Scott Cudmore on Making More Audacious Work

Scott Cudmore is an award-winning director that has created prestigious broadcast and theatrical campaigns for clients across the United States and Canada, including IKEA, Loblaws, Canon, Marriott, Subaru, the NBA and many more.

Additionally, he has written and directed numerous music videos for artists such as Selena Gomez, Kacey Musgraves, N.E.R.D. and Rihanna, Feist, and many others.

Name: Scott Cudmore
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Repped by/in: Good Company (USA), Revolver Films (Canada)
Awards:

2020
- SCOTT CUDMORE – CAA - CRAFT DIRECTION – SERIES
-- SCOTT CUDMORE - IKEA - 'SWEDE DREAMS'
ONLINE VIDEO LONG - SINGLE

2019
D&AD Awards – Graphite Pencil – No Frills
CLIO Awards – Shortlist – No Frills
CREETA – Shortlist - Tiger Beer+WWF+Kenzo

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

Scott> I suppose I get most excited about scripts that are doing something unexpected or surprising; ideas for a brand that you wouldn’t necessarily expect for that brand or product.

I like concepts that have a little bit of an edge to them, or I guess you could say, are unafraid of stepping outside the box. Being too safe is never very much fun; it just feels like painting by numbers. And as a viewer, never mind a director, I just forget about those spots. I want viewers to remember the spot.

But there’s probably no one specific thing that I can point to that I get excited about – just a general, certain sense of audaciousness I suppose.

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

Scott> I just try to visualise the spot in my mind. Nothing special really. Usually when I’m reading the brief or the script, I’m simultaneously watching the film in my head… and that’s usually what I shoot.

Unless it all gets derailed by budget or interference or whatever, which can certainly happen.

LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?

Scott> I’ll ask questions if I don’t get the answer in the brief and I’ll often take a look at what other spots the brand has done to get a sense of the identity if I’m not familiar with it, but I’m also hoping that what we’re doing is bringing something new to the identity as well, building on it, so I don’t get too hung up on it either.

I think just to have a sense of it is enough, to know what feels right and what doesn’t in terms of tone or style or whatever.

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

Scott> Overall, I just want to be on the same page as the agency creatives. You’d hope that you’re both trying to walk the same path with the spot. Otherwise, that’s a problem. So obviously that’s a very important relationship it goes without saying.

A director needs their support to do the things that they’re trying to do, in terms of managing the client and all of that, and so that’s a crucial collaboration… and I like it when it’s a collaboration and we have the same goal in mind.

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?

Scott> I don’t think that there is really, no. My commercial work is pretty all over the place in terms of tone and style. Again, I just get most excited about projects that feel like they’re pushing at the edges of the box a little bit, that aren’t overly safe. If it’s memorable then I’m probably attracted to it.

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

Scott> Haha I don’t know…. maybe that I’m a comedy director? I don’t think I’m a comedy director. I like doing work that is funny, but I’m not very interested in jokes or comedic gags or punchlines or anything like that.

I think I’m good at absurd, strange, comedic stuff, but situational comedy, I don’t think I’m very good at that. But sometimes I think maybe I get put into that category.

LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?

Scott> It’s great. Totally great. It can only be a good thing. More voices, more talent, more fresh ideas and perspectives and styles… yeah, I’m absolutely open to mentoring, apprenticeships or anything like that. I’m sure I can learn too.

LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats - to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)?

Scott> I’m most concerned with protecting whatever the master version of the spot is, because that’s what everything else gets culled from. I think it’s a mistake to compromise that for the sake of some social media clip or something like that. I think it’s easy enough to make sure that stuff is going to work as well, but I think it’s important to have a super solid and strong primary piece or else you just kind of end up with a bunch of lukewarm pieces.

So yeah, I think the integrity of that should be protected despite the now numerous number of formats that have to be accommodated. Make that thing really good and I think everything that is tangential to it will be taken care of.

LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why?

Scott> No Frills – ‘Haulers’ Scott Cudmore Film
This one is a good example of audaciousness. Nobody was expecting a spot like this from a brand like No Frills. It was a lot of fun to conceptualise and just really go for it.

Real Canadian Super Store – ‘Anthem’ Scott Cudmore Film
I love doing big, ensemble, highly designed and choreographed spots like this.

Discover Ontario – ‘Fall Into Colour’ Scott Cudmore Film
It’s another spot with a lot of energy and vibrancy, invention and stuff like that, and I have a lot of fun with spots like this.