Pro Hello: Dave Meinert

Dave> I worked in print and radio before studying film. I focused on comedy and performance TVCs before making a short film about a child soldier that changed my direction into human storytelling and documentaries. I had a few projects go viral because of how fascinating the subjects were, and it redirected me into making stories for brands that are more real and substantial.

Dave> I moved away from comedy and performance and built up a body of work that were mostly 'portraits' of well-known (as well as anonymous) people in interesting or challenging environments. This is the type of work I am getting now... when agencies see the need to tell something more sincere, with less hubris, and that tells a real and relatable story rather than aim to hijack your attention with noise. It's definitely a bigger challenge, but so it should be.

I describe my work as 'stories that remind me why I tell stories'. I believe, as we get more saturated with meaningless sounds and pictures, it will be easier for this work to resonate. More and more, agencies are asking me to direct, as well as source and cast stories of people that connect to a brand in a more 'real' way.

Dave> Being in the mountains filming Jimmy Chin and still making something for a brand at the same time - being true to both entities - is the type of challenge I enjoy. I spend a lot of time immersing myself with whoever I am filming, and I've had a lot of life-affirming experiences with fascinating people of varied talents and abilities that shine a light on what we are capable of. I gravitate to this type of story.

Dave> I followed a blind boy getting his eyesight back for a cinema chain brand, and then sat with him while he watched his first film with his friends. It’s exciting to see brands realise that they can be part of telling these bigger types of stories.

Dave> I market myself as the director to call when you don’t know how the brief will be achieved because it requires a bespoke approach, and are somewhat of a challenge to create.

Dave> It can always be done more simply. There’s a growing glut of well-crafted but highly forgettable work. We’ve hit a craft-ceiling. Most work has a thin veneer of beauty laid over it with no substance underneath. A personal marker of achievement for me is when someone watches my work, and instead of saying, ‘nice editing’ or ‘I like the grade’, they say ‘how is the dog doing now?’ or ‘did they realise their dream in the end?’. I think we try to make ourselves safe by crafting and crafting. If the story sucks and it’s not engaging, you can say ‘but we used all the palettes that are trending’ and so on. I prefer stories that go on their own journey.

Dave> Travelling to a place to work with people that are, on the surface, very different to me, and finding common ground. Making something personal to them that will resonate with someone inside of us all. It forces me to grow every time.

Dave> I admire those who are able to work across genres and media because they understand the core storytelling aspect more than the parameters or current trends of the medium. Darren Aronofsky is like that. I also admire people who are able to channel their own personal learnings into their stories about others. Jimmy Chin understands the mindset of the people he documents because he is so similar. I think that’s when you’re really valuable, over and above someone who’s just mastered the craft. You have something to offer that people really benefit from.

I am a free diver and long distance cold water swimmer. They’re both endeavours that give you huge crossover skills for life.