Infinity Squared’s Hal Kirkland On Having Beef, Then Getting a Matching Tattoo, With Giancarlo Esposito
Hal Kirkland is an award-winning writer, director and creative director who has worked on global campaigns for for brands and agencies such as, 180 Amsterdam, BBH New York, W+K, RGA, Coca-Cola, Adidas, MTV, Google. Today he is represented in Australia, the USA, Canada, Europe and Mexico by Infinity2, Unit9, Kiddo Films and La Doble.
Here, he tells LBB about the time he had 'beef' with Giancarlo Esposito, why he obsessively prepares before all shoots, and what the acting and directing teacher Judith Weston taught him about film making.
LBB> Before we get into your approach to commercial directing let’s skip to the Giancarlo Esposito story - you guys had beef?
Hal> I was shooting a commercial in New Orleans, racing to finish before an approaching storm knocked out our generator and shut down the entire shoot. The star of this commercial was Giancarlo Esposito (to clarify - one of the nicest, most composed professionals I’ve ever worked with).
A client (also very nice) had a note on how a line should be delivered which is always tricky when an actor is playing themselves. As I tried to translate the feedback, I said a version of the line out loud. From across the set, Giancarlo’s voice boomed: “Don’t feed me lines.” Turns out, director’s monitors don’t block sound as much as I’d been led to believe - by no one.
The silence that fell on set was heavy as far as silences go. My DP, Powell Robinson, cringed and smiled at me. There wasn’t enough air in the room to explain, so I suggested something else entirely, and the show rolled on.
LBB> How did the rest of the shoot go?
Hal> Amazing - we beat the storm, and Giancarlo and I were so enraptured by our working cohesion that we ended up getting matching tattoos on Bourbon Street later that night. When we entwine our arms, the combined ink looks like two dragons playing Connect Four. I drew the short straw, so naturally my dragon is about to lose.
LBB> You’ve worked with a long list of A-List celebrity talent including Pedro Pascal, Megan Fox, Snoop Dogg, and Jennifer Aniston. How do you approach directing actors with strong creative opinions or established personas?
Hal> I obsessively prepare before all shoots and that includes researching and becoming familiar with the work and personas of the artists I work with.
I consider it a gift to work with people who are at the top of their game. There’s a fluidity that comes from expertise, so I embrace their perspective - it’s gotten them this far.
My approach for actors is the same as it is for any clients or collaborators. It’s about establishing an open exchange of information and sharing my vision as early as possible. If there are discussions to be had, I want to have them straight away, so by the time we’re shooting we’re all dancing to the same mixtape.
LBB> Have you had any horror stories working with celebrity talent?
Hal> I’ve been lucky to work with some great people - super professional and kind - but I’ve definitely had some funny moments, especially in my earlier career.
Like the time I was introduced to a huge actor before she had her makeup on, and it went about as well as you’d expect. Or when I agreed to cast someone because I’d been told that same actor had insisted their close friend play a role, only to find out they didn’t actually know each other and the “close friend” had never acted before.
Or the time I was shooting a music video and a musician told my DP he wouldn’t walk back on set unless the DP finished his spliff. While I can’t confirm whether he succumbed to this demand, he did spend the rest of the afternoon suggesting some very ambitious lighting setups and visiting craft services more times than anyone else in the history of filmmaking.
LBB> What challenges or unique considerations arise when working with celebrity talent compared to less-known actors?
Hal> Fundamentally, I approach all actors the same way, with the respect and support their craft deserves. The rest of us can hide in the shadows when “ACTION” is called, but actors are front and centre, sharing a piece of themselves.
For me, directing is mostly about listening and suggesting rather than making resolute demands. It’s about constantly adapting to get the best performance from everyone involved.
Lesser-known actors might need a little more guidance but I still lean into how they intuitively interpret a scene. It’s the reason I love the casting process so much. You get to explore how different people interpret the same character and scenario. It’s borderline anthropological.
LBB> How important is character development in a 30s commercial?
Hal> Character development is crucial in all forms of storytelling. Even in a short commercial, I still always write little backstories, give each character names, imagine their jobs, and consider what kind of day they’ve had before entering the scene. I hone in on their relationships with the other actors and settings around them. Even if actors only appear for a moment, their performance becomes more impactful when they have more to work with.
LBB> What’s one of the techniques you use to get the best out of actors?
Hal> One of my favourite techniques is something I learned from legendary acting and directing coach Judith Weston, called interior imagery. Instead of giving technical direction, I ask actors to conjure mental images that connect them to the character’s emotions. It evokes more instinctual and authentic reactions.
For example, when I was filming my Amazon Alex Auto spot, which is about a grandma's tech abilities being underestimated by her family, the actor was struggling with the level of attitude we needed for one of her transitions. So I got in the back seat of the car and whispered, “No one drives a getaway vehicle from a bank robbery like you. And that crew over there… (referring to the mum and daughter characters). Let’s just say, you’ve driven better.” The actor giggled and was able to relax. Did it work? You tell me.
LBB> In your opinion, what’s the key to making a comedy scene feel natural rather than forced?
Hal> Comedy is a spectrum, with room for all kinds of humour. But one shift I've noticed is the move away from traditional punchlines and physical gags that used to dominate mainstream comedy. There's a growing preference for humour rooted in real life - relatable scenarios that feel authentic.
Even commercial comedy has embraced more subtlety. I'm increasingly drawn to comedy that emerges naturally from real characters in absurd or intense situations, reacting as anyone would. Imperfect people in less perfect situations.
LBB> What excites you most about directing commercials as opposed to other types of filmmaking?
Hal> I’m a huge believer of ‘inspiration through limitation’ and for this reason I love the creative puzzle of commercials. You have a finite amount of time and therefore a limited amount of shots to get a point across. Which for me, demands that the final product be impactful and entertaining.
LBB> Is there any advice you would give to aspiring commercial directors?
Hal> One of the best things you can do is to identify a throughline in your work. What’s your unique style? How do you tell stories differently? Maybe you favour rich colour palettes, VFX-led transitions, or bring a pace and vibrancy through visceral close-up inserts.
When you begin directing, while the last thing you want is to become pigeonholed, finding a distinctive approach can be essential to getting signed. Production companies don’t benefit from having a roster of ten generalists who can do everything. Instead, they build a quiver of artists with a range of expertise and unique approaches. Once you’ve established yourself with a few projects, you can explore new directions more freely.
My other nugget is, if you’re considering filming a spec commercial, only make it if it’s been vetted by reputable agency creatives. If you don’t know any, go find some. And listen to them. Other creatives and people in production will judge your spec not only on your direction but on the idea too.
LBB> What was your break into directing?
Hal> I got into directing because I made a music video filmed entirely with webcams that was (fortunately) well received. I didn’t make it because I loved webcams - I just didn’t know how to use anything else. I had an idea that I believed in and embraced the medium (that is traditionally quite shit) because I could experiment with it at whim. Any skills I was missing, my three other partners made up for. The strength of the idea and how tricky the execution was opened up a lot of doors for us.
LBB> And lastly, what are you working on now?
Hal> I have a few commercials that will keep me up at night for the next few months and then I go into production on my short film in December. It’s a script I wrote a while back that did well in screenwriting festivals. Thankfully, the stars have finally aligned for a production date.
I have one of my favorite actors as the lead, and an A-Team of people dedicating their skills, ambition and sleeping hours to turn it into something that they’ll write poems about in some distant future. Matching tattoos upon completion? I think you know the answer to that.
