2017 in Review: Chris Barrett

Has 2017 been a creatively strong year, in your opinion?

I think we’ll look back at 2017 and think highly of it. It’s been particularly rewarding to see the majority of the strong creative work that’s stimulating mass attention still coming from the medium of film.

"The UK took its foot off the gas pedal in 2016 and lots of other markets started to make more headway." 

And how would you rate Smuggler’s performance, creatively speaking?

You’d probably have to ask someone else that for an objective answer. But IMHO it has been a great year. What’s we have all been particularly proud of is the breadth of great creative work across the entire roster.

I don’t think there’s a single director who hasn’t built a stronger reel over the last 12 months. So, a heartfelt thanks to all the agencies, crew, clients, post production and all of our Smuggler team who’ve been part of making that happen.  

What have been the biggest talking points of 2017 in the production arena?

It’s been the same as last year really. In-house production, the battle to protect the integrity of work as it goes through bureaucratic layers and whether the new iPhone [above] is any good.

In-house production, both within agencies and clients, continues to be at the forefront of production minds; how has that situation evolved in the last 12 months and should ‘traditional’ production outfits still be concerned? 

Talking solely about agency in-house production – its growth seems to have stabilised over the last 12 months. Alleged bid-rigging and the lack of competition appears to be engendering mistrust rather than empowering the practice.

I think there are some production companies who will have suffered, but in truth it’s not the kind of work that we’d compete for. If the ambitions of agencies escalate there may be cause for concern, but I haven’t seen anything yet that should make the production industry as a whole worried.

"I’m guessing there’ll be more comedy. We’re owed a bit of a laugh, aren’t we?" 

Looking ahead to 2018, what are you most excited about in terms of the industry?

I’m excited and intrigued by the next creative zeitgeist. [comic book writer and novelist] Alan Moore [below] talks of an ‘Ideaspace’. A place a bit like the Jungian collective subconscious. A place where new ideas exist and ferment, waiting to find their home in the thinker.

Feels like we are due another delivery. People will soon get cynical about brand worthiness. It’ll be interesting to see if clients still have and appetite for activism if it’s not getting any column inches. I’m guessing there’ll be more comedy. We’re owed a bit of a laugh, aren’t we?

Which campaign, piece of work or moment will you remember this year for and why?

Probably Fearless Girl. It was such a single minded, simple and potent idea that deservedly cleared up at all of the awards. At its heart it’s fundamentally a classic PR idea executed by an advertising agency. Much like KFC’s Twitter stunt. It will be interesting to see if PR companies start to take a greater role in commissioning more ambitious film work.

More and more clients are interested not only in the end product, but in the cultural impact the film can have, the press it can generate and the conversation it can start. PR companies have always had that baked into their thought process way before it was an advertising conceit.

How do you think the UK has performed this year in comparison to other leading markets?

The UK took its foot off the gas pedal in 2016 and lots of other markets started to make more headway. That was evident in Cannes, and you could feel there wasn’t much energy in the room at any of the UK awards shows. Undeniably, the dip in creative output was the result of a post-Brexit WTF atmosphere wafting around. There’s been some really strong output from the UK this year as we all become a bit more secure in our insecurity so we’ve definitely made up some lost ground.

What has your own best personal achievement been in the past 12 months and why?

Probably it was finally teaching my five-year-old daughter how to ride a bike. She was refusing to learn and is as wily as they get. If she’d been handling the Brexit negotiations we’d already be done and dusted by now.

What one piece of advice would you give to the industry to take with it into 2018?

Email less, talk more. Know your weaknesses - as well as your strengths - and respect other people for their expertise.

What’s your New Year’s resolution, workwise or other?

I work better under pressure so you’ll need to wait until 11.55 pm on NYE for the answer to that.