On My Radar: James Rose

What’s the best ad campaign you’ve seen recently?

I’m a bit lateral, so it’s MailChimp at the moment, with a special mention to adidas Your future is Not Mine [below]; I’ve loved a reverse shot since watching [Russian war film] Come and See.

What website(s) do you use most regularly and why?

In these frankly worrying times, it’s all about Politico. In the old days, mutually assured destruction (MAD) as an endgame meant you knew where you stood, but now it seems a much murkier affair

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought and why?

It was actually old tech. A book. It doesn’t have a screen, doesn’t require audio thinking input but does require concentration without swiping or openinging tabs that take you off down a wormhole. 

What’s your favoured social media platform?

Instagram. After caressing moving images on a daily basis, I find it fun and relaxing just appreciating the way your (mainly) friends see the world in a still frame.

What’s your favourite app on your phone?

The Pinkun, for Norwich City Football Club news. And I love weather, so the Met Office.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

The Wire is the one that still sticks in my mind. Season two is like a classical tragedy thanks to the Frank Sobotka character [below]. More recently, Mr Robot had the biggest ‘we can go to bed after the next one’ effect.

What film do you think everyone should have seen and why?

Tricky, but right now I’d say Being There, but for repeated entertainment value, I’d have to say Trading Places.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

In the shower. I’m very partial to a long shower. There’s headspace for thought whilst waking up and poaching oneself.

What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

The move away from 4:3 as the picture ratio of choice has been an interesting transition. 16:9 promised a more cinematic feel but has conversely meant closer shots for people watching on smaller screens. The move to digital has also been epochal and its effects well documented for editorial.

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

I’d replace fear with trust.

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

The what; Natural Born Killers [above]; a big influence when I was starting out. It blew my mind how much meaning you could get away with in very fast edits.

The who; Nicholas Wayman Harris, Steve Gandolfi and Rick Russell. All inspirational editors and characters.

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know.

At school, I swam for Norfolk.