Joel Fonseca: the 'product-shot' man

The best part of my job is meeting really interesting and really talented people. And the kind of people i love meeting most, are people who REALLY know their job. people of sheer skill and natural or cultivated talent. One unique individual of many such people that I've met, is Joel sir. The man most of the advertising industry in india would call as the 'product-shot' man. the man is the 'A-team' of product shots!

At first glance - he's a very simple guy. a common man. with a nice big happy paunch, an easily-mistaken-for-goan personality complete with the typical mouchtache and most often wearing his unofficial uniform - a hat with an overflowing cloth, a polo tee, shorts and boots. Once you watch him work - you know that attire is not some fashion statement - its sheer hardworking functionality. He'll crack the funnies, laugh with you, take your suggestions, help you out, listen to directors, help them out, keep working with the same high level of enthusiasm through all the countless takes - but when he knows exactly the scene he wants, he most often gets it right within 3 takes or less. that's an attribute which comes from his experience (to which i shall come later).
the best part is, he does all of this, without once seeming 'all-knowing' or 'overbearing'. which once you know him work - you know that he easily could be.

What's most brilliant is the fact that he has no 'formal' or 'institutionalized' educataion on the job he does. All that he has behind him, is years of hardworking on-the-job experience - and one thing that comes naturally to him: improvisation. Which is what brings him from being a spot-boy on the sets of some big directors to being the one man the industry calls to when in need of a great product/ingredient shot.

FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW: Ingredient/product shots are those tempting little scenes within ads which make you feel the product - whether its temptation, lust, freshness, warmth or even the coolnees of a product. The fresh, cool splash of pepsi, the ooozing chocolate, the showering zestfulness of liril, the chunky wheatgrains in your biscuits - if you've ever felt these on Indian TV, you've most probably felt the work of 'Joel Fonseca'. 

It's amazing to see how at ease he is with all the equipment and gadgets in his 'lab'. Equally interesting is to watch how he knows what material will have what viscosity, will look how on screen, will blend with what colour and will need how fast a frame rate to be best captured - WITHOUT AN ADVANCED DEGREE IN PHYSICS - Which i'm pretty sure you will think such a function needs if you know the demands involved.

"joel sir, we want this to splash and cross on screen" says a reputed director.
the director has the shot in his mind, but doesn't know how it will happen.
all Joel says is "ho jaayega sir." with his perpetually cool confidence.
15 mins of lots of mixing liquids and a few fountains later - poof - its done!
and it dosent stop there: "color change?" "ho jayega" "more splashy?" "ho jayega" "extra twirl in the liquid?" "ho jayega".... from my experiences with the man, i think even if you ask him to bend the very laws of physics, he'll say "ho jayega"... and get it done too! While somewhere Newton would be twirling in his grave.

His 'lab' pretty much holds the secret of his success. When you enter it there are three things that will almost always catch your eye: Joel working hard at his task, the non-flashy but extremely well equipped workplace AND a wall full of the most important ingredient in this, or any business - people.
The wall of photos of Joel at work with the various crews he's worked with are quite a walk down memory lane. Even today he continues his customary 'photo at the end of the shoot' tradition - capturing all the people he amazes with his adorable nature and hardworking presence.

By all means, truly a man worth meeting. A true gem of a person - Joel Fonseca; the 'Product-Shot' man.

-Pushkaraj Shirke

Discussing a scene with Joel during a shoot.

At the product shoot of the Sunfeast Dark Fantasy ChocoFills ad.
L to R: Zap, Me, Joel, Archana, Gemma, Pooja and Anuj.

Some of My Favourite People - Iconized

will upload a high res version later :)

- Pushkaraj Shirke

Poorabie khare: Complicatedly Simple

Chubby, spectacled, petite. with a penguin like waddle in her walk. Frizzy hair that she obviously dosent give a damn about. Probably a back pack on her back - which is most probably full of stuff she's carrying for r others. Lost in a book maybe or listening to music.
If you ever come across her, you probably wouldnt even realise that you are wading around a storm of ideas, an ocean of thoughts and a giant jukebox of hindi songs. you wouldnt even have an idea. and by the time you'd discover it, you'll most probably be way too smitten already.
Atleast that's the effect she has on most people. without even trying.
actually, forget the word 'trying'. She won't even try. ever.
if she wants to, she will.
That's her. Poorabie Khare.
the most understated, unboastful, simple and silent storm of calm you'll ever come across.

