DCM's Tom Linay on Ads Taking Influence From Film

The 67th Cannes Film Festival is in its latter stages on the Côte d'Azur as I write this and, as always, it has seen the very best of the world's filmmakers screening their latest work to an audience for the first time.

With several strands that showcase the work of filmmakers of varying stature, there is often visually stimulating work throughout the programme, the kind of films that set the visual style and tropes that brands and ad directors will be looking to emulate over the next couple of years.

One director who has experienced a great deal of success at Cannes in recent years is Nicolas Winding Refn. His film Drive won the Best Director prize in 2011 and since then, both visually and musically, he has influenced numerous ad caigns including his own ad for Gucci, starring Blake Lively.

Winding's strong visual style has clearly made a huge impact on Ryan Gosling's own directorial debut, Lost River, which premiered as part of the Un Certain Regard section. Lost River is a film that wears its influences very openly and also features scenes heavily influenced by David Lynch, who himself has directed ads for PlayStation and American Express.

One of the breakout British films is Catch Me Daddy, a gritty thriller set in Yorkshire and directed by Daniel Wolfe. The film is beautifully shot by DP Robbie Ryan and its distinctive style could easily be adopted by brands looking for harsh gritty realism with moments of stark beauty. Rising star, Wolfe, has already directed ads for Guinness [below], San Miguel and Cobra and more high profile brands will surely be heading his way.

A standout film in the Director's Fortnight is Damian Chazelle's Whiplash. It picked up two major prizes in Sundance and should be out in the UK later this year. It's about a young jazz drummer who yearns to be great and is pushed into difficult places by his uncompromising teacher. It's an unbelievably satisfying crowd-pleaser and could well make jazz ‘cool’ again. The Ford Puma Bullitt ad used a cult film with a classic jazz soundtrack and I could easily see an upmarket car brand utilising the jazz standards from the film, such as Whiplash or Caravan.

Finally, in the main competition is Mommy from 25-year-old Canadian director, Xavier Dolan. Dolan uses aspect ratios in a fascinating way, which could be perfect for big screen ads looking to stand out. The film is shot in the unusual ratio of 1:1, a perfect square, like a CD cover. Dolan said that "this ratio translated in a somewhat unique emotion and sincerity... No distractions, no affectations are possible in such constricted space. The character is our main subject, inescapably at the centre of our attention".

However, at two points in the film, the picture widens to fill the screen for a more expansive, hopeful scene. It's a stunning trick that drew spontaneous applause from the audience. The change would only be impactful on the biggest screens, so is ideal for a brand looking to make an impact at the cinema.