As Indian brands compete in an increasingly digital and global marketplace, the need for authentic and emotionally intelligent storytelling has never been greater. At the intersection of creativity and culture stands First December Films, where Executive Producer and Creative Director Ganesh Pareek shapes its distinctive storytelling vision.
The studio has built its reputation on cinematic storytelling that feels lived-in, human and deeply local, and has amassed over 150 international creative awards, including multiple Cannes Lions, CLIOs, One Show Pencils, and Spikes Asia, while helping redefine the language of Indian branded content.
India’s advertising landscape is undergoing a creative renaissance. As global campaigns blur boundaries and technology reshapes how stories are told, a new generation of filmmakers and brand storytellers is crafting work rooted in emotion, realism and cultural resonance. Among them, Pareek stands out for shaping campaigns that merge cinematic depth with everyday authenticity, from Nike to Flipkart.
In an industry often obsessed with scale and sheen, Pareek’s work has brought intimacy and honesty back to the screen. His studio’s productions reflect a growing shift among Indian brands towards storytelling that feels both personal and powerful. Whether for short-form social films or high-end global campaigns, First December Films has built a reputation for narratives that celebrate people, culture and the rhythm of life.
As the lines between film, content and brand storytelling blur, Pareek’s approach offers a window into where India’s creative industry is heading: towards work that is raw yet refined, fast yet thoughtful, data-aware yet deeply human.
When asked to trace the roots of his creative philosophy, Pareek reflected on one pivotal moment that reshaped how he saw the power of local stories, a campaign that became a turning point for both him and his studio.
“When we were doing our film for Nike, Make Every Yard Count happened, it confirmed something to us,” he recalled. “In fact, we were very fascinated with how everything international looks. However, we learned that what we needed to focus on was local people, local stories.”
That revelation, he explained, marked a subtle but profound shift. The more First December Films looked inward, to the streets, faces, and textures of Indian life, the stronger their work became.“For example, a guy running in a lane or a gully, who doesn’t speak English and doesn’t understand advertising, can still make everybody feel and connect. The strength of our culture and our people is immense. This changed our understanding of something we knew and trusted,” he said.
The shift, he reflected, was not just stylistic; it was philosophical. “It told us to focus more on people and our culture and capture their connection. Before, it was more about chasing glows, thinking can we do this? When one is younger, there’s a want to become glamorous, more global. But what works is what you know.”
That clarity, he added, became foundational to First December’s creative ethos. “Subconsciously, it captured that focus. This approach makes people feel and connect more. Until date, we are very focused on delivering work that is real and by going until the very last mile to make something happen. These awards did something very different for us. We were already quite focused, but this focus got clearer and still drives us to really go all out for what we want as a production company.”
Reframing Global Inspiration Through Local Lenses
By the time First December Films began gaining traction internationally, Pareek faced a creative dilemma: how to balance global expectations with a distinctly Indian voice. Rather than mimicking international trends, he explained, he doubled down on local truth, using India’s everyday life as the canvas for cinematic storytelling.
“Our campaign Make Every Yard Count for Nike is a great example. It gave us recognition. Further to Nike, we had done a campaign for Flipkart which was about voting. For this particular one, we shot all over the country, across the streets of Kolkata, Ladakh, among many more places. We actually travelled across the country to make this campaign happen,” he said.
That experience reaffirmed his belief that emotional resonance trumps high-end production every time. “During this entire campaign, we realised that one authentic image or emotion is better than high production quality. One frame of emotion speaks louder than a lot of polished images,” he pointed out.
The film’s rawness was intentional, a choice that would become a defining feature of First December’s visual identity.“The Flipkart campaign resonated globally. People wrote to us saying they could relate and connect. We maintained the focus on authenticity and rawness on the street because it is the highest production quality, one that cannot be manufactured,” he added.
Over time, that approach evolved into a creative principle. “This is an approach we keep using in most of our work, wherever possible: we stop or reduce the use of artificial setups, we use real light, real people. This has a deep impact on the overall craft,” he explained.
Empathy First, Data Later
In a data-driven age, where analytics often dictate storytelling, Pareek’s creative process runs in reverse: emotion first, data later. One project in particular, ‘Beauty Tips by Reshma’, conceptualised by Brave Heart – Make Love Not Scars, brought that philosophy into sharp focus.
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“The Reshma campaign was about an acid attack survivor. We did it as a pro bono project. I remember cancelling my honeymoon and keeping aside the money for this particular campaign. I was deeply affected because my sister was widowed at a young age. Upon seeing how people related to Reshma’s story, it further validated that empathy was the first thing. It drives you. In such times it isn’t data that is important but instead empathy,” he said.
