Cheil Nurtures Up-and-Coming Directing Talent with Film Labs Scheme

Cheil UK is supporting the next generation of directing talent through its Film Labs talent programme, which has been developed by Executive Creative Director Russell Schaller.

Cheil UK invites young directors to apply for Film Labs by submitting an independently funded short film (or excerpt) which best demonstrates their filmmaking skillset. It can be work in any genre, including music videos, social media clips and documentaries. Cheil stresses in the application process that flair is more important than polish.

The winning applicant is then invited to take up a six-month, paid internship at Cheil UK, working on live briefs and creating their own branded content film for one of Cheil’s clients. 

Film Labs is also supported by a series of sessions aimed at bringing creative talent together to debate topical issues, be inspired and network. The first event took place in March this year with High Rise director Ben Wheatley in the hot seat. Ben spoke of the relationship between ad storytelling and film storytelling, and gave tips for those getting started in their careers.

Russell Schaller, Executive Creative Director at Cheil UK, said: “Getting a break as a young director is tough. You need experience to land representation, but how do you get experience if you’re not represented? We’ve set up Film Labs to help nurture young talent and now we’re looking for hungry, energetic directors looking to cut their teeth on some of the world’s most famous brands. The scheme will also be hugely beneficial for our clients as it means we’ll have some of the most exciting up-and-coming filmmakers writing and creating content for their brands.”

Entries for the next Film Labs placement opens on 15th August 2018, while the next Film Labs Session is on 13th September.

For more information visit http://cheil.london/filmlabs.