Peer Review: Fran Colombatti

Who are three contemporaries that you admire?

David O'Reilly - I’ve been a big fan of his work for a long time, and somehow it feels even more relevant today. No matter what tool he’s using, what really transcends is his ideas – his unique way of seeing and listening to the world.

Lachlan Turczan - He has an amazing ability to find simple yet hypnotic ways to work with light. His work feels interactive, playful, and very human.

Milo J - He’s taken Argentine folk sounds and poetry and presented them in a completely fresh way, with a strong visual and aesthetic language. He does it without falling into clichés – it feels very personal and very much his own.

Megaforce are the best directors of their generation. They have this perfect balance of top-level craft, fun, and experimentation. 

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great direction. 

Guinness Dreamer by Jonathan Glazer. The GOAT of commercial directors. This particular piece is such a great example of how brave, funny, talented, and free he is. The editing, the use of music, the casting – even the squirrels. Everything just works perfectly.

And that’s still the main goal: finding my own voice.

IKEA Beds by Juan Cabral. Juan is the best at creating this kind of magic realism. His sensitivity to music and sound, his ability to pick the perfect moment for each shot, and how he makes everything work together as a whole.

Burberry Open Spaces by Megaforce. Megaforce are the best directors of their generation. They have this perfect balance of top-level craft, fun, and experimentation. And this piece really captures their essence – the way they move the camera, hide the tricks, and make everything feel completely effortless.

What do you like most about the work that you do?

I really enjoy pre-production – creative scouts, meeting the team, and figuring things out. Those moments when you forget about budgets and creative limitations and just focus on finding the best way to do something.

But then there’s the shoot itself, when everything suddenly becomes real. That moment is pure magic.

What has your career journey been like so far?

After 10 years as an advertising creative, I felt it was time to make the jump into directing. Those years taught me how to get to an idea, work with clients, and understand how the business really works.

Things don’t happen overnight – not in the creative process, and definitely not in your career. 

In my first few years as a director, I worked mostly on lower-budget projects, which gave me more creative freedom. That helped me get some exposure, build a reel, and figure out what kind of work I wanted to make.

As I grew, bigger projects and new markets started coming my way. That led to a pretty eclectic body of work – from puppets and crazy creatures to music-driven films and visual comedy – but always with the same goal of developing a tone and style of my own.

And that’s still the main goal: finding my own voice. Making work in a way that feels uniquely mine, that no one else would approach quite the same, and giving people a reason to choose me as a collaborator.

What is one thing every director needs?

Patience.

I remind myself of that all the time. Things don’t happen overnight – not in the creative process, and definitely not in your career.

Did you have a mentor? Who was it?

My first mentors were some top-class advertising creatives: Maxi Anselmo, Seba Wilhelm, Luigi Ghidotti, and Carlos Bayala.

Then there was Andy Fogwill, who really believed in me and encouraged me to start directing.

They’re all incredibly talented and inspiring people who I’ve always looked up to.