“It’s Pure Adrenaline”: Director Luciano Ruiz on Finding the Stories within Brands

Luciano Ruiz has never strayed too far from a camera. At the age of just six, he was making his Telenovela acting debut in his hometown of Buenos Aires. But in the intervening years he’s gone from standing in front of the lens to behind it - crafting visually gorgeous narratives from commercial briefs for the likes of McDonald’s, Tuborg, and Santander. 

That directorial journey has come via a stint as an agency producer. “I’ve always liked to film everyday situations of my life, and in those years working agency-side I became interested in making those films more professional”, he recalls. “Then I started to carry out productions for small brands without any production company. I can remember feeling a little crazy back then, because I was the director, producer, editor, colourist, catering contact, everything! So that’s when I decided to take the risk, leaving the agency world to work with a production company”. 

And now, seven years down the road, he’s looking to tell his next story. His early-years passion for filming slice-of-life stories has helped him develop a muscle reflex for the subtleties of everyday life, finding humour and depth in small moments. That imbues his films with a visual richness that feels organic and human. Even in his zanier, more off-the-wall projects - like his work for Tuborg in China - there are characterful moments that ground the visual buzz. 

In many ways, he’s a director with little regard for borders. Both in his multidisciplinary style that draws on his agency producer experience, and the fact that his portfolio has a distinctively international flavour. “I'm lucky enough to work with lots of production companies in lots of different markets. My beginnings were of course in Argentina, and then in Spain”, he says. “But after the pandemic the panorama opened up a lot more and I was working beyond Europe, in the Middle East and even in Asia”. 

It’s rare to see a director’s style applied so seamlessly to such different marketplaces - and Luciano reveals that his influences are almost entirely self-taught via a relentlessly self-imposed filmic education. “I had several years of ridiculously intense film consumption. I mean seriously ridiculous - like setting my alarm clock very early every morning to start the day watching movies”, he recalls. “And the funny thing is that despite that, it's hard for me to point to a particular style, director, or film that I would say inspired me to do what I do today. What did inspire me was the methodical nature of my film consumption, the order in which I watched films - how I categorised them, how I forced myself to complete certain filmographies or to draw bridges between some films and others”. 

As a result, he’s a director who loves to obsess over the details. “Knowing that from little things and details you can build an interesting and attractive whole is something that’s really satisfying to me”, he says. “The more ingredients there are, the more fascinating it becomes”. 

But for all of his methodology and carefully details-oriented process, the standout moments in his career come from the leaps he’s made. “Like I said, before I started working with production companies the only person responsible for everything on my sets was me”, he says. “I encouraged myself, I was daring, and that's how I was formed. The shoot itself is always pure adrenaline, and that’s what I like the most of the whole process - even with the ups and downs that a shoot can have”.

And now, he’s taking another leap - joining up with the team at Undivided, the Toronto-based production company which prides itself on ‘honesty and character’ across its roster. In other words, it’s the perfect home for a director like Luciano. ““When a reel like Luciano’s hits your radar, it’s next to impossible not to take notice” says Barclay J. Maude, Undivided’s EP. “So we’re extremely excited to see what magic we can conjure up together”. 

“It’s always a great thing when a production company is led by a director,” notes Luciano, in reference to co-founder Nikki Ormerod. “Plus, it’s another chance to learn about a new market in Canada which seems like a spectacular place to explore”.

Reflecting on the announcement of Luciano joining Undivided, Nikki also spoke to LBB. "We believe Luciano is the ideal addition to the Undivided roster. His work truly stands apart, a testament to his exceptional talent", she said. "Luciano's ability to seamlessly blend dynamic visuals with nuanced storytelling makes him a formidable force in the industry. He is a technical powerhouse, meticulously detail-oriented, yet he creates ample space for creativity and thoughtful narrative. Equally impressive is his character; he embodies humility and approachability, making him one of the most down-to-earth individuals we've encountered. We are thrilled to introduce him to the Canadian market".

It’s a match that should work well, given that Luciano is fundamentally a filmmaker’s kind of filmmaker. His work blends rigorous methodology and mastery of detail with a dash of anarchy and fun. That might sound antagonistic, but “it's a style that's easy to watch, rhythmic and dynamic, but at the same time very attached to a structure that I've worked on in advance”, he explains. 

On-set, he knows how to execute a vision. “I'm very orderly and I like to be able to capture what I planned and thought in the beginning”, he notes (in between sips of chocolate milk, one of his self-professed vices).

“It’s always good to leave a little room for surprises”, he concludes. “But you know… not too much!”