The Directors: Caroline Sascha Cogez

French born, Danish director, Caroline Sascha Cogez is an accomplished storyteller. She is the winner of the Danish Film Academy’s Robert Award (The Danish version of the US Academy Award Oscar) for her film 'Lulu'. Her attention to detail and ability to evoke solid performances from actors make for a formidable director across multiple styles and formats.

She also never sleeps because when she is not filming throughout Europe, the UK, the US, or South Africa, she hosts a national call-in radio show in Denmark called 'Nattevagten' (Nightwatch) on Radio4, where she explores the art of storytelling, inviting listeners to call in.

Name: Caroline Sascha Cogez

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Repped by/in: WONDERFUL CONTENT for the USA

Awards: Winner of the Danish Film Academy’s Robert Award (The Danish version of the US Academy Award Oscar) for her medium-length film 'Lulu', and many other important prizes from film festivals around the world for her eight short films. Caroline also works with radio documentaries having won best Scandinavian and best Danish radio documentaries for her work in that field.  

LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them?

Caroline> I am shooting my first feature-length film this upcoming year and I’m really excited about this. It’s a very personal project to me that I have been working on for seven years and I have written the script as well. 

LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?  

Caroline> I always bring a high energy level and enthusiasm to the table when working on an ad. Maybe because I have several creative outlets I get really excited about this medium. Right now, I find there is a greater search for the real human experience that makes the stories told more honest – I like this. 

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

Caroline> I get excited when I feel that the creatives and the client have the courage to take a chance. When all the original ideas have not been killed in some test prior to the ad come to life. When there is a strong concept and the courage to stand by it – it shines through in the script.  

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

Caroline> First, I want to understand what journey the creatives have been in, in order to come up with the script, and what the core message is for the ad and the brand. 

Then I enter a brainstorming phase where I permit myself to feed on visuals and ideas to elaborate on the script. Then I condense the pallet of visuals and ideas – first into text and then into the visuals that will go with it. I spent as much time as I can visualising every millisecond of the script during this process.

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?

Caroline> I look at past ads from the brand. But I mostly seek as many answers from the creatives as I can as they will have the latest information on what is important. A good level of dialogue between direction/production and creatives is always important otherwise if you only look at past work you might not know what the current priorities are, and if you do not ask you might not be told all the important details you need to keep in mind. 

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

Caroline> I find it almost unreasonable to pinpoint one function – because filmmaking is a group effort, regardless of what some big ego out there could claim. ☺ 

Having said that, the relationship with my D.P. is key in order to successfully convey my vision for the film/commercial.

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?

Caroline> I really like narrative storytelling in ads; when you have the chance to convey strong emotions not just in a vignette but with a little build-up. I like working with everyday life situations and intense emotions. 

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

Caroline> This notion that a director can only reproduce what they already did. This is very limiting to directors, and it hampers the potential of the industry. Just because I’m good at making kids perform doesn’t mean that I can’t get adults to do the same. My Danish Academy Award is proof of that.

Sometimes I feel that decision-making in advertising is driven by fear of failure rather than creativity and the need to communicate. I know there is great potential in being a bit more imaginative on that account.

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

Caroline> Yes, I have. My experiences have been fine; the more hands-on they have been within the filmmaking process, the better for all, as they will understand - from experience - what you are talking about and why you are going about your vision in a certain way, and what you need to success in achieving it. 

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

Caroline> OMG, the number of crazy problems that commercial productions can create! Somehow, I kind of love those absurd situations and the often very creative solutions we all have to come up with to catch the ball. It’s a part of production and filmmaking that, weirdly enough, I get a little kick out of; making the impossible possible.  

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

Caroline> It always helps to have a good argument, backed by good reasons for your position. The agency and brands, more often than not, will understand you if you are able to explain, eloquently, your ideas to them, and back them up with good reasons. If I know that I can radically improve a spot, if a scene can be better, performance can be stronger, for whatever reason that I see, but the agency/client are not ready to see it yet, I will work on shooting both versions – if possible - so we can make the final decision in the editing room instead. 

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?

Caroline> Diversity is good. As a female director, I have been a minority. On set though, my focus is on making the best product, nothing else. 

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)? 

Caroline> Sure, I have to keep it in mind, in my framings and sometimes I make alternative shoots for different formats. But I find it the most constructive thing is to have one master format that works the best. 

LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?

Caroline> I keep up to date and I’m excited by the new possibilities, say A.I. But, for me, technology is a just tool and a means to convey work – it is not the centre of interest for me.