The Creation of Non-Existing Possibilities. | Saurabh Shukla | TEDxNMIMSBangalore
The speaker argues that human thought is inherently linked to existing reality, suggesting that true originality is impossible because the mind cannot conceive of anything outside the universe's established patterns. This idea is illustrated by the speaker's early, failed attempt to "film" a movie using only a still camera and negative rolls, contrasting it with the realization that theater offered a viable alternative medium. The final call to action is to *follow the truth* in one's thinking.
## Theses & Positions
- The human mind is "hardwired with the universe," meaning it cannot conceive of an image or idea that does not already exist within reality.
- *Anything and everything we think is possible and it's true* (this is a core principle).
- The speaker initially believed a movie could be made by simply collecting many still photographs ("rolls") and running them through a projector, a concept the speaker later admits was a scientifically "stupid idea."
- The speaker eventually found that theater was a viable medium that required no camera, serving as a substitute when money prevented filming.
- The ultimate philosophical takeaway is that *everything is the truth* and *nothing called lie* because anything or everything which exists is the truth.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Moving pictures:** Composed of *multiple frames*, running through a projector.
- **Still photography:** Composed of a *single frame*.
- **Theater:** A medium encompassing story, screenplay, dialogues, acting, music, movement, choreography, lighting, and sets, but which *lacks a camera*.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **The "Mission" (6th Grade):** Friends convinced the speaker to create a movie by buying and assembling multiple rolls of negatives, which would then be run through a projector.
- **The realization:** The speaker learned that movies are actually shot with specialized, larger film rolls, not by assembling individual pictures.
- **The Financial Barrier:** At the 6th grade level, the cost to hire a video camera was **thousand rupees a day**, an expenditure comparable to a marriage, making filming impossible.
- **The Pivot to Theater:** When money prevented filmmaking, a friend suggested theater, which allowed for the practice of all cinematic elements without requiring expensive camera equipment.
## Timeline & Sequence
- **Childhood (Early Interest):** The speaker was attracted to the concept of the movie window, described as *"a window which opens in front of you and it's it's a window to a world which has no limit."*
- **6th Standard:** Developed the initial, flawed concept of building a film from multiple still rolls with friends.
- **Pre-10th Standard:** The speaker learned that films required larger rolls and specialized cameras, invalidating the initial concept.
- **College:** The initial film dream stalled due to high costs (e.g., **thousand rupees a day** for video camera), leading to the successful shift to theater.
- **Present:** The speaker reflects on the current technology (DSLR cameras, which are still cameras) to support the idea that the initial concept, though wrong, was fundamentally connected to truth.
## Named Entities
- **Hindustani vocalist** — Description of the speaker's father.
- **Tabla player** — Description of the speaker's mother.
- **Delhi** — The city where the speaker grew up.
- **Bombay** — A comparison point for film city, noted as *not* where the speaker grew up.
- **Click 3 alpha camera** — The specific model of still camera borrowed from the speaker's brother.
## Numbers & Data
- The speaker's brother was **10 years** older.
- The speaker used to watch an average of **three films** a week.
- Initial pocket money: **20 rupees** a month.
- Cost target for rolls: **1 or 2 rupees** every month (estimate).
- Cost to hire a video camera at the time: **thousand rupees a day**.
## Examples & Cases
- **Movie Viewing Habit:** Weekly ritual of watching *"one morning show which is essentially an Englishman and one evening show which is a current Hindi fan."*
- **The 6th Grade Project:** Attempting to create a film using only a still camera by collecting and joining many negative rolls.
- **The Medium Comparison:** Comparing the technical difference between single-frame still photography and multi-frame moving pictures.
- **The Theater Practice:** Using theater to practice the elements of filmmaking (story, dialogue, etc.) when actual equipment was unaffordable.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Projector** — Tool used in the initial, inaccurate concept of assembling films.
- **Click 3 alpha camera** — Still camera model used in the initial project.
- **DSLR cameras** — Current technology mentioned by the speaker, which are essentially still cameras.
## References Cited
- **Einstein** — Name mentioned in relation to the concept of drawing an non-existent image.
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Film vs. Theater:** Film requires specialized, expensive equipment (camera, rolls); Theater is self-contained (story, acting, sets) and avoids the technical barrier of the camera.
- **Still Photography vs. Moving Pictures:** The trade-off between documenting a single instant versus depicting change over time.
## Methodology
- The initial approach was based on **collection and projection** (physical accumulation of stills).
- The successful alternative methodology shifted to **immersive performance** (theater).
- The philosophical basis relies on **identifying universal patterns** that limit imaginative thought.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- *Follow the truth and keep thinking.*
- The core method for generating ideas is internal consistency with existing reality.
## Implications & Consequences
- The inability to draw something that doesn't exist suggests that human consciousness operates as a system of pattern recognition relative to observed data.
- The limitation of technology (money) can force creativity toward alternative, equally valid mediums (theater).
## Verbatim Moments
- *"we are hardwired with the universe... our mind can never come up with an image or an idea which is not existing in the universe."*
- *"the art was in the house always."*
- *"when it goes dark there is a window which opens in front of you and it's it's a window to a world which has no limit"*
- *"we are living an ordinary life or the real life of a school kid so we can have a mission which is a secret mission and we can make a movie"*
- *"I knew the difference between the still photography and moving pictures that much I'm still photography is of a single frame whereas moving pictures that's like multiple frames 24 frames"*
- *"it was really a stupid idea but my friends were as stupid as me"*
- *"it's a medium in itself and it is a different medium than movies"*
- *"I wasn't a visionary it is simply because human minds cannot think beyond truth"*
- *"so the idea is that everything is the truth there is nothing called lie"*
- *"follow the truth and keep thinking"*