“Idea Is Queen and You Must Serve Her, Not Yourself or Ego” with Director Jane Shearer

Jane Shearer studied contemporary Māori Design, before becoming an ad creative that has scored awards at leading shows like One Show, D&AD and Cannes Lions.

While at ad agency, KesselsKramer Amsterdam, her strange combinations of skills merged and Jane decided she wanted to explore being a filmmaker.

Her debut short film, ‘Nature’s Way’ was nominated at the Cannes Film Competition, consequently winning awards and touring other festivals, setting the precedent for more of her short films and commercial work to be award-nominated.

Name: Jane Shearer

Location: Los Angeles / New Zealand

Repped by/in: Zauberberg Productions - German-speaking countries, 3and7 - New Zealand and Australia, New Brand - Mexico

LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them?

Jane> I’m writing a limited comedy TV series with Kristen Wiig (of SNL fame) and my creative partner, Steve Ayson.

LBB> What elements set a script apart and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

Jane> I like a great idea, a mini story, a challenge given commercial time restrictions. I get really excited when a creative team hits the ‘idea’ jackpot.

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

Jane> I first sit with my creative partner, Steve Ayson (who’s also a commercial director), read over the script, throw ideas around about how to shoot it and add anything that can make the communication unique. Music helps me visualise, so I tend to stare into space for a bit and usually finish with a sandwich.

LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with or don’t have a big affinity with, or it’s a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? And how do you do that?

Jane> It’s very important, I research the hell out of the brand until I fully understand what it’s all about.

You can’t create a message if you don’t know what you’re talking about.

LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?

Jane> I was a copywriter, so I have personal understanding of the agency side of the creative process. Making a commercial is a collaborative thing and trusting the agency creatives can turn an ad from good to great.

As the saying goes, a director is only as good as her crew, so choosing the right crew is essential. It all goes hand in hand, but if I was honest, I’d say it starts with the best producer you can find. They really make or break a job.

LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about – is there a particular genre, subject matter or style you are most drawn to?

Jane> Funny, clever, story-like and unique. Human stories interest me as well as odd ball concepts. I do love a good montage, one that hits you in the feels.

LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?

Jane> That I favour night shoots.

LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?

Jane> I was shooting a pick-up shot for my short film ‘Nature’s Way’ when the Cannes film festival called to tell me my film had been chosen and made it into the competition as one of ten films. I thought it was my friend doing a prank, so I cussed at them and hung up, took a few phone calls before I believed them.

LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open and collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?

Jane> You are protecting everyone’s idea…so you must prove that your direction will strengthen the communication. Idea is queen and you must serve her, not yourself or ego. Other people’s egos are out of your hands.

LBB> What are your thoughts on opening the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?

Jane> Yeah, I’m all for it, but I’m still learning, I don’t think the learning ever stops.

LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats – to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working?

Jane> A great editor told me that she watches her edits on the phone because that’s where a lot of people view a commercial. I do that now, especially in the edit stage. But I think I work in TV and computer format mostly.

LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?

Jane> I love some of the new visual artists playing in the AI medium right now, and I’m looking for ways to incorporate these fantastic images into my work. It’s the Wild West right now, but that also makes it exciting.

LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why?

Jane> ‘Nature’s Way’ – My short that got into the Cannes Competition. It was made with funding from the New Zealand Film Commission, so there was stiff competition to get the funding. The rigorous application process taught me a lot about the art of fine tuning in pre-production.

‘Guinnesss, xx’ – I learnt to make a short format documentary here. This commercial was done with a very loose storyboard, and we used locals and locations on-site, making it up as we went along. It was a leap of faith that it would come together, but we were lucky the locals were so cool.

‘Lovely Nite’ This is my latest spot. I recognised early on that the idea was strong and could be a great visual piece. Night shoots are hard, but they look so darn good. I knew I had to use decent actors in this spot to make it work, and I was super pleased with the talent I found.