The Directors: Federico Brugia
Federico is one of the best known Italian directors in the world.
He has directed advertisements, music videos and Independent movies which have redefined the aesthetics of brand communication by breaking barriers and setting new standards.
More than one of of his commercials has been included in the Reina Sophia Museum, a permanent foundation for Audiovisual work, in Madrid. He has worked with celebrities such as Elton John, Malika Ayane, Luciano Pavarotti, David Beckham, Pierfrancesco Favino just to name a few.
Many of his films have received numerous awards Internationally.
In particular, his commercials for 'BMW' (Series 3) caught the attention of the international advertising scene and have propelled him to direct for top productions.
Federico is busy working on the scrip of his next long-format film.
Name: Federico Brugia
Location: Italy
Repped by/in Spain / /France : Antonella Perillo Agency
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Federico> I like to consider myself someone who knows how to transform into images what was only on paper, before my intervention... I have no preclusions on film genres: from beauty to sfx from more abstract things to the more narrative ones: I like to find the strength of a script and develop everything else around that: it can be a particularly strong image or a character or a concept… for that reason, I think that the dialectical process with the agency is crucial: only starting from a good teamwork you can be able to push even a mediocre script to the maximum of its possibilities (and this can be very stimulating too). I like to share the various possibilities of the 'film-translation' of the script right away with whom was in charge of the script before my approach: although there is a tendency towards 'beautiful images', I prefer to deepen the concept and the characters of the script, before the so-called 'look & feel': that becomes a logical consequence.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Federico> Once I have developed with the agency the type of direction that will work best for a commercial, I feel the responsibility of having to translate it into words and images that make clear to everyone the project I have in mind: that of treatment (words and image research ) is a crucial phase for me too: through research, certain things appear clearer to me and others that I have already seen finally find their first translation into shareable images to put on the table. Whenever possible, I like to look for references that go beyond the world of advertising. If it is not strictly necessary, I prefer to include in my treatments (and in my way of interpreting a film) references taken more from the world of cinema, photography and contemporary art.
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?
Federico> Understanding who you want to deliver a message to is of prime importance for a director, whether you are working on a commercial, feature film or series.
Any profession in any field of communication involves an exchange that cannot ignore the knowledge of the playground and of those involved in the communication process: this also applies to a concert, an art exhibition or a DJ set!
As far as my field is concerned, I find it important to continue to keep myself informed about people's tastes, the way of thinking of the new generations and... sometimes spending a few afternoons at the supermarket or in a park or a club to get directly in contact with the habits of those who will represent your audience from time to time.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Federico> I believe in teamwork and I see my role as that of a collector of ideas that can come from anyone in the creative process: my work at the end of the day is that of an orchestra conductor and at the same time a sort of ‘filter’: I have the responsibility of keeping intact the creative idea and the type of execution we agreed on: this must lead me to make choices about what will be in and what will be out... from this point of view, there is no collaborator closer to me than others, but there is the importance of directing the orchestra in unison.
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?
Federico> As I said, there is no particular genre that I prefer: it is more about my way of understanding my profession and above all my vision as a film-maker.
I like to build three-dimensional images, and I'm for delicacy rather than an overly overstated tone of voice.
But I think the best compliment is when someone says that I can sharpen my vision on different genres.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Federico> Sometimes I feel that the current trend is overwhelming the essence of a creative idea: it may be that a given style coincides with the best execution of an idea and that I reflect myself in that kind of vision... sometimes this alchemy does not occur!
LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?
Federico> In my past, I was co-founder of a production company, so I have always worked alongside the production to bring a film to life in the most effective way, without negatively affecting the budget.
