Couldn’t find the actual film, so this AI approximation will have to do.
For newbie creatives, or those still smarting from their latest creative gut punch.
Before I got into advertising I was an aspiring filmmaker and huge fan of all things Lars Von Trier. So much so, I scripted, directed and shot a short film starring none other than myself. And I mean that literally as I was the lone cast member, apart from a cameo from my cat and drag queen neighbour. I shot said film according to the Von Trier and co ‘Dogme 95’ rules, which basically called for little to no intervention, handheld camera, and a bunch of other restrictions so as to get to the purity of the narrative itself.
It was rough and raw, but somehow managed to get the attention of SBS, who I sold the film to for the princely sum of $500. I was on a high, because for the first time in my life, my creativity was validated not just with compliments, but with cold, hard cash.
With a bit of swagger I called my Dad and told him it would be screening at the prime time of somewhere between 1am and 3am on a Wednesday morning, and he dutifully set his VHS (bless) to record it so he could watch at a more suitable hour.
Excited to get his reaction, I called him later that day.
“Hey Dad, so what did you think?”
Silence, then;
“I saw your film…but don’t worry I taped over it so no one else will see it.”
The moral of this story is there will always be someone who won’t like what you create, no matter how passionate you are about it, how much validation you get from your peers, or how much DNA you share. As a budding filmmaker at the time, this was quite the punch in the gut, but over the years I copped many more in advertising, quickly learning the more you roll with those punches, the stronger your gut instinct becomes.
So take the hits, learn from them and strengthen your gut without losing your unique voice. And hey, it’s not like you’ll ever get away with being overly self-indulgent in advertising anyway. Try that and you’ll be deleted faster than an embarrassed Dad can wipe a VHS.