What It Takes to Become a Director in Commercials: Insights from Three Shades
In the fast-paced world of commercial production, standing out as a director is no easy feat. In a recent livestream, the directing trio Three Shades, consisting of Dean, Warren, and Sim, shared their insights on what it really takes to make it in the competitive world of commercial filmmaking. Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways.
The Challenges of Becoming a Director
Breaking into commercial directing is tough, especially in competitive cities like London. Dean and Warren discussed the challenges of finding consistent work as a director, as there are so many talented creatives vying for the same opportunities.
Competition: The industry is saturated with directors, and securing full-time work can be challenging.
The Struggle to Get Noticed: Building a portfolio and gaining client trust is key to advancing your career.
Pushing Through Difficult Times: Even successful directors still face uncertainty and struggles with securing jobs.
The Power of Collaboration in a Trio
Working as a trio has its benefits and challenges. Dean, Warren, and Sim have been friends for years and have a shared creative vision, which makes collaboration easier.
Team Dynamics: With three directors, it’s crucial to balance creative input and decision-making.
Shared Vision: Having a long history together allows them to align their ideas quickly and work seamlessly.
Creative Support: The trio can provide feedback and support to one another, which strengthens their creative output.
Their collaborative spirit has helped them create unique commercials and rise to new creative heights.
An Ad Film for DolarApp the guys Directed.
The Journey from Music Videos to Commercials
Three Shades started their journey in music videos, which laid the foundation for their transition into the world of commercials.
Building Portfolio: They emphasised that many directors cut their teeth on smaller projects before being given opportunities in the commercial world.
Adapting to Commercials: As they began working with bigger budgets, they realized that commercials demand a higher level of creative input, with stricter approval processes and client demands.
Rising in the Industry: Their transition from music videos to commercials came after a series of smaller branded content projects, eventually leading to larger campaigns.
Despite the challenges of breaking into commercials, their passion and strong ideas led them to success.
A music video Three Shades have directed for Bastille in the past
The Importance of Pre-Visualization (Pre-Vis)
Pre-Vis has become an essential tool for directors, especially when working on commercials with high production values. Three Shades shared how they use Pre-Vis to visualize and plan their shots before the actual shoot.
Pre-Vis Benefits: It helps the team better understand what works in a shot, clarifying camera movement, lighting, and pacing.
Client Approvals: By showing the Pre-Vis early in the process, they ensure clients are on board with the vision, reducing the chance of changes later in the process.
Better Communication: Sharing Pre-Vis with heads of departments ensures that everyone is aligned with the creative vision.
Pre-Vis for the DolarApp Project
The Evolution of Creative Collaboration and Networking
Networking plays a huge role in the success of a director, especially in such a competitive industry. The trio shared how staying connected with peers, agencies, and clients can open doors to new opportunities.
Collaborative Community: Building relationships within the industry is essential, as it leads to new opportunities and creative partnerships.
Freelance Freedom vs. Agency Representation: While many directors are signed with production companies, the trio emphasised the value of freelancing and how self-promotion is key to maintaining a healthy career.
The Power of Persistence: Networking isn’t always about immediate rewards; sometimes, it’s about being patient and continuously showing up for opportunities when they arise.
They also discussed how, even as a trio, they have to balance the creative demands and workloads that come with working in a competitive industry.
Lessons from Their Own Work
Despite having won some high-profile commercial briefs, Three Shades remain grounded and committed to making work they believe in.
Making the Most of Small Budgets: They shared their experience of working on a small-budget commercial where they made it look far more expensive than it was, putting in hours of hard work to create a visually compelling piece.
Passion Projects: They stressed that personal, creative projects, whether spec ads or short films, are vital for showcasing their true style and voice.
Creative Freedom: Collaborating with brands and agencies that respect creative input is a big factor in keeping their work fresh and exciting.}
The Future of Commercial Directing
Looking ahead, the trio is excited about upcoming projects, including a black-and-white, genre-bending commercial they recently shot. They’re also working on passion projects that blend the lines between narrative and branded content, allowing them to experiment and grow creatively.
In the meantime, the film they referred to came out, and gathered amazing feedback within our industry!
Conclusion
The journey to becoming a successful director in commercials is not an easy one. However, with a strong creative voice, the ability to collaborate effectively, and the persistence to keep pushing forward, the challenges can be overcome. Whether working on commercials, music videos, or personal passion projects, Three Shades exemplify the importance of staying true to one’s vision while embracing collaboration and innovation.
To learn more about Three Shades' approach and hear the full conversation, watch the complete interview on YouTube below:
