the Talent
From Junior Creatives to ECDs, delve into career highlights (and lowlights) in our in-depth profiles.
Rick Brim gets to the heart of advertising
Rick Brim is the CCO at adam&eveDDB and is this year's president of the Film Lions jury at Cannes. He talks to Tim Cumming about his career and creative highlights, including a touch of selfishness from Harvey Nichols and spreading the hate with Marmite, and why listening to your heart matters.
The Way I See It: Tiffany Rolfe
Tiffany Rolfe thought she might become an archaeologist, but adland beckoned and rather suited her. She tells Carol Cooper how she went from promoting her childhood candy stalls, to becoming Global CCO at R/GA, a journey that took in innovations such as family therapy puppets, founding an internet start-up, and pitching brilliant-but-cheesy concepts to Steve Jobs.
Creative Correspondence: Kate Stanners & Mia Silverman
Saatchi & Saatchi's Global CCO, Kate Stanners, and up-and-coming Saatchi Art Director, Mia Silverman, discuss their respective careers, how the job has changed (and stayed the same), and why the growing need to deliver at speed can lead to bad work... but doesn't have to.
The people who make the spots you love, covering all aspects of production, post and sound.
Creative Correspondence: Kai-Lu Hsiung & Alice Bloomfield
For our latest Creative Correspondence, industry legend and RSA Films Global MD Kai Hsiung is in conversation with new signing and former BFI Future Film Fest Black Dog Films Award winner Alice Bloomfield about breaking into commercials, the importance of testing the water and how the industry has changed for women.
Gijs Determeijer on the power of the YDA
This year's chairman of the Young Director Award explains the benefits of entering the competition, what he'll be looking for in the online jury room, and the good and bad of the last 15 months.
Suthon Petchsuwan: Thai-tan of comedy
The creative-turned-director who's been splitting sides with his unique form of surrealism for the past few years chats to shots about creativity, career-changes and the power of the the gag.
Kerstin Emhoff: In the pipeline
Prettybird’s CEO talks to Tim Cumming about overseeing one of the Lion’s toughest categories, remote working with juries and what she’s doing to widen the gene pool of creatives across the industry.
Finding the funny with Benjamin Green
Award-winning comedy director Benjamin Green has worked with celebrated comedians such as Jack Whitehall and Romesh Ranganathan. But he's also shot comedy commercials with footballers, models and athletes... not people known for their comedy chops. So, how do you find the humour when working with such talent without the joke being on you?
Misha Manson-Smith: Cutting to the funny bone
Editor-turned-director, Misha Manson-Smith's CV includes hard-hitting documentaries, acclaimed TV series and high profile ad campaigns. Tim Cumming talks to the industrious filmmaker about improvised Google spots, massive real-world hoaxes and why comedy is a high-wire act.
Creative Correspondence: Sam Sneade & Ellie Johnson
Editing legend Sneade chats to the newly promoted partner at tenthree, Johnson, about the progression of their careers, the lack of industry rockstars and how cultivating talent is the most important part of the job.
How Lalou Dammond turned her personal history into documentary material
Director Lalou Dammond (one half of duo Joaquin + Lalou, of Biscuit Filmworks) dives into the life and times of her revolutionary relatives who have stood up to white supremacy, faced down presidents, and fought relentlessly for Black civil rights in her newest documentary, A Part of the People.
How Renee Maria Osubu framed fatherhood in Philly
A young Black photographer-turned-filmmaker, Renee Maria Osubu, represented by the new talent powerhouse You Are Here, talks about her directorial debut, Dear Philadelphia, a self-reflective film of fatherhood, forgiveness, and finding the spirit of faith in the people of Philadelphia.
Celebrating shots' 30th anniversary, industry luminaries pair up with up-and-comers in the field to talk shop and interview each other.
Creative Correspondence: Olivier Altmann & Dimitri Lucas
Continuing our series of back-and-forth interviews between creative heavyweights and up-and-coming challengers for the crown, French advertising great Olivier Altmann speaks to a young creative and former colleague about anxieties, inspirations and why life's too short to work with assholes.
