4 minute read
Nelson Ikeja: Filmmaking Despite Great Odds
THE ROLE OF CREATIVITY
POST COVID-19
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Rohan Reddy, Executive Creative Director for the McCann Africa network, shares his thoughts and insights on this international health emergency.
At the time of writing this in Johannesburg, COVID-19, aka the coronavirus, has infected more than 190 000 people globally and claimed over 7 500 lives.* Just three months ago, most had never heard of ‘the coronavirus’, but now it is a household word.
THE BAD NEWS
In response, countries are shutting their borders, denying visas, grounding airlines. Schools and universities are closing, supermarket shelves are being emptied of everything from toilet paper to tofu, once buzzing restaurants are reduced to whispers. Businesses and some industries are scrambling to stay afloat, stock markets are crashing, and politicians are looking less presidential and more pathetic.
Our hands have never been cleaner, human contact is being frowned upon, people are getting sick or dying. We don’t care much about advertising or design anymore; mortality is our reality, we care about surviving.
When 2020 comes to an end, the world we live in will probably look very different from the one we said goodbye to in 2019. And it is impossible to predict what this new world will look like.
THE GOOD NEWS
Humanity will survive this virus. And, something beautiful is bound to emerge. Because, we as humans have a primal desire to make our existence beautiful again, and again.
Creativity will save the world. People will look to our poets, our artists, our musicians, our dancers, our inventors, our architects, our engineers, our writers and designers to redefine humanity’s purpose post-COVID-19. Businesses will look to their advertising agencies and design studios to redefine how we consume everything from food to fashion to travel.
Because, at the end of 2020, it will not be business as usual. It will be something completely different. We will spend our money differently, we will save
our money differently and we will probably make our money differently too. We will have no choice but to adapt to and redefine the changes coming our way, big and small. But adapt and redefine we must.
History will not always want to remember the anxiety and sadness and sickness and death COVID-19 has infected upon us - important as it is. I believe history will ultimately want to remember how we picked up the pieces, rose above it all and brought humanity back together. Because we belong together. I call this belonging, culture.
So, to all my fellow creatives out there - prepare yourselves. For when the time comes, there’s work to be done. There will never be a greater opportunity to lead the world forward, and not from a political front but a creative front. It’s not just our job, it’s our existential duty.
Get thinking. The present is not going anywhere. I look forward to seeing what we will all create. Our children will thank us later.
*At the time of publishing, these numbers had escalated to 820 000 infected with 40 000 deaths.
MGG
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Our beginnings in 2000 might have been humble, but our ambition to become one of the most established and respected suppliers of technical support and equipment to the live event, corporate production, and film and television industries was firm. Today, we are exactly that. Our services are customised and end-to-end, our execution meets the highest international standards, and we are recognised for being one of the biggest – and best – in the business. AV equipment. Lighting gear. LED screens. Rigging. Sets, structures and stages. Cameras. Projection. Power distribution. The MGG warehouse boasts one of the most impressive inventories of top-end technical equipment not only in the country but across the continent, most of which is available for hire. This equipment is expertly rigged and managed by our team of creatives, night owls and geeks whose years of experience and sharpened skill sets are superseded only by their love for what they do.
SERVICES OFFERED
At MGG, our multiple departments, including audio, AV and LED, lighting, structures and rigging, and printing and manufacturing, work closely to ensure the success of our projects. Their seamless collaboration is made possible by our in-house logistics systems and processes, which focus on efficiency and guaranteeing our clients peace of mind. Over the years, we have put our extensive equipment to use at events and productions of every size and description. Sporting events, concerts, conferences, exhibitions, festivals, film and television sets, and one-man bands have all been on the receiving end of our holistic services and our never-say-no attitude. We also use and supply live event generator power, so that we are properly prepared for any eventuality.
