Soon after the soft launch in 2008, autopilot opened Spoilt Ideas as a studio space in November 2010. The road map to the studio was a complex one and hence needed to be shown in our print and online stationary. Around the same time Kashyap wrapped up an elaborate sound & music mix which happens to be the main course for autopilot's next project. Hence the promo is a combination of the two thoughts of visual (Spoilt Ideas) and sound (autopilot). Apart from the route map, the clip also contains fascinating visual elements like the retro compass with its almost capricious motifs.

The Second part of Killing the Stereotype ironically fell on the same day as the first and was two years & two months after...well. Themed around the 1980s electronic scene and postmodernism, ‘Revenge of the Sonic Sadhus’ was a comeback gig aimed at exhibiting a collective art experience through the eyes of a visual disc jockey, a light artiste, sound artiste and photographers. The artists involved in this episode were Peter Rajesh Joachim (VDJ), Sameer Mohan, Neha Bajaj and Zui Patravali on the photo sets, Pritham Kumar (lights) and Kashyap Murali on the sound sets.

The Second part of Killing the Stereotype ironically fell on the same day as the first and was two years & two months after...well. Themed around the 1980s electronic scene and postmodernism, 'Revenge of the Sonic Sadhus' was a comeback gig aimed at exhibiting a collective art experience through the eyes of a visual disc jockey, a light artiste, sound artiste and photographers. The artists involved in this episode were Peter Rajesh Joachim (VDJ), Sameer Mohan, Neha Bajaj and Zui Patravali on the photo sets, Pritham Kumar (lights) and Kashyap Murali on the sound sets.

If it really did have to be spelt out...a miniature (sonic) sadhu emerges out of a flying saucer, greets the viewer in a high pitched voice, gets startled as he sees the autopilot logo (no one knows why), then talks backwards, shots a laser beam at the logo and disappears in his wavering manner that he does. autopilot then breaks into a dance of beautiful glows and glitches. 'Revenge of the Sonic Sadhus' was to smash out of our 50's/60's themed website to a newer 80's styled electronic version. The video also was one of the two promotions created for the comeback gig.

The all new autopilot website's intro animation was largely inspired by the music Kashyap was listening to during his research study in the UK. It was also stimulated by kitsch, the avant-garde and surrealism to take a dig at the capitalistic consumer. The illustrative instruction style touches through sub-themes of war/propaganda, cultural (instructions), domestic appliances and silly Victorian inventions. Before the beat coordinated animation, the video has some the best press reviews autopilot received; right from the first experiment in 2004 up until September 2005.

Inspired by kitsch, the avant-garde and surrealism, this autopilot website launch print artwork, on the surface; took a dig at the capitalistic consumer. But concealed in the illustrative instruction style is a message to the viewer of how autopilot worked as a design collective. The work which is narrated quite mischievously through its copy, delved into sub-themes of war/propaganda, cultural (instructions), domestic appliances and silly Victorian inventions. The drawn material was then utilised for the animated video promo and as the theme for the then freshly launched autopilot website.

George Supreeth, Chandra Shekar, Ashwin Mohan and Kashyap Murali were the designers and illustrators who collaborated on this event to promote contemporary graphic art. Presented in the form of an interactive dance exhibition, the event took place at Athena, Bangalore’s then popular night club at the Leela Palace Hotel. A total of fifty digital art pieces (tailor made for the event) were projected on a large screen. The visuals were played alongside an underground music set; mixed live by Kashyap. This marked autopilot’s last gig before Kashyap’s UK expedition...uhhh...

Fotophunk was a Levi's® and autopilot brand collaboration and was Kashyap’s first solo photography exhibition. The show aimed at promoting both, the new Levi’s® icon store ‘Rivet’ and autopilot. With eight exclusive ‘Rivet’ stores around the world, the ninth claimed to be the most radical, located at the Leela Galleria, Bangalore. Taking from common or mundane experiences, the compositions contained two or more images juxtaposed against each other to create new meaning. The exhibition was the first for autopilot where music was not the predominant element.

