Protecting Your Vision and the Delicate Dance of Collaboration

Clever humour wrapped in signature lush visuals. Kate Halpin grounds her stories in universal truths and relatable moments, elevated with craft.

Harmoniously conveys the absurd, the deadpan and the observed. A sharp set of directing teeth cut in production design and acting, every detail delights. Vibrant colour palettes, iconic casting, witty performances. Comedy with class.

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

Kate> I love scripts that are packed with visual potential and a crystal clear concept – precision on the page always fuels the most motivated creative choices.

I’m drawn to scripts that allow for crafting fleshed-out worlds and characters with relatable idiosyncrasies (like Uncle Fred and his feline figurines).

I’m a big fan of sharp dialogue of all kinds (organic, witty, or absurd) – and any script that’s fresh and fearlessly non-vanilla always grabs my attention.

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

Kate> After digesting the briefing call, I dive straight into writing as it’s how I gain clarity on the approach and get dialled-in on the tone. I collate images and references early on (and tweak in photoshop) to ensure visual cohesion. I’m a nutter for detail and planning every beat, angle and transition.

The goal is always to inject personality and specificity into the writing without an excessive word count. Less ‘War and Peace’ – more lean and lively.

LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about – is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?

Kate> I’m drawn towards character-driven work with motivated visual flair. While my commercial work leans into stylised comedy, in film and TV I gravitate towards dark comedy and psychological drama.

I love confronting, genre-blurring and risk-taking stories that explore moral grey areas and make me question humanity. I just watched ‘Adolescence’ and it nailed all of the above and its single-take execution felt entirely narrative-driven and never gimmicky.

LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?

Kate> Trust and an open dialogue with creatives are key to getting the best results. In terms of execution, I’d say the DP is the MVP. A great cinematographer brings technical expertise and that magical ‘eye’ for composition that can elevate the whole campaign.

But it’s a hugely collaborative medium and every role can be ‘make or break’ – so I aim to be mates with everyone.

LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?

Kate> As directors, we’re often pigeonholed – and in commercials I’ve landed (very happily) in stylised, colourful comedy.

While I love this space, I do enjoy mixing it up and directing dialogue-driven comedy that’s more restrained and grounded in reality.

Pairing back the stylised elements is actually really easy, and as an ex-actor, my happy place is shaping performance and dialogue.

LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?

Kate> Problem-solving is part of the job description. On-set animal and tech issues are the most challenging because you can’t reason with either and the clock is always against you.

I’ve dealt with everything from rogue robots and animatronic apes, to diva dogs and llamas, to our ronin having a meltdown on a mountaintop (with 200 extras, just as we were losing light). But I’ve learned that if I stay calm, the crew does too, which is always conducive to finding the fastest solutions.

LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?

Kate> It can be a delicate dance, but I’m all about transparency and collaboration with the agency and client from day one. That said, inevitably there are moments where I feel inclined to protect my vision.

In those situations, I’ll articulate why I feel a certain direction best serves the project (and brand) – while also listening to the agency’s perspective to see if there's a middle ground.

Then in an ideal world, I’ll push for options so we can make informed decisions in post. But it’s also about being open and checking my ego - and knowing which ideas are worth fighting for.

LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why

Kate> Puffing my own projects makes me feel like a wanker. But these are the spots that I’m the most proud of what the team and I managed to accomplish.

​Leggos ‘How We Do Italian’ - stylised, polarised worlds with scope (on a budget). We got crafty with art direction and cheated three kitchens in one location – and created a ‘little Italy’ in suburban Sydney.

ESPN ‘Tap In’- a series of vignettes that weaves character and product with seamless transitions, no hard-cuts (and hopefully no audience whiplash)!

​RAA ‘Birds & Bees’ - a more understated dialogue-driven tête-à-tête between father and son, where the Dad is stranded in every sense.

​Bumble ‘Home Run’ - Slow-mo sport + smashing stereotypes + a cheeky cameo from the online dating world’s most notorious emoji