Crafting Visual Stories: Aarti Thakur on Mastering Media Production and Brand – Ms. Aarti Thakur V.P Business Relations Moksha Media Group
Can you tell us about your journey in the media production industry ?
The past nine years have had many stories, highs, and lows, but this journey has helped me navigate the dynamics well. I’ve worked with diverse clients, mindsets, and people, which has helped create ease of adaptability with my clients and in general situations. In a fast-paced and ever-evolving world, your only option is to go with the flow and pick from past learnings and experiences. Every shoot and every brand provides you with a new sense of knowledge and understanding, which helps you in the future.
What is your approach to creating visually compelling photoshoots and videos that
resonate with a brand’s identity?
Well, of course, every brand comes with its own set of identity and guidelines. Every brand has its personality, tone of voice, how it wants to approach their TG and th gu e visual tonality, they want to maintain. Each brand is a different person with different attributes, feelings, looks and dreams. The first step is always to understand the brand and its values. Research on the history and understand the core messaging with the brand owners. This helps in understanding the brand deeply and creating content that truly represents them. You have to put yourself in the shoes of the brand owners or brand thinkers and understand the brand as closely as they do. It’s their baby; you must love it to live and breathe the brand’s values.
How do you collaborate with brands to ensure their vision is effectively communicated through your productions?
This starts at the first stage, where you deep-dive into the brand, its values, messaging, tone of voice, and purpose. The brand’s goal and the outcome they are expecting from the campaign or activation need to be clearly defined. An open line of communication is crucial to ensure that the briefs and the steps to execution are on the same page.
What are the current trends in model photoshoots and video production for brands?
There has been an increased focus on natural, diverse models that reflect different ages, skin colours, body types, and abilities. Brands want to make the content they create real and relatable. There has been a shift from model-esque imagery to more authentic and relatable imagery. Visuals, in fact, are more important from a storytelling perspective. Many behind-the-scenes focus on the people making the products and on humanising the brand/product or experience.
We see a shift in even model posing; it’s more about casual, genuine smiles and poses.
Brands focus a lot on sustainability and eco-friendly solutions or ingredients. There is a lot of emphasis on no chemicals and no toxins. Whether we talk about food, beauty, or clothes, the no-bad things trend is going strong. Consumers today are aware and conscious of claims like “no added sugar,” “recycled fabric,” and “no parabens.” In relation to this, the focus of brands on social messaging has also seen a boost.
Technology, of course, has proven to be fantastic, with interactive experiences like virtual try-ons, immersive campaign ideas, CGI videos, and so much more. As technology advances, personalised targeting and targeted content are making the rounds. Brands are focusing on tailoring content to specific audiences or individual preferences to help enhance engagement.
Social Media is the focus of many brand campaigns, and the content formats keep changing. Reels/carousels, user-generated content, and influencer marketing are the trends of the hour.
These trends reflect a shift towards more authentic, engaging, and technologically advanced model photoshoots and video production approaches.
How do you balance creativity and meeting client expectations in commercial shoots?
The first step is to have a detailed understanding of the client’s expectations for the shoot. Clarify the objective, key messaging, and theme or concept of the overall shoot. Next, a collective brainstorming session between the teams is important to begin concept development. It’s important to provide a clear roadmap to the clients as per their expectations.
We need to offer innovative solutions to address the client’s requirements and overcome any logistical challenges. We should also work more on prioritising impact and ensuring that the essence of the creative vision is preserved while meeting practical needs.
What challenges do you face in managing large-scale productions, and how do you overcome them?
Managing large-scale productions involves coordinating multiple teams, managing a significant budget, and handling complex logistics. To overcome these challenges, you need detailed planning, regular communication, and efficient delegation. Implement quality checks and risk management strategies and maintain flexibility to adapt to unforeseen issues. Ensure effective talent management and creative alignment through clear contracts and structured workflows. Use regular updates to keep stakeholders informed and build trust.
How do you ensure diversity and representation in your photoshoots and video productions?
The only solution to ensuring diversity is actively seeking diverse talent and working with varied teams. Focus on authentic and respectful representation and stay informed about best practices in inclusivity.
