The Directors: Guy Gooch

Culted describes Guy Gooch as “knowing no creative bounds.” With a bold ethos of 'shitty is pretty' he playfully fuses technically challenging references and docu-style realism. Guy is a director, photographer and self-taught animator, whose portfolio translates as a collage of visual art, bound together by weighty concepts. An experimental smorgasbord that perfectly reflects contemporary youth culture – he weaves in performance, choreography, animation, design, and in-camera trickery to create multidimensional visual worlds.

Name: Guy Gooch

Location: London

Repped by/in: Stink Films

LBB> What sort of scripts get you excited?

Guy> I get excited by all sorts of briefs. I think a script that is really open to interpretation is always exciting as there’s fewer limitations and I can try to get real crafty and/or technical. Although when an artist or client has a clear vision, their active collaboration can produce something awesome that I couldn’t have imagined otherwise, that’s exciting too.

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

Guy> I tend to not stick to one specific process as I can spend five hours in a café thinking of something that can come to me at 2am when I’m trying to sleep. I keep the project in the forefront of my mind and try to keep as open to new and different ideas as I can, as well as doodling the ideas, I love doodling. 

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

Guy> Every relationship in the production of an ad is super important. The relationship with the creative director comes first, then I think making sure every crew member can see your vision clearly is essential. However for me personally I suck with organisation, so having a producer who can help move heaven and earth to make things work is ideal. This lets me focus on the creative.

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?

Guy> I’m a big fan of experimental work, whether visually or musically. Work that surprises me, whether it’s shot or recorded in a unique way gets me very excited, although I don’t think I have a genre preference in any artform, each genre has something I’m interested in. 

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

Guy> In the early days of working with Ray (Laurél), we went to the extremes with the mantra ‘anything for the shot’. I’ve had Ray almost drowning in a lake wearing a purple suit. Spraying their whole body with permanent wood varnish and scrubbing them down for three hours at 3am. 

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

Guy> I think it's important to keep an open mind for the idea to change and fit the clients needs. However if I truly believe in shooting things a certain way, I can show this through sharing excessive tests with the client to really map out my vision.

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)?

Guy> Again, I like to keep an open mind with AI. With music videos the idea comes mostly from how the song makes me feel, and if AI can help me express that feeling then great. However sometimes when working/editing something physically, you can discover something completely different through a mistake or imperfection that you wouldn’t have found through the AI-route. I’m generally more drawn to the imperfections of physical human work, and I like to discover what the work will become through the creative process. In fairness, though, if the task is simple then AI can definitely help speed things up.