In the initial brief, the client wanted us to “Reignite the spark” with a video that will help “reconnect people to their heart/soul by the act of repeating the word Satnaam (meaning Truth),” irrespective of their own chosen spiritual path.
A first look at the brief told us that it was going to be a challenge as this special request came to us all the way from India – a country known for its spirituality and the teachings of Gurus. We took our time in understanding the culture and traditions that went into play when making such a video - all the little things you could easily miss or things that might come off as disrespectful. We also had a deep conversation with the client to understand what it meant to him, and how important it was for us to get the message right, in the budget and without holding any shots.
After talking to the client and looking around at other similar videos we took a decision to use stock footage cut in with photographs of the the guru throughout the duration of the video.
The video showcases the devout feelings of an avid follower in his Guru, praising him for the influence he had been. The slow paced video revolves around a set of pictures of the Guru and lyrics sung in English that convey a message about finding your own lighthouse to help navigate the vast oceans of life.
The soft vocals and the beautiful scenes allow the viewer to be relaxed for the time being, forgetting about all that's going on in his life. After hours of editing the video and listening to the beautiful vocals, our editor Kieran seemed smitten by the voice! Whoever said that devotion was without romance? And the client – they said “that was beautiful, you really captured what I wanted.”
Did you know that folklore in India still sings praises about the Love-lorn Princess Mira (Sant/Saint of the Vaishnava Bhakti moment) who fell in love with Lord Krishna and transformed into a total devout, even marrying an idol of her beloved in a ceremony. “Mere toh Girdhar Gopal” - a devotional song written by Mira bai more than 500 years ago is still very popular.
All in all a fascinating piece of work for us.
Watch the video:
Shubhit S., Epik Music Videos
25/04/2013