The Directors: Adam Littke

Recognised as one of the industry’s best young directors by earning Saatchi & Saatchi’s Young Director Award at Cannes and Best Music Video at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Adam Littke’s idiosyncratic characters stylised with a retro-licious palette deliver artfully comedic performances and a truly original directing voice.

Launching his career in London, Adam has directed music videos for artists Grum, TEED, Fruit Bats and commercials for Sony, BBC, Yeti, Tazo, O2 and Jeremiah Weed. His work has appeared on NBC, BBC, Comedy Central, Fox, Bravo, AdAge, TBS, Campaign and Pitchfork. He has never owned a camera and never wants to.

Name: Adam Littke

Location: Dallas, TX

Repped by/in: Camp Lucky

Awards: YDA, Cannes Lions, Addys

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

Adam> I love receiving unconventional scripts. Something that pushes the boundaries in advertising. A unique character choice, interesting pauses in dialogue, stories influenced by environment.

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

Adam> I work best with different types of media playing in my office. A movie on mute and listening to music helps me get the process started. Then comes the long pause of nothingness why scrolling endlessly through online images.

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? 

Adam> This is actually a big part of the creative process for me. Researching and understanding a brand is very important to me. I think it helps me get in the headspace of the agency creatives. I look at the brand’s site and past work to understand where they’ve been creatively.

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

Adam> Working closely with the creatives is the most important relationship for me. We need to have a common understanding of how we’ve got here and where we are going. It typically makes the best product when we have a good connection from the very early stages of the pitch process.

 
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? 

Adam> Quiet comedy and thrillers.

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

Adam> A few years back I made an ‘introduction’ film for my reel and cast an actor to play me. He was 30 years older than me.

LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been? 

Adam> Several times. It typically makes for an efficient process.

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

Adam> Not sure if it’s the craziest but on a recent shoot in a purposefully unnamed location, the city decided to pull our sidewalk and street permit on the day of the shoot. My producer quickly permitted a nearby parking lot and we framed up the exterior to match the original street. 

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

Adam> Clear communication. Visiting video village often.

LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? 

Adam> Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set? I’m very aware of the industry’s lack of perception when it comes to diversity and inclusion. We are doing our part to correct this history. I would love the opportunity to mentor.

LBB> How do you feel the pandemic is going to influence the way you work into the longer term? Have you picked up new habits that you feel will stick around for a long time? 

Adam> It’s very important that we continue the safety protocols during production. Working smarter is a huge element of my sets. I’m dedicated to creating safe working conditions so everyone feels happy and heard.

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

Adam> I still really love my work for Hatchways. It was a unique direct to client project and feel like it utilised many aspects of my creative approach from writing to directing and art direction.