Dubai Lynx: James Bland, Film Craft Jury President

Ahead of the Dubai Lynx festival next month, James Bland, Film Craft jury president and EP/managing partner at Blink London, talks to Tim Cumming about the festival’s role in a challenging territory, the importance of judging a whole piece of work and how the supremacy of content is sooo last year – nowadays it’s all about the craft

When it comes to film craft, the category jury president at Dubai Lynx, Blink EP James Bland, is passionate. “About 15 years ago, the advertising and media phrase was ‘content is king’, and now that couldn’t be more untrue, because we are so overwhelmed with content. What’s been lost is the film craft to distinguish the work. Craft is king now – a good idea without great execution will ultimately not succeed.”

When he arrives in Dubai, Bland comes well armed not only with wide-ranging experience, as a well-seasoned first assistant director, and an executive producer since 2007 (joining Blink in London in 2008) but with jury experience on the likes of D&AD and British Arrows. “At D&AD, the way we looked at work was to evaluate it on three criteria – idea, execution, relevance.

On the Lynx Film Craft jury, they asked us to invert the first two. But you cannot judge solely on execution. It might be an idea that doesn’t quite work, that doesn’t have relevance – it has to be a great piece of work in its entirety.”

A nice surprise from a Skittles spot

Mastery of craft cuts across every facet of a finished piece of work, and each one will be considered in the Film Craft awards. “Entries will need to demonstrate exceptional filmmaking; that is, work in which technical skill and production prowess elevate an idea or dramatically enhances its execution.”

As for all the juries, a cultural liaison officer will be on hand to help steer the Film Craft jury through any MENA cultural tonality or nuance that needs explanation. Though the industry is not short of awards shows, festivals such as Lynx work as divining rods to sort the great from the good, the bad and the ugly in a territory with unique challenges and opportunities for communication. “It’s a very important festival, and it is really good for bringing in new, fresh ideas and encouraging the next generation,” says Bland. “Advertising students get the chance to listen to some of the industry leaders and talk to them. It’s powerful and positive for the advertising community.”

Bland worked for almost a decade as first assistant director with the likes of Johnny Green, Tim Godsall, John Mastromonaco and Paul Street. “My interest in craft comes from working on the set floor with some of the best talent in the industry,” he says. “I really understand what it takes to make a great advertising film from working with those people. It’s brilliant to put those teams together, [with people] who will understand the idea and bring real inspiration and fresh thinking to the project.”

Born in Dublin and raised in Canada, his entry into production came with a move to Vancouver. “Around every corner were film trucks, lights – I couldn’t believe it. I arrived at the perfect time to get in.” He started as a runner, and by 1994 was an AD on all sorts of film and TV productions.

A brief hiatus led to a three-week job on a Skittles spot for Palomar Pictures. “I was surprised to find out that what I thought was an amazing industry was even better inside advertising,” he says. “I got to be part of the entire process, working closely with the director, Buddy Cone, helping with the storyboards and location scouting, and it was way more exciting and far more interesting.” More demanding, too.

Almost a decade later, what pushed him towards executive producing was a Stella ad in Buenos Aires. “A period scene, under very arduous conditions – a hot day, lots of actors in costume, horses to wrangle, extremely frustrating and difficult to keep the show together.” There, in the middle distance, he spied an executive producer sipping lemonade under an umbrella, chatting to the agency people. The apparent ease of the executive class was one thing, but a more practical realisation drew him to change roles. “As an AD, I realised that after that shoot was over, I was done. I had no stake, no say. And I wanted to be more involved in the entire process, from pitch to delivery.”

Sitting in the shade, delivering

Starting as an EP with Tim Goodsall’s OPC in Toronto, Bland moved back to Europe, joining Knucklehead, before being invited to Blink in 2008. So has the ensuing decade been a case of sipping lemonade in the shade? Bland laughs. “I have to deliver and I have to make the budget work,” he says. “When I look at a potential project, I look at it with the knowledge and experience of how a shoot day is put together, how a job is made, and what it takes.” 

Time is a precious commodity in filmmaking, as Bland points out – not only in terms of schedules or shooting at 24fps, but in the industry’s speed of change. “This business moves at an incredibly fast pace. We’re looking ahead as far as we can, and we’re looking to nurture the next generation of directing talent.”