The Essential List: Reynald Gresset
M&M’s had been running the same, much-loved Christmas commercial for 20 years until Christmas 2017. The long-running staple, entitled ‘Faint’, was a fan favourite but it ended on a cliffhanger until BBDO recently decided to give it an ending with ‘Faint 2: A Very Yellow Sequel’. The director tasked with bringing this spot to life was Reynald Gresset. The Frenchman is also known for his knack of handling big, cinematic jobs, perhaps best shown in this epic for French DIY retailer Leroy Merlin.
But outside of filmmaking, what makes Reynald tick? Well, he’s got a penchant for fine, Japanese food but is arguably just as happy with an In-N-Out hamburger. He also is not a fan of vacationing.
Find out more in his Essential List…
Travel
o Place of birth: Somewhere in the north of France
o Hometown: Los Angeles
o Vacation: I don’t like vacation, it’s the most depressive time for me
o Place of work: Everywhere
o Place of workout: I have not found this place yet… but I am trying to find it.
o Mode of transport: Anything that can take me away
o Miscellaneous Travel Essential: “If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Lewis Carroll
Culture
o Artist: Nicola Samori
o Musician: Michael Nyman
o Film director: Too many but Tod Browning, John Ford, Michael Cimino, Coppola, Peter Greenaway…
o Photographer: Vivian Maier, Robert Capa
o Film: Too many great movies that made me grow, but maybe Apocalypse Now is the film that still continues to prove the absolute genius of the director. And Hellzapoppin (1941) by H.C. Potter, Freaks (1932) by Tod Browning and 1941 by Steven Spielberg
o Series: No series
o Commercial: Too many
o Music Video: Sigur Rós - Varúð
o Book: The Trial by Franz Kafka
o Newspaper (off or online): Every political newspaper
o Miscellaneous Art: Tattoo and Shodo: Art of Japanese Calligraphy
Food and Drink
o Breakfast: Nothing
o Restaurant: Anywhere I can have the Japanese food unagi (freshwater eel)
o Cheap bite: Deep fried eel bone – Japanese food
o Dish: Unagi and a speciality from northern France called ficelle picarde… that’s a childhood memory
o Snack: NO
o Guilty Pleasure: In-N-Out hamburger
o Bar: The Room Hollywood , on N Cahuenga Blvd
o Tipple: Whiskey sour
o Soft Tipple: Brouilly red wine
o Miscellaneous food: Whatever I see on someone else's plate in a Chinese restaurant that doesn’t have a menu in English
o Miscellaneous Beverage: Same as for the previous question
Kit
o Phone: The most addictive object in the world. I hate this object but I could kill if I lost it
o Computer: The second most addictive object in the world. I hate this object but I could kill if I lost it
o TV: Never watch TV
o Headphones: Vital to work and travel. Listening to music is vital
o Camera: NO
o Casual wear: Ann Demeulemeester, Yohji Yamamoto, Comme Des Garçons
o Smart wear: Ann Demeulemeester, Yohji Yamamoto…
o Watch: NO
o Morning grooming / makeup essential: Aesop Cream offered by a friend who wanted me to preserve my skin as a young man
o Miscellaneous Kit Essential: Something to charge my headphone. I need music all the time, it’s the best way to find peace
