Culture, Cinema and Collaboration: Robbie Samuels' Directing Approach

Robbie Samuels is an award-winning Black-British writer and director from London, UK. A graduate of Central St Martins and Edinburgh College of Art. Robbie works as a writer, creative, and director across film, TV, and advertising.

Splitting his time between directing commercials and writing feature films, he recently won two American Gold Advertising Awards for his ‘Aunt Angie’ campaign. An alumnus of the TIFF Talent Lab, his shorts have played at international festivals, and Vanity Fair spotlighted him as a filmmaker to watch.

Robbie is developing a slate of feature films and TV shows, each story is a unique jukebox of pop culture, true life events and random cool stuff. Often humorous, all the stories have two things in common, a big imagination and heart.

Name: Robbie Samuels
Location: London
Repped by/in: Not Just Any-London
Awards: Promax, Addy, Eurovision Connect, Big Syn, Vimeo, HD Film Festival, LA. Full list here​

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

Robbie> I am developing my debut feature film, ‘The Bronze Bull’. It's an ambitious and dark comedy centred around editing a film, and the demise of cinema.

LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?

Robbie> There's a lot of great work out there. With all the talk of AI and virtual studios and the cavalcade of prompt-driven work that's coming, I actually believe the pendulum may swing back towards things being shot for real again. It's my belief that all people want is connection.

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

Robbie> Scripts that have a clever setup and pay off. Ideas that have an arc, even if it's a mood piece. More than ever, I want to feel something. I imagine a consumer at home or online. A John Doe outside this ad-bubble who does not care. I think about whether the creative would grab their attention and, if not, how it could be tweaked so it does. I am a big fan of anything pop culture, cinematic, sci-fi or otherworldly.

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

Robbie> Sometimes, I work as a creative. It helps me to understand the engine behind the idea. The most important thing for me is cracking a creative execution that's achievable within the time and budget. I draw on various references from films and sometimes art and try not to make it a sprawling 40-page document.

LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or 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? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?

Robbie> It's definitely important, especially when the ad is for a product I have no experience of. I do like to gain insight. Sometimes, I look at the competitors to understand how the campaign is trying to differentiate itself.

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

Robbie> Instinctively, I'd say DP and editor; as for me, that's the magic triangle, but it's really the creatives and clients. When everyone is rowing in the same direction to try with the same intent, the project is almost always successful.

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

Robbie> I am drawn to imaginative, clever, humorous spots, especially ideas that homage moments from films or TV shows I know well. I love retro and futuristic worlds. I like bringing fun ideas to life authentically.

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

Robbie> A common misconception is being pigeonholed for jobs entirely by your back catalogue of ads. Often the work might not tally with everything a director is about in real life.

LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?

Robbie> Like having an enemy's eyes staring at the back of your head, but every time you turn to look, they're still behind you. Actually, he was a super nice guy. He was on board to make sure we were good to the environment, used trains and left a small carbon footprint.

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

Robbie> Generally, my productions have gone smoothly. However, I have a friend who was going to film in Australia. I had a bad feeling he should not travel, and I told him, which he laughed at. A week into the job, a picture of him in hospital appears on the group chat. He'd been bitten by a very venomous snake. After that I considered that I might have special powers and would be open to joining Professor Xavier's academy for the gifted. He survived, in case you were wondering.

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

Robbie> I'll always fight to protect the special sauce in an execution; whatever creatively makes it stand out makes it bold and not bland. This is not always easy. It's hard enough trying to get three friends to turn up at the pub at same time let alone 10 people agree on an idea, but I am very collaborative. I always want to make something that everyone is happy with.

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

Robbie> Diversity is essential to everything in my work and my world. I currently mentor a few filmmakers in my spare time. As I am a diverse talent myself, I'd be very up to being mentored, and I'll take this opportunity to put this out into the universe. Marty Scorsese, I am ready.

LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats - to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)?

Robbie> The nightmare scenario is a TVC filmed at 2:35.1, but the socials require a 9:16 cutdown. In this eventuality, both are important. Especially as potentially more people are likely to see the online version. I'll usually shoot for letterbox, but protect a couple of takes for 9:16.

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

Robbie> It may be my love of James Bond as a kid (Roger Moore, in case you were wondering). I've always loved new tech. My first virtual production was at Robot Studios in Miami a couple of years ago. Every shot felt like a magical illusion. I do take advantage of AI in many stages of production, but nothing beats shooting it for real.

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

Robbie> TNT Sports: Brian Cox - I think it shows my ability with performance, comedy and sense of cinema. Also, he had to go, so we had 67 minutes to make the whole spot, and I am very proud we got it done.

CG Insurance: Aunt Angie - This has a lot of my sense of fun and humour, but also showcases using a virtual wall, real life, and CGI combined across the campaign.