Creative Correspondence: Stéphane Xiberras & Mélanie Pennec
Old pals Stéphane Xiberras and Mélanie Pennec discuss boring 'feel good ads', the joys of lurking on social media and how they'd set up an agency from scratch in the latest of our 30th birthday celebration features.
Creative Correspondence: Andreas Nilsson and Ben Campbell
From whale poop, to rockhopper penguins; from the importance of planning to the influence of artists, The Quarry's Ben Campbell and Biscuit's Andreas Nilsson have the email correspondence you didn't know you needed to read.
Creative correspondence... with Diane McArter and Casey Rand
As part of our ongoing 30th birthday celebrations, we're asking iconic industry figures to chose a person to interview and be interviewed by. Here, Diane McArter and Casey Rand talk social change, discovering purpose and what finally helps tip a tipping point.
Creative Correspondence... with Ram Madhvani and Tanvi Gandhi
Our 30th celebrations continue as we eavesdrop on conversations between some of the industry's most renowned figures chatting to the icons of the future. This time it's directing legend Ram Madhvani talking... well, rhyming... with Equinox Films' up-and-comer, Tanvi Gandhi.
Creative Correspondence: Joe Guest and Lucy Berry
Final Cut's legendary editor speaks to up-and-coming top talent Berry in the latest of our Creative Correspondence conversations.
Daniel Bergmann talks new directing talent
The Managing Partner of Stink Films, a YDA 2020 Producers Award-winner, on the company's approach to nurturing new talent, what you need to be successful and why the YDA matters.
Why new directing talent matters
UK production company You Are Here picked up the Gold Producers Award at the 2020 YDA. Here, the company's MD and EP, Jeremy Goold, explains the importance of nurturing new talent.
Creative Correspondence: Anthony Moore & Dylan Holmes Williams
Kicking off 2021's Creative Correspondence is multi-award winning sound designer, the Founding Partner and ECD of Factory, Anthony Moore, and Stink Rising director, talented short film maker and YDA winner, Dylan Holmes Williams.
Loïc Andrieu answers his Call Of The Wild
The YDA-winning director discusses how a genre-bending movie concept led to awards gold.
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YDA winner Natasha Mynhier delivers In A Beat
Natasha Mynhier, the winner of the Mid-Length Film (30 to 60 mins) - Northern America category at this year's Young Director Award, talks to us about how she crafted this powerful film.
Jakub Jirásek talks accidental adolescent terrorism
With his darkly comedic short Don't Be A Pussy picking up a Gold at this year's YDA, Jirásek tells Jamie Madge how a film for his Master's Degree ended up evolving into a biting satire on social status.
YDA winner Jackson Tisi introduces us to Leon
Jackson Tisi, the winner of the Passion Project - Northern America category at this year's Young Director Award, talks about the process behind making his documentary Leon, and about the man himself.
YDA winner Dylan Holmes Williams sings The Devils Harmony
Dylan Holmes Williams, the winner of the short film category at this year's Young Director Award's, discusses the inspiration behind The Devils Harmony, his film about a bullied teenage girl that leads an A cappella club on a trail of destruction against her high school enemies.
YDA winners Christina Amundsen and Emilie Thalund help stop the violence
Christina Amundsen and Emilie Thalund, the winners of the charity commercial category at this year's Young Director Award, discuss the inspiration, and the making of Isolation, their film about ending violence against children.
How a wait in the RAINN made way for YDA Gold
SMUGGLER director Samantha Scaffidi talks to Jamie Madge about how her acting background and sensitivity to the subject matter made her film for anti-sexual assault organisation RAINN the most urgent PSA of the year.
For Andzej Gavriss, one moment You're Born, the next you win a YDA
The Latvian director talks about the ice baths and elegant camerawork that led to his Young Director Gold.
YDA winner Phoebe Arnstein's immersive film
We the Bathers is a short film about bathing, and people's relationship with it. Here, director Phoebe Arnstein discusses the beautiful and intimate portraits she captured for her award-winning film.