Fighting Gently for the Soul of the Idea with Emily McDonald

Emily McDonald is an award-winning director based in London. Her work focuses on uncovering honest and unique stories within society that challenge our cultural ideas.

She has carved out her path as a director by learning to partner with brands to tell these stories without compromising the energy or spirit of documentary.

Emily takes a proudly ethical approach to documentary filmmaking and believes this will always lead to telling the most compelling story.

Receiving recognition for both her documentary and commercial work, Emily has won numerous awards including a Gold Young Director’s Award at Cannes.

Name: Emily McDonald

Location: London

Repped by/in: Untold Studios

Awards: Gold Young Director Award at Cannes, Best Documentary Short at British Short Film Awards, Best Film for Positive Change at Creative Circle Awards.

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

Emily> Storytelling starting to take the place of more ‘traditional’ advertising has been exciting to witness and be a part of. Whether it’s the story of the people behind a product, or the communities using it, it all feels more real.

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

Emily> Anything that tells a sincere story gets me excited. But also, make me laugh!

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

Emily> Strip it back to the feeling, always. Also, can we normalise treatments under 50 pages?

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?

Emily> If I don’t understand who the audience is, how can I speak to them? I want to be able to picture the person watching it, what they’re into. If it’s unfamiliar territory, I’ll ask people.

People are the best research tool.

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

Emily> For me, it’s my producer and DOP because that’s who I’m putting the most trust in to help execute the vision.

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?

Emily> Documentaries are why I got into film and they still inform everything I do. I approach even the most stylised commercial with a bit of that docu-style curiosity; what's the truth here, and how do we honour it?

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

Emily> Probably trying to direct during lockdown over Zoom. I remotely directed a Nike campaign with talent in three different time zones, which took some mental gymnastics.

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

Emily> Luckily most people are coming to me because they want something raw, or personal, so we’re usually pretty aligned from the start. Every now and then things drift off course but I’ll always fight gently for the soul of the idea.

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?

Emily> I learned on set as a runner and would love to see more mentoring on set, especially for people from diverse or marginalised backgrounds. Working on [BBC series] ‘Am I Being Unreasonable’ I was so impressed by the number of interns getting experience in TV, it would be great to see the advertising industry follow suit.

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

Emily> 'Looking Back with Pride' - This was such an honour to shoot and probably still the most magical day I've had on set!

'Am I Being Unreasonable' - Making the jump into TV last year was nerve-wracking but something I can’t wait to do more of.

Cadbury - 'Game Changing Wins' - My most recent campaign for Cadbury was another heartwarming one and I’ll always jump at the chance to work with our women’s football players!

Nike - 'Fight For Your Dream' - An oldie but a goodie. I feel like these ads combined authentic stories with a brand message in a way I’m really proud of.