Christian Bagger on Why Laughter Is the Best Medicine for Brands

Before sitting in the director’s chair, Christian Bagger used to be a terrible production assistant. Hey, those aren’t our words, they’re his - and they’re typical of the dry, self-effacing and profoundly likeable style which has defined his filmmaking career to date. 

Anyone looking to get a sense of the filmmaker’s inimitable style need look no further than his work for the likes of DFDS Direct and the Danish Superliga. Christian possesses an uncanny ability to take laughably tragic moments in life - like your work being erased by accident or a baby throwing up on you - and find the glory in them. It’s a human, knowing touch that entertains audiences and allows brands to speak with a sense of authenticity. 

That sentiment shines through his films thanks, at least in part, to his unique ability to make a film set a fun place to be. 

To find out how he does it, and why laughter is so often the best medicine for brands and audiences alike, LBB sat down with Christian… 

LBB> Christian, let's start at the very beginning. What kind of a kid were you growing up, and at what stage did you know that a career in filmmaking would be right for you? 

Christian> Today, my restlessness at school would probably be explained by three letters: A, H, and D. Back then, I was probably a bit annoying for my teachers and the general authorities if I’m being honest. 

I’ve always been a movie fan, so right after high school I immediately looked toward the film industry. Fortunately, I got to be a driver for Academy Award-winning director Joachim Back on a few of his early commercial projects. I was able to see how he worked and became truly fascinated by the industry. And that fascination continues today. 

LBB> Early on in your career, you worked as a production assistant and as an editor. Do you think your experience in those roles has had any impact on the way you make films today? 

Christian> For sure, yes. Beating around the bush as a production assistant can only make you appreciate all the work being done in the shadows on any given project. And it’s probably why I think first and foremost in terms of logistics whenever I encounter a new brief. 

Likewise, in my early days as a director, it was nice to have the experience as an editor. It gave me an instinctive sense for the moment when I knew I’d captured enough footage, and was ready to move on.  

LBB> Who were the filmmakers that inspired you at the outset of your career - and which inspire you today?

Christian> Well, the list is long - and it’s still growing right now. Awesome new directors come around all the time. I must admit, at the moment I’m watching a lot of the movies that I loved when I was young. I’m not sure if it has something to do with me getting older and nostalgic, looking backwards to the “good old days”. 

Growing up it was mostly Danish and American movies, so the list consists mostly of them. But to name a few that I always like and admire:

Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Mann, David Fincher, Christopher Nolan & Ridley Scott, John Landis, Denis Villeneuve, and from my native country - Lars Von Trier, Anders Thomas Jensen, Christoffer Boe, Thomas Vinterberg and many more.  

LBB> Over the course of your career so far, is there a particular project which stands out as especially memorable or significant? If so, which one and why? 

Christian> Many years ago, I shot a film for The Danish Society for Nature Conservation with a deer in a living room. We were very few people on set - it was a very low budget production, actually. The little money we had was used to get a deer (untrained - I’m not sure if you can train a deer) and an amateur deer wrangler. The deer ate half the house we were in – literally. The house was borrowed from the producers’ parents. 

Above: A still from Christian's work with The Danish Society for Nature Conservation.

That film is still on my reel… maybe because of that. 

LBB> You've got a particularly strong track record in incorporating humour into your work. Do you think that humour is still a useful tool for brands to connect with their audiences - and do ‘difficult times’ in the real world make comedy even more powerful in your opinion? 

Christian> Yes, very much so actually. I believe emotions affect the way we make decisions and act, so if a brand wants to connect with their audience, we need to move the audience. 

It can be dramatic, sad, funny or some fourth, but that emotion we give our film helps to build a brand in my opinion. And in my case it’s very simple: I like laughing, so I tend to steer the story in a humorous direction. 

When times are rough, I agree that we want to laugh even more. So that, for a short time, we can forget whatever obstacles we have in our life. When I finished the American Film Institute Conservatory 2007, the financial crisis was going on and I remember that I was told by several producers to write comedies because people needed to forget for an hour and half what was going on outside the movie theatre. I guess it’s the same now.   

LBB> "It's never been harder for a brand to cut through and be remembered than it is today". To what extent do you agree with that statement? 

Christian> One hundred percent. Having said that, I strongly believe that good old fashioned storytelling is a way through all brands. Brand-building is based on consistent storytelling. 

LBB> You’ve got a knack for making a scripted performance feel unscripted and natural. What’s the secret to doing that, and how do you create an environment where actors are able to deliver those kinds of performances? 

Christian> It has a lot to do with who you are as a person. Making a nice environment on set, having a great dialog with all the crew, and warm a welcoming atmosphere for the actors are all factors. I just love working with talent, they bring so much to the table. I like to create sets where a lot of laughter happens. Ultimately, everyone appreciates the opportunity to laugh whilst they’re at work.

LBB> We’re having this conversation at a time where there’s a lot of industry buzz around artificial intelligence. Have you used the technology at all in your work, and are you broadly excited or broadly fearful about its impact on the creative world? 

Christian> I want to say that I’m not fearful, but I am. I’m afraid that there will be jobs that will be done with AI only, as it allows companies to save at a time where money is in shorter supply. The timing of a recession and AI is unfortunate for our industry. 

I have used it in my work, but only dipped my toes in. I of course need to embrace it as a new tool, and understand when to use AI and when not to. 

LBB> Finally, imagine you had access to a time machine and the ability to travel back and give your past self one piece of advice. What advice would you give, and why? 

Christian> Everything is a phase. And think about that especially hard after you have your twin babies!