The Directors: Bine Bach
Bine Bach is an award-winning director whose idiosyncratic work weaves wonder-inducing visuals with pitch-perfect deadpan deliveries to great comedic effect. Born and raised in Denmark, she has been fascinated by comedy from an early age. Her childhood aspiration was to become a stand-up comedian, but stage fright led her to filmmaking as another outlet for her unique ideas.
A paragon of creativity, Bine’s mastery of her craft lies in her ability to infuse curiosity and subtext into every frame. She began her advertising career as a creative at Wieden+Kennedy New York before stepping out on her own to write, direct, and edit the award-winning film “Say Aaahhh!” She also directed the beloved and delightfully surreal spot for Danish furniture brand TAKT, which encourages younger generations to make more sustainable choices with their newfound purchasing power. Other recent work includes a social campaign for UberEats; a BBC Bitesize campaign aimed at combating online disinformation; the out-of-this-world 'Slacker Alien' for Starburst; the cheeky teaser “This is Mæh” for electronic duo Royksopp, featuring taxidermied sheep with wigs; and a European TikTok campaign starring the platform’s comedy sensation Luke Vernon.
In 2022, Bine was shortlisted for the Young Director Award (for the second consecutive year), Ciclope, the 1.4 Awards, and the Young British Arrows. She is represented by Biscuit Filmworks in both the US and the UK.
Name: Bine Bach
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Repped by/in: Biscuit Filmworks - US & UK, Bacon - Scandinavia
Awards: Vimeo Staff Pick Best of The Year, Saatchi Saatchi Best New Talent, YDA Nominee, Etc.
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Bine> When I first read a script, it feels a little bit like when you meet someone new. It either clicks or it doesn’t. What usually ignites the spark is something in that script I haven’t read or seen before. If I immediately start whirring with ideas, references, and visions of the world I can build, it’s a good sign - kind of like having a good, non-awkward conversation with the new someone you just met and can’t remember the name of. And if I can picture the final product after the first read, it's an even better sign, as this makes the treatment a whole lot easier to do. Like a nice chat that just flows.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Bine> I’m known for being pretty 'anal' about my treatments, as I put a lot of work into them. It helps me wrap my head around everything and hopefully wrap other heads around it too. Depending on the time available, I usually start by brainstorming and get a lot of things down. Then I will look for references that fit whatever ideas I’ve put down and like the most, as that can often help communicate what I have in my thought bubbles better than words only. This can also be tricky, as I can get a lot from obscure, random stuff that doesn’t necessarily make sense to most people, but with clients, it’s often better to be as specific as possible. That can take a while, so I have a small team that helps me. We have worked together a lot and they understand my random thinking but are way better at being specific, which is super convenient. We have our own little system and I love it.
I’m still learning to let go a little bit though, and not go too into details before a job is awarded, but it’s hard. Especially once you get going on the writing, as new things and thoughts pop up. But I am looking forward to the day when I can have everything done treatment-wise in a one-pager. Bliss. Until then, expect a 50 pager.
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?
Bine> I put a lot of trust in the agency team to lead this part of the conversation, and collaboration is key here to making sure what I’m bringing to the table is right for their client.
If I don’t know anything about the brand or market, I will do some initial research, but I won’t go deep into it. I don’t need to understand everything. Unless the idea is based on very specific things regarding the brand or market, then yes, I need to understand. But my job is to understand the script, and then figure out how I can make it better.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Bine> It’s hard to pinpoint one as being the most important, as there are a lot of people involved. But the people I speak with the most are the producers, both the EP and the line producer. These are the people I ping-pong with in terms of what’s possible within the budget and the timeframes, and they help communicate that to the people having to practically make the ping-pong mash come to life. If your working relationship with your producer isn’t working, it makes it harder to do your job.
What it all usually boils down to is good communication. The most important working relationship a director can have is the one you have with your communication skills. Make sure you know how to communicate what it is that you want. If not, you’re screwed. Or at least start practising, ASAP.
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?
Bine> I wish I could give a cool and highly intellectual answer, but I’m mostly drawn to oddball comedy and dark humour. I love things that make me laugh when I don't see it coming. Yorgos Lathimos is a master of this. It’s never clear when to laugh, which makes the jokes even better. The same goes for Ruben Ostlund’s films. It’s usually the small, read-between-the-lines human insights moments in his films that make me giggle the most. The Coen brothers, although more exaggerated in both style and stories, also nail humour where you don’t see it coming. There are plenty of others, but these are the ones that often put a smile on my otherwise moody face.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Bine> A lot of people expect me to be very 'bubbly', but I’m pretty moody.
For work, I sometimes get briefs that are purely set design spots. Which I understand, but I need something more than just that. It needs to have a story or a twist. It can never only be 'goofy' visuals. 'Goofy' is another word I hate, as it refers to the type of tone I want to stay away from. So if you send me a brief that involves 'goofy' visuals and nothing else, you’ve missed the point.
LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?
Bine> I have, yes. How honest my answer is depends on who is reading this.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Bine> I recently did a shoot where we had to use a real-life bear. That was crazy. First of all, everyone working with or in films knows that filming with animals is something you ideally want to avoid, as you have no real way of controlling them. Secondly, bears are big animals and not the type you go cuddly with, unless you’re psychotic. We only had a hyper-thin, non-electric cotton string around the area it was meant to walk within. This was slightly terrifying. My solution for making it less terrifying was to stay inside a thick glass box and make sure all food was put far away from the bear’s nostrils. I like to take chances, just not when it comes to bears.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Bine> I will push until they say “Bine, shut up.” Then I will push a little more and after that is when I have to realise I’m not paying for the entire thing, so I should probably stop. But I get hired to voice my opinion, so I will do that until people no longer want to listen. From my experience though, the best agencies and brands are the ones that are the most open and collaborative themselves - and the ones with the most trust. This makes it a lot easier and way more fun to do your job. Not people micromanaging you. Good work rarely comes from 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?
Bine> It’s super exciting. Getting new points of view into a heavily one-type-of-person-dominated world has never hurt anybody. I’m open to mentoring, but I’m also open to being mentored myself. I still have lots to learn and I love that.
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?
Bine> I picked up Zoom meetings during the pandemic and I think those will stick around for a long time. I have a love/hate relationship with them, as they do make some things easier (e.g. not having to be at the same place at the same time and being able to wear the same t-shirt for a week), but they also make some things a lot harder (I don’t think I need to mention any examples for this). Being able to connect with people all over the world from your sofa definitely makes it easier to expand your work and network internationally, but nothing quite beats being physically in the room with someone.
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)?
Bine> I try not to think too much about it. It can get super confusing and distract from the idea of the spot, if you start to think about all the different formats, cutdowns, languages - sometimes there will even be different products. Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid it completely, so you have to think about it. But the first thing to get right is the main idea. Once you have that, it makes the rest easier to do.
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)?
Bine> Like so many other people, I have tried AI for visual research. I have done this to get specific images that can help explain my ideas. I have yet to succeed.
