Advertising is a 30-second joke or a 30-second story: Hugh Hudson

The award-winning film maker of Chariots of Fire shared some interesting incidents and experiences from his career and also shared his film show reel at the Master Class organised by IAA-IC and MAMI.

The International Advertising Association India Chapter (IAA-IC), in collaboration with MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Image), had organised a Master Class with Hugh Hudson at Infinity Mall, Versova, in Mumbai on October 19. The event witnessed attendance of prominent names from the advertising and the media industry, including Sam Balsara, Kaushik Roy, Bharat Dabholkar and Prahlad Kakkar, amongst others.

Attended by a packed house, the evening began with the screening of Chariots of Fire, followed by the Master Class with Hudson, where the award-winning filmmaker shared some interesting insights and experiences from his career. He also showcased his show reel that contained remarkable ad films made in the 1970s.

This show reel included some of Hudson's advertising masterpieces like British Rail, British Airways, Fiat Strada, Marlboro, L'Aimant, Global Movement for Children, Benson & Hedges, and more.

Hudson said that he began and grew up in advertising. An ad film made for Hartmann Fibre egg boxes was his first-ever ad film. "I owe it to the advertising agencies," said Hudson. He feels that advertising is a very good way of making money and telling stories. "Advertising is a 30-second joke or a 30-second story," Hudson exclaimed.

He also believes that it is not easy to get to the core of an idea. "But, at the end of the day, simplicity is what counts," he added.

Speaking on his approach of going about making an ad film, Hudson explained, "When you come to me with an idea, I simply add on to it."

He concluded the evening by saying, "We live in advertising; it is always with us and we cannot avoid it."

Speaking on the occasion, Kaushik Roy, president, IAA-IC, said, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for advertising and film professionals here in Mumbai, to hear the legendary film maker share his experiences and insights about his award winning work."

Hudson is one of the few recipients of the special Cannes Lion that was presented on the 50th Anniversary of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, to those who have won the Cannes Grand Prix more than once.

Hudson also has to his credit several award winning documentaries, ad films and feature films like Greystoke --The Legend of Tarzan (1984), Revolution (1985), Los Angeles (1989), My Life So Far (1999), I Dreamed of Africa (2000) and Revolution Revisited (2008).