My Creative Hero: Anthony Bourdain

Jonny Kight began his career in music videos, producing promos for artists like Blur to John Newman and collecting a BRIT award on the journey before moving into commercial work. His commercial productions are varied and acclaimed, with Jonny producing for such Directors as Peter Lydon, Diarmid Harrison-Murray, Chris Faith, Kiku Ohe, Ben Green, Ben Taylor & Paul McGuigan. Jonny has won Cannes Lions, APA Awards, Yellow Pencils and British Arrows.

LBB> Who would you say is your creative hero? 

Jonny> If you had read my last article, you would have realised I’m insecure about not having a mentor. But this is about heroes, and mine is Anthony Bourdain. 

Honest, brutal, and he was himself. All I can ever aspire to be. 

…And he loved John Wick. 

LBB> How long has this person been important to you, and what are your first memories of meeting them or coming across their work? 

Jonny> I can't pinpoint how I discovered Bourdain, he was just there one day, and then I found myself reading his book 'Kitchen Confidential'. In an existential moment, I drew the parallels between the kitchen and the film set. I realised our on-set lives are run like military or culinary operations. And that chefs and filmmakers are cut from the same cloth, a motley crew of renegades, some (not all) are drunks, and we are always on time, yet we rarely finish on time. 

Anthony Bourdain - Last Full Interview

LBB> If it's someone you personally know, how did you get to know them and how has your relationship evolved over the years? If you don't know this person, how did you go about finding to learn more about them and their work?

Jonny> His quotes and comments on random life. The Parts Unknown show is the only travel show you ever need to watch. 

He (I) loved being quiet. Like me, he was also a shy man who didn't know how to react or learn how to communicate as a person. Idiosyncrasies I wholeheartedly identify with. Great qualities to be a producer for me, yet he was a brilliant man. 

… I also love John Wick. 

LBB> Why is the person such an inspiration to you? 

Jonny> Because he loves oysters, experienced mental health issues, drank too much, and got me into Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He taught me never to order fish on Mondays; be very aware when your catering van serves fish for lunch on Monday’s shoot! 

LBB> How does this person influence you in your approach to your creative work? 

Jonny> "Good food and good eating are about risk. Every once in a while, an oyster, for instance, will make you sick to your stomach. Does this mean you should stop eating oysters? No way." The same goes for advertising and filmmaking. 

LBB> What piece or pieces of this person's work do you keep coming back to and why?

Kitchen Confidential. Read the book; enough said. 

RIP Anthony Bourdain. I know you're looking down on us waiting for us to have that bad oyster. 

…I am going to watch John Wick again for you.