Skunk's Matt Factor on Why Craft (& Craft Festivals) Matter

Let’s face it: there are a ton of crap spots and promos out there.

It’s no wonder people aren’t paying attention. Most projects land at production companies and are sent to our directors with little time to create and to craft. Agencies lament the fact their clients don’t sign off on ideas in a timely manner and the media deadlines that force lightning-speed productions. 

Good shit doesn’t just happen. 

Creating something that moves us as human beings, whether it’s a piece of music, a painting, a film, a commercial, a music video, short film or experiential piece takes inspiration, insight, deep thought, technical knowhow, planning, follow-through and a sprinkling of pixie dust. The best creators understand what’s come before them, learn from it, are touched by that vast body of knowledge and art, and then find their individual way of adding to it.

Kim Gehrig on stage at Ciclope 2017

Craft festivals and the work they acknowledge in cinematography, production design, editorial, music, direction and post effects – among other categories – are an opportunity to honour all the disciplines that go into making a great piece of work. 

In today’s fast-paced, pocket computer-based onslaught, I find it’s easy to forget what it takes to make a touching, moving piece of communication. Watching Kim Gehrig’s presentation at Ciclope this year on the process of developing a script then planning for a shoot, reminded me of the importance of the creative process and all the disciplines that must work hand-in-hand to create a powerful film. 

When makers come to set having put the time in, they’re free to let the magic happen on set. There are so many opportunities for a great idea to go to shit, craft festivals are a great chance to revere the ones that actually made it through.

Honouring the different disciplines that go into a film, and having a chance to hear from and see the work of some of the top makers in our business has the capacity to inspire us – the production companies, our agency partners and brands. Watching the Ciclope honorees and speakers – great directors like Tom Kuntz and Noam Murro, or the award-winning production designer Hannah Beachler – and reviewing their bodies of work reminds us that there are still great creative opportunities out there in a business driven more and more by metrics, testing and re-testing.

When a smart kernel of an idea is given time to evolve and crafted well, we can create spots, music videos or experiences that move humans both emotionally and towards the brands or causes they support.

Two films that have done well on the craft festival circuit this year are Jay-Z’s The Story of OJ and Sandy Hook Promise Evan. The choices made in crafting these films, right down to the type of animation, are what makes them stand out. The first is a beautifully old-school animated music video embodying far-reaching social commentary about race and class, while Evan is a film that could only be effective because of the way it has been crafted visually, exemplifying the message that we should watch out for easily missed cues all around us, to prevent events we don’t want to imagine.

It’s important that these kinds of films get made and acknowledged, and it’s obvious how relevant they are to the world we currently inhabit.

Marketers talk about effectiveness versus creativity, but don’t they go hand in hand? Today, consumers have many more opportunities to scrub through our ads, so now, more than ever, is the time to craft spots that grab – and hold – their attention.