Into the Library with AJ Colomb

Andrea Colomb, or AJ as she goes by, grew up in South Africa during the 80s and 90s. “I was practically raised on Leon Schuster’ pranks and slapstick,” she tells me. “He’s a national treasure and still is.” She fondly recalls the sacred ritual of rewatching ‘Faulty Towers’ with her dad on a “barely-hanging-in-there VHS tape with a couple of episodes we’d managed to record off the TV.” Between Schuster’s antics and Basil Fawlty’s meltdowns, she was hooked on comedy and making people laugh.

But no-one ever talked about filmmaking as a career. “Thankfully, I had this amazing tutor in college who spotted something in me and nudged me toward it,” says AJ. She could draw, loved photography, and had a knack for writing, so filmmaking came very naturally to her when she leant into it. “I was also a bit of a rebel, which I think is sometimes key for our job!” she jests.

Since then, she’s been on a whirlwind journey, carrying with her the same fondness of bringing laughter to others that she had in her childhood. We sat down with AJ to explore the work that has taken her career to where it is today.

Visit Iceland - Welcome to Iceland

 

I’d had a few ‘firsts’ along the way, but the one that really ‘saved me’ was my Visit Iceland film. It was a test commercial, and I threw my heart, soul, and every last penny I had into it. This was my last shot at becoming a director. Up until then, I’d done a few music videos here and there, but I was itching to make a comedy piece. That’s what I desperately wanted to be known for. So Visit Iceland came to life, and it still holds a special place in my heart. I’ll be eternally grateful to the tiny cast and crew who came along on this wild ride, helping me bring it to life. Honestly, we bonded over the brutal conditions, both on and off camera — it was truly gruelling and, oh god, so bloody cold!

Orange - Restaurant

I think I’ve really found my style and stayed true to it — what you see is what you get with me. I love creating 'real spaces’ and bringing characters to life with a comedic flare, but nothing too over the top. Strong casting is something I’m really passionate about, and I think it shows. My style hasn’t changed much over the years; there’s a consistency from my first project to my latest, and I’m proud of that!

eBay - Circle

eBay ‘Circle’ was my first big gig with an American agency, and it was a wild and interesting ride. We had a tonne of hoops to jump through — shooting in Stockholm in -20C degrees and trying to make it look like summer was just one of them. It was the longest shoot I’d done to date, with a large cast and a remote agency team. I learned so much from the project, and I’m incredibly grateful that the team trusted me with it. This was when I first got a taste of bigger budgets and bigger brands.

Tayto - Cheeseatees

I have a real soft spot for my Tayto film. The characters, the location, the art direction — it’s all so simple, but it never fails to make me smile.

ACNE - What's Your Wild Rabbit

Another favourite is Rabbit: What’s Your Wild Rabbit. It’s a cheeky riff on Hennessy’s What’s Your Wild Rabbit campaign — though I’m not sure how many people caught on to that! Regardless, I had so much fun making it, and it still gives me a laugh every time I watch it. It’s a bit of a dirty little concept, but I love dark comedy and pushing boundaries.

Visually, I think it turned out great. I shot it in Copenhagen with an incredible crew from Bacon Films, who did me a lot of favours. It was my first time working with a full professional team and being treated like a real director. That experience was a huge learning curve and gave me so much confidence in my directing abilities.

Even if it wasn’t the most popular project in the office, it definitely helped me start to get noticed in the UK industry, which was a big step forward.

Orange - Wedding

Orange ‘Wedding’ was definitely a whirlwind. We had just one and a half days to shoot the whole film in the blazing January Cape Town heat, and somehow managed to squeeze in the Orange ‘Restaurant’ filming too in half a day. With the bride, bridesmaids, and crew all working through the heat, it was a bit of a juggling act to keep everything running smoothly, and a smile on peoples faces. But we managed. The key is to always be positive, right?

The concept for both films was great, though like with most projects, I can’t help but think how much more we could’ve done with a bit more time. That said, the fast pace kind of suited the tone of the film. It was tough-going, but we got through it, and I’m chuffed with what we managed to achieve in the end.

GoSpring - Dick Pic

I’d have to say GoSpring: Dick Pic. The idea behind it is incredibly important — it tackles a topic that rarely gets addressed but absolutely should. Huge credit goes to the creatives, Anne-Marie Brandner and Franzi Krüger at JvM Havel, for bringing such a bold concept to life.

Time was tight (as always!) but we pulled it off, and I think it turned out really well — especially for such a gritty subject. It also showcases a side of my work that leans into raw, unpolished storytelling, similar to what you see in Rabbit, You’ll Never Walk Alone, and Gilda (music videos).

I’m proud of how this film highlights my versatility across commercial, narrative, and documentary-style projects, while staying true to my love for bold, challenging themes. And comedy!

Gerry & the Pacemakers - You’ll Never Walk Alone

ALSO, I’m really proud of directing the music video for Gerry & The Pacemakers’ ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. As a big Liverpool supporter, it was an amazing project to be part of – and funnily enough, 11 years later, my wife is actually in the video!

It was one of those classic low-budget, fast-turnaround shoots, but we pulled it off and had a great time doing it. It’s a project that means a lot to me for so many reasons. I also now live in Liverpool, so a good ‘claim to fame’ at the pub after a few!