is a lot more relevant in today’s scenario than it was ever before. Because we use design not just as a medium of expression of our feelings and creativity, but we are also playing a much larger role.

To elaborate my point, let me give you a couple of scenarios-

There are two websites- website A and website B. Website A is a world class website with the best of elements and design points created through great amount of thought and creativity. Website B is also nice, attractive and confirming to the basics of design. Only problem is, that it is essentially Website A with a few cosmetic changes. Unfair? Yes. Irresponsible? Of Course.

A cosmetic company uses the before- after strategy for its latest advertisement. The model for the ad is a medium built woman who has been photoshopped to look obese and thin. She then becomes the poster girl for the company’s advertisements. Lies? Yes. Irresponsible? Of Course.

A promotional site is developed by a company. They have access to the winning combos. They share this info with some friends and relatives and those guys obviously win. The company running the promotion has no clue. And there’s nothing that they can do about the whole thing anyways.

The above were some of the instances which can be summed up as plagiarization, inappropriate/exaggerated representation or plain fraud that are issues around design today. To maintain dignity and sanctity of design is a joint responsibility of clients as well as designers. No one party can lead it just on its own.

In India, the regulatory bodies are very limited in their role to prevent design corruption (a term that I coined just to explore this phenomenon). Its only if someone with the time and resources to follow things through takes the initiative to report something and fight it out does the governing body do anything about it.

As an emerging house of talent, India should use this stage on the development curve to put in place some strict laws for designs and designers, and bring credibility to the market in India that poses as a global outsourcing hub for specialized services.

What do you think? Leave me your comments.