The Talent
From Junior Creatives to ECDs, delve into career highlights (and lowlights) in our in-depth profiles.
Lauria’s Law
A year on from presiding over the Sustainable Development Goals Lions Jury in Cannes, Gustavo Lauria, President and Chief Creative Officer of We Believers, talks to Lucy Aitken about harnessing the industry’s “superhero brains”, game-changing creativity and farting cows.
Raising the bar with Kem Suraphongchai
As the Festival Director of ADFEST, Kem Suraphongchai is at the heart of Asia Pacific advertising. She talks to Tim Cumming about the past, present and future of the region’s creative ambition.
Thomas Kolster on the business of doing better
A founding father of ‘goodvertising’, Thomas Kolster has spent almost 20 years at the intersection of sustainability, branding and marketing – preaching the gospel on brand transformation. Now, with a new enemy on the horizon, his mission is clearer than ever.
The people who make the spots you love, covering all aspects of production, post and sound.
Making the cut with Jack Hutchings
When it comes to getting the best assembly, directors turn to Jack Hutchings, winner of the Editor of the Year award at shots Awards Asia Pacific 2024, who works his magic across spots, shorts and feature-length films at The Editors and ARC Edit.
Finding advertising’s funny bone with Jeff Low
Revolver’s Jeff Low picked up the Director of the Year award at 2024’s shots APAC Awards. He talks to Tim Cumming about his attention-grabbing Telstra spots, and what needs to go into a campaign in order to extract a laugh.
shots Unsigned: Harry Barber
For Junes shots Unsigned interview we hear from UK director Harry Barber. Here, he talks about his music video The Worm, sleeping in the van after the shoot in freezing conditions, and how personal projects keep you creative.
Young Arrows targets the future
Co-chairs of the 2025 Young Arrows, Jane Dilworth and James Guy, talk to Tim Cumming about new work, encouraging new talent, and the secrets of success in an industry in constant flux.
PHC is raising the roof
Lauded for his music films and striking spots for Crumpler, 2024’s New Director of the Year winner, PHC, aka John Stewart, talks to Tim Cumming about life, work and career, touching on Love Hotels, tattooed Yakuza and chasing the new.
Thinking Big with Micah Walker
Micah Walker, the Founder and CCO of the extravagantly titled Bear Meets Eagle On Fire, looks back on a global career and reflects on the creative challenges facing the APAC region.
Flying high with FINCH
With two consecutive Production Company of the Year wins for FINCH at the shots APAC Awards, and with entries for the 2025 edition open now, the company’s Executive Producer, Nick Simkins, talks to Tim Cumming about the nature of the work coming from Asia Pacific and the region’s challenges and opportunities, including budgetary downturns and cultural and global uncertainty.
Azlan Som on finding clarity in the abstract for ADFEST
Finding himself in the Fabulous Five at the festival with his personal short RINTIK, Som speaks about how a storytelling experiment can help to find your voice.
Mika Sasaki talks ADFEST perfection with IM PERFECTION
The festival's Fabulous Five Jury Commendation winner talks about how societal trends and Japanese cultural norms lend themselves to dystopian futures, and how collaboration is key in getting big ideas onto the screen.
What's your first memory? Who were your influences? Find out more about your favourite creatives in our in-depth series.
The Way I See It: MJ Delaney
Merman director MJ Delaney can count the Clintons, Spice Girls, Ted Lasso, and the new Christmas M&S ad among her oeuvre, but did you know she had slightly more canine ambitions as a child? Here, she talks to shots about the Welsh breakthroughs, words of wisdom, and perspective-altering baubles that have shaped her career.
The Way I See It: Ellen Kuras
The Corner Shop director and DP Ellen Kuras reflects on her career and creative philosophy, tracing her path from history student to pioneering filmmaker, spanning documentaries, commercials, TV and features. Discussing her feature directorial debut, Lee, she explains how cameras can be used to create meaning and challenge traditional narratives.
The Way I See It: Edgar Wright
Spaced, Shaun Of The Dead, Scott Pilgrim, Last Night In Soho; regardless of your Edgar Wright entry-point, the frenetic filmmaker’s wit and passion makes fans of all who view his work. With a recent eyebrow-raising McDonald’s spot (shot through Moxie Pictures) an indication of more commercial work on the horizon, we caught up with Wright to chat about working with legends at an early age, the creative testbed offered by music videos, and how making yourself your own ‘dream viewer’ is the way to please those crowds.
