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NEULIFE + ON TRUE STRENGTH: INSPIRATIONAL FILMS

TRUE STRENGTH is associated with Optimum Nutrition and as a brand one of their core values is acknowledgement and support for individuals who possess TRUE STRENGTH. And in 2011, for the FIRST TIME EVER Neulife took the initiative to conduct the TRUE STRENGTH awards in INDIA on behalf of Optimum Nutrition.

The TRUE STRENGTH Awards are a recognition to those individuals who have demonstrated outstanding will power and determination to achieve their fitness and/or athletic goals despite great hardship or natural obstacles.

These films were made to celebrate the spirit of the three men from across the country who were awarded this year. Hopefully, they will inspire many pf those who see them:

TRUE STRENGTH INDIA WINNER - MUMBAI: NIZAR DAWOODANI




TRUE STRENGTH INDIA WINNER - PUNE: BHUPESH KAMBLE



TRUE STRENGTH INDIA WINNER - DELHI: ANKUR SHARMA


DIRECTOR: PUSHKARAJ SHIRKE
PRODUCERS: ROHON NAG & SAKET IYER
EDITOR: ROHON NAG
PRODUCTION HOUSE: FORCE FOUR PRODUCTIONS + MONKEYWORKS
CLIENT: NEULIFE

If these films and these incredible individuals inspire you, do leave a comment.
regards,
Pushkaraj Shirke

The Ides Of March

monkeyrating: 8/10

waddabout: a film adaptation of the play Farragut North. The story of an idealistic employee of a new presidential candidate and his crash course in dirty, back stabbing politics during the campaign.

isay: the movie is a MUST WATCH. Very few movies manage to be slow, not action packed and yet be gripping. THIS, is ONE of those RARE ones! its a crash course in screenplay, the beauty of play-writing and in the use of music for drama.

#i admit: i have a thing for playa converted to movies - coz being a theatre actor, i love plays, and being me, i love movies! this movie had the best of both worlds, just like 12 angry men. 

monkeyrespect to: GEORGE CLOONEY. The man has made a masterpiece! he made a good decision by not hogging the screen himself and directing ryan and silence to do most of the talking in the movie. Great call! the man is going to bag awards by the dozen for this one!
RYAN GOSLING. the guy is growing into a really fine actor! subtle facial expressions, no over acting and perfect pauses. he's really a guy to look out for!
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT. the man behind the music of this film - i hope for an OSCAR for this dude! every scene has music that foretells the future... the entire MOOD fo the film is created by the music and the silence between dialogues. simply brilliant!

watch the trailer: 

Designing a Logo

A friend asked me to deign a logo for his brand: DANCE UNDERGROUND. Its a label that deals with musicians and DJs and underground music events across the country.
So i started off with a few scrawls to get the feel of the intended communication.

SKETCH THE CONCEPT:
Unlike most digital artists, i like to actually hand-draw my concepts and icons onto paper even before i go onto the machine. i use as little technology as possible - coz somehow, i find it adds more character and personality to the things i create. ofcourse there are people who directly kick ass on coreldraw and photoshop alone. but hey, this is me. so off i got to drawing little icons and cues that suggested what the brand needed to communicate and what the brand stood for. after a paper full of these, i picked out the best ones, and singled them out into recognizable logo units.

DESIGN IT:
Once i had created a logo unit using the cues i wanted, i scanned the basic sketch and on came photoshop.
Which brought me to choosing the font. i LOVE hand-drawn fonts, but the kind of cleanness the preset fonts have is kinda irreplaceable. so picked a font i liked. out came the brushes and the layers and poof!
The final 2D logo for DANCE UNDERGROUND was ready:

RENDER IT COMPLETE:
Then came the task of adding dimension and texture to the elements. Since this is a unit that is mostly for the web and visual mediums, a 3D rendered logo made sense. So i got on to that task.
A little steel, a little leather, a little neon and a few sprays and liquids - and we were done.
The final logo of DANCE UNDERGROUND was created:
(to be uploaded once release permission is acquired)

and that's the way the cookie crumbles. and a logo is designed. from concept - to final design.
Cheers!
Pushkaraj Shirke

To Die by Your Side by Spike Jonze

Mourir aupres de toi: beautifully artful setting and stopmotion.
nothing unusual, but charmingly beautiful nonetheless.


watch the film: 

Mourir auprès de toi from Roo trujo on Vimeo.

Mourir Auprès de Toi (To Die by Your Side) by Spike Jonze from Léonard Cohen on Vimeo.


The making of:

Making Mourir Auprès De Toi from simon cahn on Vimeo.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Monkeyrating: 9/10
(i'm a hardcore tintin fan, so i admit my bias towards the movie. I have given it a rating of one point higher than what i would have otherwise given. also below, is my take on the synopsis.)

Waddabout: a mix of Herge's Tintin and the Crab with the Golden claws and Tintin and the secret of the unicorn.

isay: WATCH IT IN 3D! after AVATAR, KP2 and ALICE IN WONDERLAND, i think only this movie does true justice to 3D! besides, its awesome visually, storywise and action wise! Go watch it!!!! worth buying the DVD too!
PS: i have ALL the tintin books - so the DVD is a definite addition!

Monkeyrespect to: The man  who never dissapoints: STEVEN SPIELBERG! to work a much loved classic is one thing - to actually bring it to life without compromising on any of its awesomeness, is entirely another! and he's done it!!! absolutely brilliant!
Peter Jackson's influence is visible in the grandiosity of the landscapes and the cretion of world almost so real in its attention to detail. also in the picking of the cast. i bet he's the one who got Andy Serkis aboard!
The animation team on this one, PREPARE FOR THE OSCARS  BITCHES! you'll are winning it! HANDS DOWN!
oh just one more: ANDY SERKIS as the voice of HADDOCK - love the man!!!! just PERFECT!

Watch the Trailer:


The original book Covers: