Stretch Your Thinking with Elastic’s Newest Team Members

Catherine> There is a culture at Elastic that I identified at my initial interview, which was also crucial for me to succeed in the role. There was a focus on putting the work first. It seems obvious and oversimplified, however in this business, very often the big picture is hampered by distractions. I am driven by working with passionate, collaborative talent and elevating the work based on by background in live action, design, new technology + VFX - and Elastic felt like the ideal place to harness that.

Charles> I had known and heard about Elastic for many years in our industry. As a creative enterprise, they’ve been a well established and prominent player in the market for some time, so it was no surprise when I entered their office to find some well known heavy hitters among their ranks. With such a wonderful leadership team, staff, and culture, you knew it was a well oiled machine upon entry. The thing that drew me most to Elastic though, was the fact that they didn’t follow traditional models. They did things originally, authentically, and genuinely, in their own way, most companies will say this about themselves in our industry, but we all know it becomes mostly fluffy jargon after a while.

But these guys were the real deal. Their prolific body of work aligned with my personal values and interests, which is always so refreshing to know you’ll be making quality stuff in the long run. At Elastic, they strive to create impactful work, some of which extends well beyond the realms of “awards and recognition” but more for the betterment of our culture. And I’m absolutely here for it.

Catherine> Every project has its challenges and rewards – however one of the most complicated was a Lady Gaga music video (Universal Music, Apple, Lady Gaga, Serial NY). Shot in the US, at the Trona Pinnacles, with post production here in Australia, with heavy VFX. We had less than two weeks and collaborated with multiple levels of stakeholders. Working at that level imprints an awareness - on a global level - of expectations from all sides and distilling voices – the clients, an empire like Gaga’s and all its players, as well as leading the team against the odds. I take learning from that into my work daily I think, whether I’m aware of it or not.

Charles> Needless to say, I’ve been extremely fortunate in my career to have worked across so many different formats in film and video production. From film, to TV, to documentary, to TVC, to online, I’ve managed to see and make it all. Of the projects that still hold a significant impact on my career, a few come to mind, but there are three specific projects that stand out most. 

The first being my first feature film as a producer. It was on this film that I learned more than I could have imagined in terms of leadership, creativity, accountability, and responsibility. Another impactful project in my career was a sizable tourism campaign, where my nimble crew and I got to travel all over Australia to film some incredible tourist destinations together. It really allowed me to hone in on my organisational skills, and showed me the importance of collaboration, problem solving, and an overall appreciation for my line of work. The third and final impactful project to note was one where we were tasked to create a large-scale campaign that would inspire kids to attend a venue to see and explore its seasonal kids program offerings. 

To see the kids' faces after they viewed our campaign, to see the impact of the magic and wonder we created - it's a feeling like no other.

Catherine> The biggest key to working on ambitious work is collaboration, workshopping and consistently asking ourselves, how can we make this idea better? How can we improve on what we are setting out to do? It also comes down to the talent and passion on the project. Hiring the right people to bring to life the work and allowing space and agility for great creative to be integrated.

Charles> One thing I’ve discovered working in our industry is that, contrary to popular opinion - and possibly contrary to the state of the economy post-covid, most people aren’t motivated primarily by money or status. Yes, we all need to pay our rent or mortgage, but the majority of us really just want to do great work. We all want to find purpose in our day to day, and we want to feel like we’re being taken care of. My view is that all of us want to be a part of something greater than ourselves, and coming into this role I can appreciate how much time and energy the leaders and managers have put into taking care of, upskilling, enriching, inspiring, motivating, teaching, mentoring, and instilling confidence in our teams. As leaders we must allow our teams the freedom to express their thoughts and opinions, it will make them feel valued and involved. And of course there’s trust. There’s a certain level of trust every leader has to have in their teams, to allow them to grow and make autonomous decisions, and to allow them to find solutions at their own pace. And finally, the challenge. 

The only way we grow and progress is by being challenged at a high level. My approach might appear democratic, but it comes with high expectations, as I like to ensure we are all constantly and consistently aiming and achieving more. “Smooth seas don’t make skillful sailors”, as they say.

Catherine> Our distinctive Australian storytelling in terms of tone and perspective, coupled with the sheer talent in this business combines to create a wonderful sense of potential – across film, advertising and new storytelling spaces.

Charles> The thing that excites me most about this hilarious industry of ours is the endless possibility for creativity. No matter what anyone tells you, there really are no boundaries. Sure, there are certain “parameters” and/or “guidelines” we adhere to on particular projects,, but when it comes to creative expression, “embracing the unknown” is as fun as it sounds daunting. It’s always incredibly reassuring to know we can help inform the general public’s perception of the world, and to be able to reflect the cultural zeitgeist at any given time is a superpower I’m not sure most of us know we possess.

Second to that, genuinely, there is so much to look forward to in terms of future technology capabilities, but I won’t get into that now!

Catherine> Art, music, films, and nature.

Charles> I recently went on my honeymoon all over Europe. As ridiculously cliché as this sounds, somehow rediscovered parts of my young self that I long forgot. The wonderment of travel, the perception of the world through a youthful lens, I had to temporarily escape my home environment, Sydney, to seek new life and inspiration in other parts of the world. Exploring Italian craftsmanship and fashion, French cuisine and philosophy, Spanish music and design, Swiss culture and attitude towards things like money, it was all just incredibly eye opening and genuinely reinvigorated my motivation to do bigger, bolder things.

And of course, my other inspiration is my wife (can you tell we’re still in the honeymoon phase?). Yes, it’s another massive cliché, but when you travel with your partner, it can really test a relationship. And yet, she inspired/inspires me to be a better version of myself every day.

Catherine> I need quite a lot of stimulation in terms of topping up my inspiration to keep momentum. That might range from pottering to podcasts + reading books I have scattered around the house, to seeing comedy, theatre, opera, films, a gallery, visiting my Dad’s farm or watching a series. I also just bought an old Pentax K-1000 to play around with. I don’t find it easy to sit still.

Charles> I must admit, throughout my entire career, I’ve found my creativity thrives most when I find myself within the confines of limitation. This isn’t an original idea or concept, it’s widely known that limitation fosters creativity. But we all know, and have experienced, when you’re up against the wall and have huge limitations such as budget constraints, time restrictions, and finite resources, etc, you find yourself coming up with ridiculously (and sometimes unreasonably) creative ways to make it work. And funny enough, it always works. Every. Single. Time.

Catherine> A slingshot.

Charles> Look I’m not going to lie, I love me a pair of Elastic sweats. You’ll find me at my local cafe on a Saturday morning sporting those bad boys, smashing a chocolate croissant and an almond cap, and have zero qualms about it.