A memorable and relevant gig for; ‘Moriya’, as the name suggests, was centred on the festival of Vinayaka Chathurti or Ganesh Puja. Celebrating psychedelic, trip-hop mix sets by Naoki Tejima and Asian underground, electronic sets by Kashyap Murali, the scenic venue was complemented by a traditional Hindu temple which added to the essence of the event. Although, the gig did not carry the autopilot visual sets, which had by then become the brand’s trademark, this duo mixed their way through the semi-drizzling night only to close their set sometime after dawn.

The music was not about the shared experience of a generation, it just entered you and moved you with a force all of its own. - Hemangini Gupta It is difficult to put a finger on it really...whether it was the music, the visuals or the crowd’s vibe which touched all present at this personal a level, is not really known. The hard hitting night featured live mixes of electronica, psychedelic rock and techno which magnified the underground genres, and went hand in hand with the ever fluctuating travel photography and videos contributed by Suneil, Kashyap Murali and Chetan Kumar.

She was born during the leap year of 2004 on the 29th of February at Insomnia, a (now closed down) night club in Bangalore. All it was meant to be was a good old rave but became an underground art exhibition; a platform to promote us, young upcoming artists. With support from SF jeans, it became the first in the city to host visuals and music, live like it did. A set of raw photographs (contributed by Suniel, Chetan Kumar, Shekar and Kashyap Murali) showing India in the flesh were projected across the dance floor while Kashyap mixed Asian underground music for the historic night.

Kashyap: "Man, what if we were to dress Sachin in all white, high waist but short in length trousers, red out of place tie, rides an auto-rickshaw and comes out to tell the autopilot tag line, how funny would that be huh?" Chetan Kumar: I got a good camera, I'll shoot it. Jacob Cherian: Will get the rum, don't you worry boy! Pritham Kumar: Fine, I'll give you my dad's old shades. Sachin Pillai: Ahh..you want me to ride a rickshaw? So they all stuff themselves in a tiny Maruti 800 and in no time they are at MG/Brigade Road intersection. The autopilot journey had just kicked-off.

1: With intent to initiate a certain kind of design dialog, the first artwork (among the shelved projects) was politically conscious in nature. The screen print on art paper was ideated and worked on in Maidstone, Kent. 2: This is the story of a trip by the most recognisable and popular figurehead of autopilot put on a tee. 3: An ambitious event on a scale never been thought of or seen here. We just pray that we can pull this off one day. If these concepts have really got you thinking then now is the time for you to mail us or join the mailinglist. Or simply make sure you keep visiting the site.

Our client Elucido Media was developing a new touch screen kiosk which was aimed at being marketed to (and installed at) major shopping malls. We at Spoilt Ideas were asked to create the graphics/skin for their technology. The conceptualisation came when we started thinking like web designers, as we crafted these plush web 2.0 visuals. To add elegance, leather backgrounds and varnished wooden buttons were carefully created. On the lighter side, colourful structures were incorporated which were, in the peculiar sense, inspired by the song ‘little boxes’ and Indian jujubes.

The interactive presentation was created for the directors of the company who in-turn presented the same to a hall full of share holders at the annual general body meeting. Positive or negative facts which affected the people in the sector and the company were put together. We conceptualised visuals which would subtlety indicate that Gokaldas is a garments manufacturing unit. For example the background represents denim textures while the animated dashed lines characterise stitching on fabric. Glowing greens to reds represent the taking over of a positive outlook from the negative facts shown.

Elements of nature and Greek mythical figures make this geared up music machine’s sprit something of grave wisdom, while motifs of punk and grunge make its seemingly old character, young/fresh. The tank’s danger end has been subverted by Michelangelo’s hand of God and perhaps has a face of a semi blind person possessing psychedelic magic powers. The spikes around the heart, imaginably takes one to the Baz Luhrmann film Romeo & Juliet. The splashes could either come out of a violent Spartan/Sin City war or out of a Michael Learns to Rock song!

The guys at Intel Corp were launching a new device to help better online shopping transactions. We were roped in to communicate their message in a ‘how to do’ manner. Kashyap Murali, storyboarded and produced the glossy demonstrative animation. Voice over talent was provided by Nathan Harris, who also is the lead singer of the popular Bangalore band ‘The Galeej Gurus’. Kishan Balaji our household talent composed music and provided sound for the film. Since the project was called off in the middle of production, the video has been knocked off this section.