In a world of people that are trying hard to prove this, to prove that, to do this, to do that... she's like a rock. well capabale of crashing all those shuddering, free sailing ships. well capable of anchoring them. she'll do either - without a reason at all. atleast that's how it would seem to those who dont know her.
You try pushing her, and you'll get nowhere. you try pulling her, she'll move without moving atall. she'll hold her ground... and you won't even know she did. infact, you might feel you won - until you realise, it was just the tides that moved under your hull. the rock stands where it is. right in the middle of that ocean. maybe just moving when it wants to - but you'd never know.

She's got more words and ideas than you could count. Her little scribbles, as and when they seep out, are genuine.... full of reality... painted in the undeniable truth that will keep you tied. a rare talent in a writer of any kind. yet she's comfortable doing her job as a 'peceptively' uncreative client servicing executive in a highly 'creative' agency. and doing it well. and loving it. Once you know her, you cannot help but pity the typically young upstart 'im so intelligent and creative' copywriter who might think she's just another drone in teh world of advertising. (atleast that's what most people think people in advertiisng servicing depts are).
What does she do for a job? she sells ideas. no big deal there. but she does it with absolute honesty. with no lies on her cv and no deceit in her mails. no fake excuses on her phonecalls and no exagerrations in her presentations. It's difficult to get used to - but its something this world needs a lot more of. If you put yourself in a client's shoes, you'll know exactly why. She's that one person you'd feel safe trusting your brand with. Same as you'd feel if you were a person - she's the one person you'd feel safe trusting yourself with. and it comes effortlessly. maybe with time. sometimes with instinct.

She'll laugh with abandon. Cry at a movie. No she wont bother hiding her tears if any. but she wouldnt bother bothering you with them either. She'll laugh at the stupidest jokes you crack. probably she's laughing at you - but you'd never know. It dosnt matter, coz she won't be laughing in malice. She crack something stupider just a few seconds later. She'll talk up a storm. and then be entirely silent. She'll walk with you and then jump in a puddle. You never know. She won't pity you for your tears. She won't shun you for them either. She'll be there while you let it out. and be there even after. she'll let you learn your lessons without telling you right or wrong - she'll be holding your cycle when you need it and letting go when you're not looking. Maybe you'll scarpe a knee or two with her. but you'll keep learning. And then she'll bid you goodbye and then still stay with you. And you might move a million miles away, but she'll still be there with you.

Some say she's too difficult. some feel she's too complicated. A few might even think there's just no way you can figure her out. but hey, the point is - why do you bother figuring out? why do you want to label people and put them in boxes? have you ever considered that maybe you yourself are so sold to the idea of complication and being contrived that you see even the existence of simplicity as a complicated occurence?

Some people, just are. No tangles. No reasons. No big twists in the tale. honest and true and unmoving. almost unbelieveable. That's her. My rock. My tower. My fortress of solitude. Poorabie Khare. She's Complicatedly Simple.

- Pushkaraj Shirke

People are Real. Books are Not.

i'm introducing a new tab to my blog - PEOPLE.
and here's why:

In my observations, i've seen that when we turn to books and scriptures and published material to learn things, we only get a perspective. we only get what's considered 'right', 'correct', 'beneficial' in the perspective of the publisher, the govt, the commercial propagator, the governing body. more than that, over time, some facts get omitted. some things are shadowed and certain parts kept away.

it is for that reason that i find my most intresting pieces of knowledge - parts that are really worth knowing and learning, in people. real people, that i come across in life. everyone brinngs a new story to the table. a new part to the puzzle of life. everyone has their own quirks, their own highs, their own lows, their own perspectives, their own personality - EVERYONE, no matter how big, small, weird sane, logical or crazy, has something to share - only legible if you are reading, listening, absorbing what they have.

this little project of mine, is just that.
my notes on life.
notes on what I see... in the most amazing people i come across.

- Pushkaraj Shirke