the Talent
From Junior Creatives to ECDs, delve into career highlights (and lowlights) in our in-depth profiles.
How young agency producers see the world of advertising
Biscuit Filmworks & Electric Theatre Collective's annual Young Producers Dinner took place last night. We caught up with some of the attendees to ask them about the challenges they face in their roles, what inspired them to get into the industry and why it's important not to feel alone.
Agency of the Year: Lucky Generals
Continuing our focus on the shots Awards Europe winners from 2019, we speak to [left to right] Joe Bagnall, Laurence Horner, Katie Lee and Kate Murphy - Head of Film, Strategy Director, CEO and CD respectively - at our Agency of the Year, Lucky Generals.
Rebel Without a Pause
In recent years McCann Worldgroup Europe has been smashing it; with a bounty of accolades including Cannes 2019 European Network of the Year. Could the secret of this success have something to do with the persistant audacity of newly promoted CCO Europe/Global ECD, Adrian Botan? He tells Carol Cooper about challenger spirits, dissing dictators and advertising as exorcism.
The people who make the spots you love, covering all aspects of production, post and sound.
New Director of the Year: David Dearlove
With his brilliant film for Women's Aid, which is all the more powerful for what it doesn't show, seeing him crowned the shots Awards Europe 2019 New Director of the Year, David Dearlove explains what it's like to hit the bullseye with his first dart.
Cut the tempo: How to edit for music video
As part of our Music Video focus Daniel Huntley spoke to Stitch/Homespun editor Max Windows about the art of editing for music videos.
Romain Chassaing: Fusing music videos and movies
With his ability to create fantastic, narrative-led music videos that feel like short films, Romain Chassaing has already taken the promo world by storm. David Knight talks to a director who is now repeating that feat in the commercials arena.
Paul Harrison: Making the grade
As part of this months music video focus Daniel Huntley asked Freefolk colourist Paul Harrison to 'shed some light' on the world of colour grading for music videos.
Karena Evans: Force of nature
The 24-year-old director has promos for Drake, Coldplay and SZA behind her, as well as a string of inventive commercials. Here, Tim Cumming finds out how tenacity, hard work and natural talent has combined to bring Evans to the fore.
Director of the Year: Georgia Hudson
With a slew of great work behind her and last year's shots Awards Europe Director of the Year award sitting on her mantlepiece, Park Pictures' Georgia Hudson reveals why choosing faith over fear has paid dividends.
Promo king Vaughan Arnell on a life behind the lens
Last year Vaughan Arnell gave a talk at the Kinsale Sharks during which he shared his thoughts and experiences across three decades of making commercials and music videos. Here, we revisit some of Arnell's insights into working with some of music's most recognisable names.
Production Company of the Year: Pulse Films
James Sorton and Davud Karbaassioun, Managing Director and President respectively of Pulse Films, 2019's shots Awards Europe Production Company of the Year, look back over a year of achievements and what helps them stand out.
Dressing for success: Mr Gammon on the craft of costuming
With a career costuming movers and shakers in the music industry since the 90s, Mr Gammon knows what it takes to make a film truly eye-catching. As part of our Music Video Focus, we chat to him about some of his favorite shoots and the secrets of his styling.
We speak to the Gold winner.s of this year's Young Director Award.
Jola Bankowska on her YDA win, finding animation and how to tell a good Story
The director talks us through how discovering her talent for animation helped her experiment with narrative.
Nare Mokgotho on doing the double at the YDA
We continue our look at this year's gold-winners from the 2019 Young Director Award as we talk to a South African director who returned home with two well-deserved trophies.
YDA Gold-winner Paul Nevison on diving into Lake Volta
The Volta director talks to us about the logistical troubles of a Ghanese shoot, his ongoing imposter syndrome and what he's up to after his 'Changing the World Frame by Frame' YDA win.
Crown Jewell: How IPJ became commercial and music video king
After a staggering fourteen ad shoots in 2019, it's safe to say that Ian Pons Jewell has 'broken through'. David Knight talks to the director about how his music video roots, as well as the his ongoing flirtation with the form, has created such relentless creativity.
Editor of the Year: Joe Guest
With his company, Final Cut, picking up Editing House of the Year, it's no great surprise that the industry titan should also pick up an award. We chat to Guest about his impressive body of work and how the future looks to him.
Audio Company of the Year: Factory
Continuing our conversations with the winners of this year's shots Awards Europe, we speak to Anthony Moore, founding partner and creative director at Factory, about the audiotastic work they've produced in the past 12 months and what 2020 brings.
Editing House of the Year: Final Cut
We speak to David Webb, editor and managing director of shots Awards Europe-winner Final Cut London, about what led them to have such a cracking 2019 and what the future holds for post production.
The funny business of comedy directing
Station Films director Brendan Gibbons is one of the industry’s most renowned comedy directors. His ongoing work for Progressive Insurance has built a series of established characters and, here, he discusses the processes involved in creating the right environment for comedy gold.
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John Maeda: the Jack of all trades taking on big tech
Described as the “Warren Buffett of design”, "Da Vinci of the digital age" and named one of Esquire’s most important people of the 21st Century, Publicis Sapient’s new Chief Experience Officer John Maeda has had a career that’s been nothing short of prolific. Kate Hollowood speaks to the designer about coming from nothing, the new meaning of brand experience and helping businesses stand up to the tyranny of the tech giants.
Greg White: Post production is a dirty word
Natalie Mortimer talks to Envy Managing Director Greg White about his former career in fashion, the creative power of technology in advertising and the evolving role of the post production house.
Aaron Duffy: In tech we trust
As we continue our focus on tech, Tim Cumming talks to 1stAveMachine director and SpecialGuest founder Aaron Duffy about marrying creativity with tech innovation and why you need to mix things up to get people to take notice.
On the road to success with Kit Lynch-Robinson
From sending three second hand Jaguars 'skiing' down a mountain to helping to launch the new Bentley Continental, automotive director Kit Lynch-Robinson isn’t afraid of navigating the industry at breakneck speed. Natalie Mortimer speaks to him about his career, creativity and the future of car ads.
Alice Bottaro: Creative journeys and changing everything
One of the greatest heroes of the automotive industry was a women — a fact that few people outside of the historically male-dominated sector knew about until Mercedes-Benz launched its film about Bertha Benz this year. Through this campaign and more, Alice Bottaro, Creative Director at antoni, Berlin, is helping Mercedes-Benz connect with a female audience in a job that she considers to be the best in the world.
Changing the face of automotive advertising
Spindle's Aldona Kwiatkowski has fused automotive commercials with a fashionable flare, notably with her work for Mercedes. David Knight talks to the Polish-born director about her 'melancholic mindset' and the necessity of the female gaze.
Andre Moreira on steering Toyota's creative journey
To begin this month's automotive special Tim Cumming talks to Andre Moreira, European ECD of Toyota's in-house agency at The&Partnership, about tinkering with car brands and building an agency model for the future.
Elena Petitti di Roreto: The hunger for story
Noted for her exquisite fashion films for such clients as Vogue Italia, Valentino and Hugo Boss, and with a flair for visual language, Italian director Elena Petitti di Roreto has amassed an impressive body of work in just three years as a director. She tells Carol Cooper about her quest for the possible and impossible in film.