These are screenshots of the online viral film created to widen the reach of The Economic Times’ (Ideas) campaign for entrepreneurs. Advertising agency: Mudra communications appointed our small team to recreate their vision in video form. The quirky and humorous copy was put in motion by animations created by Kashyap Murali. Kashyap is also said to have conceptualised and scripted the film on the fly during his efforts. To support the animations, Divya Pathasarathi provided illustrations while drummer/musician Kishan Balaji provided sound and music for the viral.

This film was an online viral promotion created to widen the reach of The Economic Times' (Ideas) campaign for entrepreneurs. Advertising agency: Mudra communications appointed our small team to recreate their vision in video form. The quirky and humorous copy was put in motion by animations created by Kashyap Murali. Kashyap is also said to have conceptualised and scripted the film on the fly during his efforts. To support the animations, Divya Pathasarathi provided illustrations while drummer/musician Kishan Balaji provided sound and music for the viral.

Mudra communications: the ad. agency and Spoilt Ideas: the production house take credit for this. The script was written by Sumitra Sengupta from Mudra; although tweaked from time to time by Kashyap Murali, lead creatives and animation, Spoilt Ideas. The work was characterised/hand drawn by Shilo Shiv Suleman in majority. The last few films were then taken over by illustrator Harsha CM. Our main man for sound and music was Kishan Balaji with Kashyap chipping in for the voiceovers. The project had a total of 12 fact films, 2 launch films, 2 spots and 2 teasers to its credit.

This video is an edited version of the twelve (fact film) adverts. One would perhaps might miss the logo bumpers, which have been placed just once here; at the end of the entire clip. Sumitra Sengupta from Mudra communications wrote the script for these films and was the person who put Spoilt Ideas on board for the project. The work was directed and animated by Kashyap Murali and characterised/hand drawn by Shilo Shiv Suleman in majority. The last few films were illustrated by Harsha CM. Sound and music credit goes to Kishan Balaji with Kashyap chipping in for the voiceovers.

The first launch film was developed in Bangalore while the second was animated in Pondicherry by Kashyap Murali. The illustrations were created by Shilo Shiv Suleman and sound was engineered by Kishan Balaji. Mudra communications' Sumitra Sengupta wrote the script for this and was the person who put Spoilt Ideas on board for the project. The two launch films showed how the game card, which was placed in 'The Week' magazine, can be used to help one win many prizes as they watched the fact film adverts aired during specific time slots on the news network: 'NDTV'.

I have been told that this was the rawest and the most exciting section in the entire time span of the project. While Sumitra Sengupta from Mudra communications provided creative direction, creative know it all, Kashyap Murali delivered the pop-up-greeting-card style of animation as Shilo Shiv Suleman drew the charmingly dark illustrations. The illustration of Mr. Day was further developed to be the mascot for the films, while Kashyap was allowed to lend his 'voice talent' for the adverts. Sound and music for the films were produced by drummer/musician; Kishan Balaji.

Pritham’s brief for a business card: “I want to show that I am an actor, a theatre person, photographer, light technician/artiste, traveller...” “Oh, I also want to put in these quotations: 1. Life is better with a little drama in it 2. Women speak two languages one of which is verbal. 3. If I were Romeo, we'd have got away”. While the quotes became the back print in separate versions of the card, the chaotic character was visually interpreted in the identity design floating in the clouds. Other Shakespearean or theatrical bits come in the form of tiny motifs in the visiting card and letterhead.

Nritarutiya is an Indian contemporary dance company whose work has brought them significant international success. One of the productions which have perhaps helped them achieve this is Prayog. At the early stage of Spoilt Ideas, freelance graphic designer Kashyap Murali was approached by the Nritarutiya team and was asked to contribute in any way possible for their relatively new project. The artwork includes images taken from their earlier photo shoots and was inspired by watching many dance rehearsals. It also contains references of Indian silk wear and block patterns prints.

The Talvin Singh logotype was made to match his music. Sounds were studied album to album, track by track; to derive at an Indo-European, royal (in the Mughal sense) and visually festive artwork. The identity has a good helping of Indian references, like the symbolic Ashoka Chakra, ancient Indian fort architecture, elephants, peacocks and even the 'dhanush' (bow). It also references nature, which is highly prominent in his style of music. The font, on the other hand, tries to mimic the electronic music influence which is equally prominent though his compositions.