The Collaborative Art of Filmmaking
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Agustin Carbonere is a director, musician and actor. For more than two decades he has directed series, commercials and music videos. He has collaborated with brands such as Renault, Coca-Cola, Toyota, WhatsApp, VW, NotCo, Disney and Oreo, among others.
His featured film El Santo received recognition in International Festivals such as BAFICI, Sitges Film Festival and MAFIZ.
Name: Agustin Carbonere
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina (mostly)
Repped by/in: Landia
Awards: Sitges Coming Soon, Festival de Málaga, BAFICI International Best Director, Crouching Tigers Hidden Dragos China, among others for El Santo Feature film, JIIFF and Cinelatino Toulousse for The Forefather feature film, Ads, Cannes Lions for NotTurtle NotCo, Effie for Fran Mature, El Ojo de Iberoamerica for Devour Food Porn, El Diente, for Renault Carrera de un Actor.
LBB> What elements of a script set one apart from the other, and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Agustin> I always like to understand the journey of an idea in a script. That survival process an idea must go through to become an approved script ready for production. What survives, and what remains of the original concept? It’s a genesis that I find important to know when putting together a treatment.
I enjoy many types of scripts, but storytelling is probably the area where I feel I can contribute the most. Small short films, character-driven pieces—whether they are comedic or more epic.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Agustin> I don’t start with a reference. On the contrary, I begin with what I feel the idea needs. I rarely—if not never—work with a pre-established reference or set of references. I create collages and try to enrich my treatments with non-advertising references. I once indulged myself by using Holy Mountain by Jodorowsky in a treatment—of course, that job didn’t go through!
LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with or 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?
Agustin> Not being familiar with certain products, cultures, or insights is, far from being a problem, actually a benefit. I know it’s paradoxical, but in creativity, a fresh or naïve perspective is valuable—it allows thinking outside the box, bringing unexpected elements to projects, or a random approach that undoubtedly elevates the pieces.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Agustin> With oneself! Hehe. That’s the relationship that requires the most attention. Following intuition, trusting it, but not being stubborn. You have to tame yourself first in order to direct. The rest of the relationships can’t be controlled too much.
LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about? Is there a particular genre, subject matter, or style you are most drawn to?
Agustin> I have one foot in acting-driven films and another in car films. I say the latter are like paintings. It’s cinema of objects, which is always an invigorating challenge.
Regarding acting-driven films, I have a lot of acting training, but at the same time, I can communicate very well with non-actors.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter, and why is it wrong?
Agustin> There’s a common idea in all audiovisual arts: the concept of the director as the absolute artist. I see it in different ways.
First, there’s this notion that the director must have all the answers to everything immediately. It’s true that a director moves forward through ‘certainties’, but those certainties must evolve, be challenged, and transform.
Then, I sometimes feel that collaboration gets lost in this idea that the director must single-handedly dictate the course. Filmmaking is a highly collective effort—it’s too much for just one person to guide alone.
Directing is not about commanding a ship. For me (and for Tarkovsky), it’s sculpting—with many hands.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Agustin> A car commercial in the mountains, and we couldn’t get the car crane up there. Nothing that couldn’t be solved with a bit of ingenuity, some safety measures, and a lot of stabilisation in post!
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Agustin> Always open and collaborative. I deeply respect the journey of an idea and understand that I come in at the final stage. Jealously taking ownership of an idea is not my style, nor do I think it’s a constructive approach.
The same goes for clients—I listen to them. They know their brand. Of course, sometimes discussions arise that are not about the brand itself, but rather about subjective opinions trying to override reason or my vision—that happens to every director. But I believe my job is also to interpret, and I will never forget that.
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?
Agustin> Always. That’s how I started. I try to give back the generosity with which I was taught. But I didn’t just learn from directors—I learned a lot from the crew during my years as a PA.
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?
Agustin> It’s something I think about a lot, especially in terms of duration. I work very well with ultra-short formats—that’s a plus. On the other hand, I notice that there’s a strong focus on ‘the peak moment’ rather than the content itself.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology, and if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?
Agustin> I like technology, and I learn how to use new tools quickly. I wouldn’t say I’m hyper-updated because tools change weekly—especially AI tools. But I’ve always made an effort to educate myself in that area.
I also believe in taking advantage of the access we have, not only to tools but to knowledge itself. That, to me, is also technology. For me, reading philosophy is a way of situating myself within this technological universe—I’m not sure if that makes much sense. But anyway, bottom line: I use a lot of technology and try to maintain a restless and curious mindset.
LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why?
Agustin> Devour Food Porn and WhatsApp Business with Gut Miami, Fabogesic and the Renault commercials with Publicis, and my first feature film El Santo.
Fabogesic - A Responsibility Dose:
