Reynald Gresset on Learning to Say No “For the Sake of the Film”
BIG KAHUNA FILMS, the award-winning creative production house based in Dubai and Beirut, is proud to support creativity across the Middle East. As part of their sponsorship of LBB’s Middle East edition, over the coming months, we’ll be speaking to some of the great minds driving creativity forward across the region.
In today’s feature, we speak to Reynald Gresset, a French-born director, repped in his native as well as in the UK, the US, the Netherlands and the UAE. Starting out as a camera operator across news broadcasters in Afghanistan, China, and Lebanon, Reynald first made his way across to commercials with a spot for the Sci-Fi channel working alongside BETC France. With a creative script to anchor the spot and accolades to follow its launch, he went on to direct campaigns for brands such as Google, Honda, Lexus, Fiat and Heineken, to name a few.
Throughout his career, the passion he has for his craft and meticulous attention to detail has gotten him to where he is today. Sharing his advice with budding directors, as well as explaining his love for Italian films, Reyland sits down with LBB’s Nisna Mahtani to share a little more about his journey.
LBB> When did you first pick up a camera and realise that you wanted to make a career in the creative industries?
Reynald> I have always worked, well most of my life, in creative industries. From being an art director publishing rock magazines, interviewing and filming rock stars to owning a gothic theme bar in Paris, I have had to be creative.
LBB> How did you begin to hone your skills and craft?
Reynald> I worked on a lot of documentaries for a French outlet that sent me all over the world, from Paris and Tokyo, LA and Moscow, to China and more. Small crews and ingenuity were of the utmost importance, and I always pushed for a cinematic look and feel. But even before that I was borrowing video cams and filming concerts.
LBB> What were some of the ads, TV shows or movies which inspired you when you first started?
Reynald> I was always a huge fan of Italian films: westerns (spaghetti) and drama. But I also have watched every film from everywhere. I have a lot of favourites from different eras and directors be they American, Italian, French etc… But I have a particular tenderness for the American horror movies of the ‘30s and ‘40s. I can, without humility, say that I am a great specialist in Bela Lugosi, Karloff and Lon Chaney movies.
LBB> You began as a camera operator in several different countries. What was the experience like and what was the most valuable lesson you took away from that experience?
Reynald> As a camera operator and Steadicam operator, what I learned is that I wanted to be the one who decided the angles, the lens and the sets, and therefore knew I had to direct. The most essential thing I learned in my documentary years was to instinctively find the right angle.
LBB> What has been your favourite country to work in and why?
Reynald> I have worked in a lot of different countries. I don’t know if I have a favourite one, but I can say that each country, city and countryside brings its share of great experiences. Sometimes fun, tiring, difficult, and stressful, but always interesting humanly, socially and culturally. When you move from one country to another for reasons related to weather, lights, castings, costs, type of location etc... You also have to get to know the cultural differences, the positive and negative points. You have to adapt to the new playing field in order to reach the goal because the only thing that matters is the goal.
LBB> When you made the move from camera operator to director, what was the first project you worked on? Can you tell us about the experience?
Reynald> My first commercial was a magical script from BETC Paris for the Sci-Fi Channel. It was fabulous - the story of an alien abandoned on Earth. I was very lucky to start my career as a commercial director with such a creative story.
It all started very quickly after that, as we won a Lion at Cannes and awards all over the world.
I guess you could say that I was lucky to start with such a good script!
LBB> What is the most important thing to consider when creating a piece of filmmaking?
Reynald> This is an interesting question, because each film is a prototype and therefore each film will pose its own challenges.
But, I think that after seeing the potential of a script and what we can do with it, and how far we can take it, the most important thing is to move on to the actual making of it and the first step is to choose the location of the shoot. For me, it’s the first essential step of filmmaking - the first concrete step where we pass from theory to reality.
LBB> If you had to describe your filmmaking style in one word or sentence, what would it be?
Reynald> Passion and attention to detail.
LBB> Where do you find your personal inspiration when it comes to creating content?
Reynald> It is most often a mixture of past experiences, professional experience and discussions with my immediate acolytes.
But, I think it's often in my life experiences - fleeting moments of life that have remained in my memory and that I try to review with a camera.
LBB> Is there any advice you would share with someone new to the industry?
Reynald> Be persistent. Fight for your ideas. Develop your style. And learn to say no for the sake of the film!
LBB> Are there any new or exciting projects you’re working on and can tell us about?
Reynald> For me, the most exciting project is the next one, the one we are waiting for.
