Gregory Ohrel: Provocateur with purpose
Kicking off January's Music Video Focus, Selena Schleh speaks to Gregory Ohrel, whose brutal, incendiary and stimulative promo for Puerto Rican rapper Residente’s protest track, This Is Not America, provoked deeper thought on the nature of nationalism.
Naturalism with an edge: the expert eye of Rodrigo Prieto
With a 25-year career lensing films for the likes of Martin Scorsese, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Ang Lee, Mexican DP Rodrigo Prieto is turning his attention towards direction, with an upcoming Netflix adaptation in the works. Here, he talks to Selena Schleh about his past projects in both roles, building on his reputation for being the master of emotional naturalism.
From surviving to thriving – Stink Films reviews its Covid journey
Continuing our diagnosis of how the pandemic impacted the industry, Stink Films Founder and President Daniel Bergmann and his Los Angeles team tell Selena Schleh how Covid adaptations built on existing remote production skills and, in some aspects, have ushered in lasting benefits.
Poetry in motion
Fuelled by an immense imagination, multi-faceted creative Caleb Femi unites words and visuals to magical effect, effortlessly moving from page to screen and back again with a body of work that spans poetry, short films, commercials, TV and even a live catwalk show. Whatever the field, he tells Selena Schleh, the story remains his north star.
The Way I See It: Jess Coulter
From wannabe child actress to professional burlesque dancer, the career path of comedy director (and one-time Britney Spears lookalike) Jess Coulter has taken some hairpin bends. Having begun directing while a CD at BBDO New York, she’s found her spiritual home at O Positive, bringing a humorous touch to spots for IKEA, the Red Cross and Snickers. She tells Selena Schleh about healthy feminist rage and why she’s laughing in the face of her own mortality.
Raising the bar
As ex-professional rugby players turned directors, brothers Michel and Nico Arribehaute have parlayed their sporting experience into stories of passion that transcend purely physical achievements. From Muay Thai to Irish football, Formula One to the Winter Olympics, their track record is enviable – and they’re now looking beyond the sports arena for new challenges.
Par for the cause: the rise of 'sportivism'
Brands have always sought to harness the godlike power of sports personalities but, these days, sporting partnerships are less about shifting product, more about pushing social change. From the rise of ‘sportivism’ to a new squad of TikTok influencers, Selena Schleh examines how -and why – the goalposts have moved.
The health of the high street
With Topshop and Debenhams the latest in a long line of the UK's household names closing the doors to their bricks-and-mortar stores, Selena Schleh investigates whether it’s a terminal diagnosis for the high street, or if brands can find a cure.
Shock ‘n’ troll: Is moral outrage stifling creativity?
Ever since Gutenberg invented the printing press, people have vented their spleens. Now, with huge social media reach at our fingertips, amplified by clickbait-chasing media, public opinion has the power to pull down brands in hours. But if the best creative ideas always polarise, when does healthy debate become something more sinister? Selena Schleh investigates.
Meena Ayittey: Showing it like it is
The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, Meena Ayittey eschewed her parents’ conventional career aspirations to forge a successful career in the creative industries. Recently signed to Great Guns, she finds rich filmic inspiration in the concept of racism, from her heartrending tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement to a new documentary lifting the lid on creatives of colour and the challenges of adland.
The advertising industry's clash with coronavirus
As countries across the world battle to contain the spread of Covid-19, global businesses strive to find their place in a wholly altered landscape. Advertising's approach comprises interchangeable isolation ads alongside groundbreaking creative thinking. Selena Schleh talks to industry experts about how brands can either build or struggle, and why this is a chance to reboot the world.
Maker by name, maker by nature
Melody Maker began her career in the world of fashion, before turning her talents to helming ambitious promos. Now, the Mill director is bringing her blend of reality, fantasy, live-action and VFX to commercials and creative tech. Selena Schleh meets a rising talent who exemplifies the new breed of creative ‘slashies.’
