I got into advertising hoping it would lead me to film and after a successful career as a creative, I’d spent enough time on film sets to learn a little. I decided to put myself through NYU Film School to learn a lot. My transition from coming up with the ideas to directing them was fast, as my industry peers were happy to have an awarded creative gunning for them behind the lens. This "dual-perspective" led to big-budget automotive campaigns and an induction into the Cannes New Directors Showcase. These days, as a CD I don’t get to direct much but here is a sprinkling of how I went from being a creative to a director.
A Creative “Director”.
Toyota:
Passenger-Driver.
Six days, two cars, a crew of fifty, and a steam train. All staged against a backdrop that looked more like Middle-earth than a daily commute. We were deep in Lord of the Rings territory, and I lucked out with real snow falling exactly where the storyboards required it. Managing a production of this scale, complete with helicopter aerials and vintage rail requires a balance of precise logistics and the ability to pivot when the mountain weather shifts. One does not simply walk into Mordor expecting miracles but when the elements align, the result is pure magic.
Mitsubishi Pajero:
Astronaut.
Spending a week with a man who has walked on the Moon is a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, and Charlie Duke was as professional as they come. I served as both writer and director on this project, liaising with NASA to ensure the links between lunar tech and Mitsubishi engineering were authentic. We shot in a coal mine to recreate the lunar surface, creating a campaign that launched during a turbulent time for the brand. Pajero ended up outselling the Toyota Landcruiser for an entire quarter. Naturally the client was…well, you can probably guess.
Toyota:
The Search.
There’s a specific kind of trust earned when a brand like Toyota invites you back to iterate on their most iconic nameplate. For The Search, the brief was as ambitious as the landscape. A high altitude quest for the perfect road. We were originally slated for Morocco, eyeing the Chinooks left over from Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, but geopolitical shifts on the eve of the 2003 Iraq invasion forced a pivot to South Africa. It was high-stakes, heli-driven filmmaking where the pressure and the adrenalin only made the result better.
Today Online:
Classroom.
Today paper was Singapore’s gritty alternative to the broadsheets, and to take it into the digital space they wanted a film that captured that same subversive spark.
This film is a study in timing. An oblivious teacher, a crude projectile, and a Today reader who knows how to respond tactically. It was a sweet, rebellious way to announce the brand’s online evolution. Proving that the smartest news in the city had found a new, more adaptable home.
NSW Police:
Gun Amnesty.
In the wake of the Port Arthur Massacre, the national conversation around gun ownership changed forever so this is worth a re-share. I was tasked with directing the Gun Amnesty campaign. An initiative that feels more relevant today than ever. While the original script leaned toward humour, I felt the gravity of the moment demanded an intense, psychological build up.
NSW Police:
Knife Control.
A companion piece of sorts to my previous Gun Amnesty spot. For this one, we traded the 'tough' tropes of crime advertising for the visceral, breathless reality of an emergency ward. Tight frames, intense performances, and a stark reminder about the gravity of choice.
Berlei:
Touched.
So I've done plenty of cars but before this I'd never done any bras. After this spot I stopped being the car guy and became the bra guy for quite some time. I've put it here because it's one of my favourites and Daniella Bej was such a sweetie She was on her feet, naked for 14 hours until I was happy with just two takes. Interesting fact. The model on the left in the pack shot is the Woman In Red from The Matrix.