The Directors: Biceps
Biceps garnered worldwide acclaim, including two Cannes Lions, for their 2021 breakout film 'Even More Confusing Times' for Burger King. This signing has the distinction of being the duo’s first commercial representation in the United States.
Like chocolate pizza, Schwarzenegger and DeVito, like peach and eggplant emojis...Biceps is a strange combination, two directors with very different styles coming together to create something completely new and distinguished.
Egoitz Audikana (Audikana) started his career in fashion photography and music video, and car commercials. Victor Aguilar (Zipi), took his first steps in this industry as an agency creative, with a focus on humour and storytelling. Two directors with very different styles. And yet, from that difference comes the magic.
Name: Biceps
Location: Madrid
Repped by/in: Furlined in the US, Blur in Spain, and Outsider in the UK
Awards: 2023 Clio Gold – Film (61 Seconds to Five Minutes)
2023 Clio Silver – Film Craft (Copywriting)
2023 One Show Silver Pencil – Film & Video: Television & VOD / Over 60 Seconds – Single
2022 Cannes Film Craft – Bronze Lion – Script
2022 Cannes Film – Silver Lion – TV / CINEMA FILM: Retail
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Biceps> Although it sounds very obvious, as directors we are big fans of good ideas. We are big fans of creativity, which doesn't necessarily have to be linked to huge budgets or epic technical challenges. We always say that a great idea makes a better director; without a good foundation it's hard to build something memorable.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Biceps> Think, think, think... we spend 90% of our time thinking about the spot, how we want to shoot it, how to make it grow, and how to bring it to life. Once we find the way, and once all the pieces fit together, the treatment comes out by itself and very quickly.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Biceps> Well, a bit like the previous question, it's incredible how many different stages there are in the creation, production, and post-production process of an advertising spot. It is a very long road in which it is vital to associate and surround yourself with talented people, from the treatment to the sound mix. However, the only person who will be with you all the way from start to finish is the producer.
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?
Biceps> Biceps was born from the union of two directors who had been working independently and were already successful in their own right. But each was very focused on a very specific style of work. Audikana was more focused on the world of cars and fashion films. Zipi was more into storytelling and humour.
One of the reasons that drove us to create Bíceps is to be able to do more diverse work. We love being able to shoot any type of project – one day a car spot and the next day an absurd humour spot. And this is our intention. We want to be directors who are not pigeonholed into a particular style or type of work, because we are passionate about trying new things, investigating, moving forward. We know that this business tends to pigeonhole and label directors, but we want to fight against that and make diversity one of the trademarks of Biceps.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Biceps> Going back to the previous question, one of the thorns in our side is that we still haven't had the opportunity to make an interesting emotional spot, one of those that disarms you and moves you, that touches you. It's something we have on our wish list and that we would love to do. But as we said before, it's difficult to get that kind of script if you don't already have something similar on the reel... but we're trying!
LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?
Biceps> Nope
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Biceps> One winter, we shot a long project in Bulgaria. It was many days of shooting, the weather was frigid, and every day we were in the same studio on the outskirts of the city... and the coffee in the catering was terribly bad and always cold. I don't think we have ever had such a bad time on a shoot! :)
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Biceps> With respect.
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?
Biceps> We are possibly seeing the most visual generation in the history of mankind grow up. We live in Madrid, and it's incredible when you go around some areas of the city how many young people you find recording videos, whether for YouTube, TikTok, skate videos, dance, fashion... the things that young people do nowadays are incredible. With very little means, they create absolute wonders. They are not only consuming audio visual products from a very young age, but they are also creating audio visual content. The young people are already part of the production world, and they haven't had to ask anyone for permission. The challenge for the advertising business is how to capture all this talent, to attract all this freshness, to make our business attractive to new talent. We have to learn from them.
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?
Biceps> The pandemic is over, and many things have changed. In general, as directors we struggle to find anything positive about the pandemic's passage through our lives. Perhaps the only good thing that the pandemic has brought is self-tapes.
For those who don't know, self-tapes are videos where actors record themselves at home with their own means to present themselves for casting. In the middle of the pandemic, it was totally inadvisable to go to a casting room where actors would meet with many other actors to present themselves for a casting. Then self-tapes were born. Actors are sent a brief and they record themselves playing the role and acting when they are looking for a role in a spot.
And after three years of watching self-tapes, we are amazed. People send us real gems! We've seen home videos that have made us cry with laughter. People work really hard, they don't just act, they represent the spot, they do incredible staging, camera movements, voiceovers... it's super fun and very authentic.
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)?
Biceps> We try, but sometimes it's difficult and some formats go against the nature of film language. We don't work miracles.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work (e.g. virtual production, interactive storytelling, AI/data-driven visuals etc)?
Biceps> The world is moving very fast, now everyone is talking about artificial intelligence and how it is going to affect our work. And, on the other hand, you see what the most talented people in this business are shooting and we have gone back to film, to analogue. Technology, whether it's the most modern or the one that's 100 years old, is more than a tool. The important thing is how you use it, the artistic sense you give it, the creativity.... the idea.
LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why?
Biceps> Before deciding on Biceps as the name for the duo, we had another name that we thought was fun, we wanted to call ourselves Minigolf....We think we were right in choosing Biceps. But there is something of Minigolf in the profession of a commercial director. We always say that cinema is like golf – it's serious, the format is long, the golfers are recognised by society. Advertising is like Minigolf – short holes, full of surprises, and eye-catching gadgets... ramps, curves, windmills. And we love it! We approach our spots as if we were designing a Minigolf course; we want people to have fun, to be surprised, and even if the game is short, it is intense.
If we have to choose a few spots from our reel, we choose the ones that make you play, the ones that make you have fun and surprise you.
