On My Radar: Mehdi Norowzian

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

The film for Boots No. 7 from Mother by Tom Harper [below] is an excellent example of how elegantly a simple message can be put across while entertaining the viewer with images of a strong female. The dance is wonderful, the set is enchanting and the music to die for.

The other campaign or film that I really loved was Knorr by MullenLowe done by Tatia Pilleva. The reason I love this is because the food is central to the subject but does not intrude on the humanity aspect of the film. I love the subtlety of the execution, the casting and the setting. Simple engaging and simply classy.

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

IMDB Pro because I am always searching movies for references for my treatments and it’s an amazing source of talent.

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

A six foot Epson pro printer to make giant prints of my work gathered over the last decade.

What’s your favoured social media platform?

Instagram.

What’s your favourite app on your phone? 

Uber.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

Game of Thrones; love the magic in the stories and amazing production.

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

Son of Saul, simply because it covered important events in an uncompromising and beautiful way. I also loved Room; sad but brilliant.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

On the plane to Mumbai.

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

Budget reduction and drop in quality. At the same time, a much better free-form filmmaking has emerged.

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

Encourage the agencies to take charge again.

What or who has most influenced your career and why? 

Tim Delany; he trusted me and showed me trust and we did some amazing work.

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

I used to be a painter and would love to go back to it.