The Way I See It: Sharon White
Sharon White, current Chair of John Lewis Partnership, is the first ever female to hold this position. Previously she’s held such notable roles as Chief Executive of British media regulator Ofcom and was the first Black person – and the second woman – to hold the title of Second Permanent Secretary at HM Treasury. In 2020 she received a Damehood in the New Year Honours List. She talked to shots about her pride in the John Lewis Partnership, car-crash weeks as a working mum and inspiration drawn from Michelle Obama.
The Way I See It: Luke Scott
From a boy on the set of his dad’s film, Alien, Luke Scott, award-winning director and the CEO of the Ridley Scott Creative Group, has gone on to gain his own valuable perspectives on filmmaking. His two-decade career has encompassed art directing, set building and directing TV (Raised By Wolves), features, ads and viral content for Prometheus and Blade Runner 2049. He shares his views on panopticons, prime ministers and the folly of space travel.
The Way I See It: Dede Laurentino
The multi-award-winning, Brazilian born Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy UK, André 'Dede' Laurentino, tells us about a difficult adolescence, life-changing trips to Europe, the feelings of inadequacy he has often struggled with, and why every creative person is punching back at the world.
Haruna Takahara on the coolest way to Collide with ADFEST
The winner of the festival's Popular Vote in breaking talent showcase, Fabulous Five, explains how ICE, her wildly witty short that gives a solution to the problem of annoying customers, showcased a uniquly surreal sense of humour.
shots Unsigned: Major Dorfman
In our latest shots Unsigned interview we talk with Los Angeles-based director Major Dorfman. Here, he talks about his short film Classmates, finishing his Masters at university, and the draw of small town Massachusetts life...
The G/Jems' 24 carat creativity
Brought together by a shared name, McCann’s rising creative duo the G/Jems are channelling their differences – both neural and cultural - into an award-winning creative streak that’s changing the narrative around everything from women’s football to inclusive gaming.
Emma Castle: A brighter state of mind
Springboarding off her late ADHD diagnosis, Emma Castle, founder of Margate-based creative collective Bright Island, is shaking up the ad industry with an alternative agency model. Supporting neurodiversity in its environment and working culture isn’t just good for creativity, she tells shots – it makes business sense too.
Backmask; the sound of short film success
After individual successes in the advertising arena, and critical praise working together in the comic book industry, the creative partnership of Chris Baker and Matt Fitch joined forces with producer Charlie Woodall to take on the film world. Now, as their award-winning short Backmask premieres on shots, they explain why features are next on their to-do list.
The Way I See It: Ben Taylor
From kicking around with McFly as a fledgling music video helmer to harnessing offbeat romances in Sex Education and Catastrophe, MindsEye director Ben Taylor's innate predilection for comedy has delighted audiences for years. Here, Taylor talks to shots about the cinematic education, accidental adaptability and Fiery Hawks that have given him such stellar opportunities.
Danielle Hinde ushers in the new
shots Awards The Americas Head Judge for the New Director category, Doomsday's Danielle Hinde, talks about the music videos that brought her into the industry, how creativity has changed over the past year and what she looks for in a good jury.
Abdi Ibrahim's promo predictions
Continuing our conversations with this year's shots Awards The Americas Head Judges, De La Revolución and new–land director/photographer Abdi Ibrahim explains that he'll be looking out for hidden messages, cohesive narratives and creative problem solving in his category– Music Video.
Kirsten Noll gets animated about awards
Kirsten Noll, Managing EP at Scholar and this year's Head Judge for the Animation & VFX category for the shots Awards The Americas, talks challenges, changes and being inspired by frogs.
Victoria Warmerdam on Academy Awards and automated security measures
With a trip to the Academy Awards on the horizon for director Victoria Warmerdam, she talks about the disbelief of being nominated, the gratitude she has for the Young Director Award, and how an online security measure was her inspiration.
Luke Ricci's direct approach
As we continue to hear from the Head Judges of this year's shots Awards The Americas, Luke Ricci, President of RSA Films and The Directors Bureau, and the man leading this year's Direction category, talks conceptual thinking, the importance of validation and his favourite ever campaign.
Why Kelly Bayett loves labours of love
The latest in our series of interviews with this year's shots Awards The Americas Head Judges sees Love Song co-founder Kelly Bayett reveal her passion for the category she's overseeing – Charity.
Jason Kreher's proof of concept
The latest in our series of interviews with this year's shots Awards The Americas Head Judges sees Maximum Effort's Jason Kreher talk through what he and the jury are looking for in the Concept & Copywriting categories.