I have never worked directly with a cost-controller, but I have a very clear awareness of what you can and cannot do with a certain budget. Sometimes, I really enjoy "challenging" small budgets with productive creative solutions: I think it's another crucial aspect of my work that can often also help to change the perception that clients, agencies and production companies have about me as a director.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Federico> In general I work a lot on pre-production and my sets run into the usual weather related problems or something like that…
But I am used to shoot a lot with celebrities and this can be a source of very strong stress, due to the various needs and the short time you have available: in my latest production I happened to have to shoot with three very important celebrities who had to appear together but had given the availability of different days each: so I planned to shoot the entire film everyday with one of the three characters and the two body-doubles. During the night I carefully edited each scene (it was an action movie…) in order to show the next day what the other character should actually do. Once his shots were covered, I was again locked up in the hotel-room to reassemble…
I edited the film three times and slept three hours in three days!
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Federico> I have changed a lot in the course of my career and I have made ‘dialogue’ my watchword: from the very beginning of this interview I have used this keyword to dissolve the complexity of the relationships that are created when it comes to a communicative process. This pervades every step and every person involved in the process.
Sometimes it is a very constructive dialectical process based on the knowledge that some have their profession in the advertising industry. Other times it is a question of having to translate and explain in a more didactic way the motivation of some choices that can greatly affect the outcome of a commercial.
I think that offering excellent real motivations and knowing how to explain them to a client can always lead to a good outcome.
Ultimately we all want the same thing: the best commercial possible without anyone getting hurt!
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?
Federico> I think that in the future we will see the falling of many of the divisions between the compartments that we are used to identify: a long time ago, we were considering only press and TV. Today a production set must be optimised to bring home a lot of content that involves different formats and above all different languages.
What is already happening and which I hope will happen more and more is the coexistence of several professionals who can work as a team on a specific project, without role barriers but each bringing their own specificity and experience in order to streamline and optimise the process of producing more content while fitting at the same time the ever tighter budgets and the ever wider needs of today's communication.
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?
Federico> Even before the pandemic I happened to work remotely. The typical commercial happens where at a certain point you have to explode a certain action in different parts of the world... Over time I built a network of film-makers who shot the scenes I needed while I directed through skype... this led to good cost containment without resorting to stock footage, which I don't like.
Here an example:
The pandemic has brought all this to its extreme consequences, bringing with it negative aspects (basically I want to direct an actor in a ‘physical’ way and not looking at him through a computer screen) but it has also normalised and streamlined various aspects that today we can manage in a faster way (ppm, post, etc.)
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)?
Federico> As I said, the fact of having to cover different formats is now a fact that I am used to taking into great consideration in my work: I don't like to think that it is something that has to interfere with the ‘purity’ of my set: I like thinking about the optimisation of the various components of a campaign is a very stimulating new way to bring together more talents in the same family.
More and more I am creating a network of collaborators with whom I have a good feeling that I propose to production companies, precisely to treat a project in an organic way, without anyone taking possession of space at the expense of the other, but by scheduling and structuring the second set on the specific needs and on the always different priorities of the various formats
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?
Federico> I am a very ‘classic’ filmmaker. I started shooting on 35mm film and I used a hand-held camera for years!
Strangely enough, my career has led me in the last 10 years to have a lot of experiences related to new technologies. I made them my own, I incorporated them into my way of seeing... now I can only think that the wider the arsenal of possibilities we have to bring a script to life, the more opportunities there are to accomplish what we thought impossible or too expensive before. Once again: it's about interpreting an evolution and bringing it into your own world of reference, making the most of its possibilities …and this can only be very exciting!
More and more often I happen to make some films, if only to experiment with new techniques and always keep up with new technologies, so that I can take control and not the other way around!
Here a commercial I shot with a large use of CGI new technologies at the service of a classic story-telling.
LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why?
Federico> Mercedes. I like to start with a very old commercial that I made a long time ago ... Today nothing gets older than car-commercials, precisely because of the car models that immediately give you the idea of when it was produced.
However, this piece of work still represents a lot of my style as a filmmaker today and I am particularly fond of it.
2) Twining's: I like the idea of such a well-crafted film for a product that you don't expect this kind of creativity and execution from.
3) Lancia Y: here my 'beauty' and 'fashion' side comes out
4) Riva: a small tribute to Fellini's cinema, given to me by a very far-sighted client and agency.
