Glenn Stewart: A Director, Designer and Lover of Classic

The first movie Glenn remembers having an impact on him was the Spielberg classic, Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was shown to him by his father, who in his words “was very very good” at showing him movies. The classics continued with Jaws, Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line, and it was from those moments that he knew he wanted to be a director.

Much like many other filmmakers, he didn’t take the direct approach to becoming the director that Indiana Jones inspired him to be. Instead, he studied a year of visual communications at UTS, and while studying he rallied together a short film that was entered in tropfest Accounts of how the film performed are fuzzy, but he does remember the fun that he had putting it together. 

His professional career started in print design. At some point Glenn remembers ‘dabbling’ in special effects and motion graphics, and then animation and visual effects, and then compositing before moving on to directing. As a freelancer, he worked consistently with one company that began growing rapidly. As a result of the rapid growth, he began to combine the skills he had developed and began designing and directing for big name clients such as Toyota Japan. 

With the creativity running through his veins, Glenn found himself purposefully working at Collider, a design and production studio that combines his two passions to create something fantastic. “It’s what I love about design and directing,” he said. His love for design also influences his process as a director. As an avid lover of a good pinterest board, he finds inspiration in all things creative. 

Perhaps his most notable project to date at Collider has been ‘Tuvalu: The First Digital Nation.’ An entirely digitised nation that is raising awareness for the very real future of Tuvalu. Climate refugees and the loss of an entire culture, heritage and land mass is a significantly close future event that many smaller island countries are facing. 

To combat this, the digitalisation of the nation, its people, its history and its land means the countries will not face the repercussions of losing their land when the time comes. Naturally, creating such an ambitious campaign was no mean feat. The entire production was done remotely due to lockdowns, and as a way to keep the nation a covid-free country. 

Using WhatsApp, video calls, detailed diagrams and rundown sheets, the project came together to be something monumental with its release at United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP27. It gained global attention within a matter of hours, and is an ongoing campaign for Tuvalu. 

Over the past 12 months, Glenn has found himself pushing himself further and further with each project that comes his way. He’s felt extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to work hard and play harder for a living. 

Whether it’s late night rendering, making a mood board, asking people to be ‘quiet on set’ or rewatching the classics that started it all, the love Glenn has for this industry and his work is abundantly evident.