That campaign, he reflected, was not just emotionally resonant; it was strategically transformative. “Personally, my judgment was always based on what people said. That’s how I understood data, more than what was officially told to me. Now, with AI and structured data, my process is to get out and talk to people, listen to them, and let insights emerge. Of course there is real data that is supplemented, but the creative call for us always emerges from real human connections and insight,” he added.
Balancing Craft and ROI
As brand timelines shrink and deliverables multiply, Pareek’s team at First December has learnt to find emotional depth in minimalism. The emphasis, he says, is on compression, packing meaning into small moments without sacrificing heart.
“It comes down to intensity and depth, not duration or fancy production. You have to understand the need for every 15-second moment. The idea is to focus on the human reflection and the emotional intensity of that moment, rather than trying to fill it with cinematic techniques or drone shots,” he explained.
For Pareek, emotion remains the most valuable form of return on investment.“Even for short-form digital content, the intensity of emotion in that small frame matters more than high production quality. The craft lies in capturing a real, intimate moment that resonates with the audience. That is how we balance cinematic feel with measurable ROI,” he said.
He pointed out that this philosophy applies across the spectrum of his studio’s work, including campaigns for global platforms.“Quality is not just about money spent; it’s about the authenticity of each frame. For brands like Google or YouTube campaigns, we focused on what evokes emotion. One intimate moment, one four-second frame, can feel grand and cinematic if executed well,” Pareek added.
That approach, he reflected, allows First December Films to maintain cinematic texture without losing touch with the real world, ensuring each frame feels both human and handcrafted.
AI and the New Cinematic Mindset: When Technology Learns Empathy
When artificial intelligence entered the creative workflow, Pareek did not see it as a threat to artistry but as a tool to amplify it. His philosophy, he explained, was simple: use AI to elevate human creativity, not replace it.
He remembers the early experiments vividly, rough prototypes, pixel glitches, the curiosity of discovery. What began as a playful exercise soon became a pillar of production. “Initially, AI was a bouncing board. Then we started actually creating with the help of AI. We started experimenting with a page, and we could really start showing how it looks. Through constant experimentation, we found that AI helped with production, with cost benefits,” he said.
But AI’s biggest contribution was not efficiency, it was access. “We incorporated AI into backgrounds and other areas where resources were unavailable. A lot of communication started using AI. I personally trained people who didn’t come from the advertising world admin, accountant, even 12th Pass or school dropouts who are working in industry to adapt to this new way of working,” he shared.
That democratisation, he pointed out, changed the culture of the company. “That’s how we scaled. Many people learned how to revert to clients in post-production on set. It brought efficiency and power to the team. At one stage we had 200 people working in post-production, and AI improved overall growth and delivery efficiency,” he added.
Looking ahead, Pareek remains drawn to storytelling that blends emotion with innovation. His fascination with interactivity, years before it became a marketing buzzword, shows how deeply he thinks about the audience’s role in narrative.
“Back in 2015, I was deeply interested in exploring interactive storytelling. I remember repeatedly pitching the idea to clients. I wanted audiences to be able to scan and interact with the content directly. At that time, very few examples existed; most executions were basic, just one-dimensional visual angles, like a rotating object in a showroom,” he recalled.
That instinct, he reflected, was not about technology; it was about intimacy. “But even then, the idea fascinated me. I could sense the potential to bring the viewer closer to the story, to make them feel part of it. It wasn’t just about technology; it was about emotion and proximity,” he said.
Operationally, that same mindset, balancing innovation with empathy, guides First December Films today.“For larger projects we try to automate the entire logistics mix. Each department has a dedicated lead. We don’t rely on one person or talent for everything. Everything is documented and it’s a habit. There is a well-defined communication channel as well. At every stage of production, we aim to bring broad operational efficiency,” he explained.
Cultural understanding, Pareek insisted, remains the studio’s moral compass.“At First December Films, we make sure we understand the culture behind every campaign. We do not incorporate anything that is disconnected from the local culture. For example, for campaigns in Malayalam or during Durga Puja in Kolkata, we rely on cultural understanding,” he said.
“We always connect with local teams who understand the region, whether they grew up there or share a cultural connection. If someone does not understand the culture, we don’t try to force it,” Pareek added.
Even as AI and automation speed up production cycles, Pareek keeps one principle sacred: emotion cannot be automated.“Operationally, we are strong and very confident balancing creativity and execution. A challenge we face today in particular is speed. Clients today need work delivered very fast, and while we have a team of hard-working people, meeting these demands consistently is challenging. We have adopted AI extensively to multiply output, but speed must never compromise the soul of the work,” he observed.
As India’s creative industry accelerates, First December Films stands as a reminder that storytelling, at its core, is an act of feeling, and that emotion, captured with honesty, will always outlast the algorithm.
