The Directors: Jim Weedon

Jim Weedon is an award-winning multi-media, CGI and VFX director. He began his career as an editor working with the likes of Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, Johnathon Glazier and Jake Scott to name a few. In fact it was Sir Ridley who suggested he should move into directing. It wasn’t long before he was racking up awards like the prestigious BBC New Directors Award, D&AD pencils and BTA Arrows for brands such as Adidas, Nike, Reebok, BMW, Volvo, Sony, Rolex, HSBC, Barclays Bank and many more.

In 2015 he directed his first feature called 'Sword of Vengeance', following that he was brought on board by Scott Free to work on the television series Taboo, starring Tom Hardy. 

His charity work has also generated a huge amount of reaction and benefited such charities as The Motor Neurone Association, Combat Stress, Changing Faces, UNICEF and many more. In fact his MNDA film ‘Sarah’s Story’ created unprecedented exposure on such an insidious disease, so much so it was banned by the BBC for its uncompromising storytelling.

Name: Jim Weedon 

Location: London

Repped by/in: Johnny Foreigner 

Awards: D&AD’s, BTA’s, LIA’s, Media Week, Promax and more…

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

Jim> Scripts come in so many differing concepts that are intrinsically unique to the individual brand, but I often find that it’s either a beautifully realised observation that has a sympathetic connection to the product or else a specific visual effect employed to illustrate the type of communication a brand might be wanting to convey. 

Well written ideas are the ones that excite me the most, whether that’s in a concept or observational approach. The more realised the script, the more depth and opportunity I believe a director has to elevate the conceit into a piece of sublime advertising. 

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

Jim> I write all my own treatments and always have done including the picture research. These days its about creating an experience more than anything by building webpages of embedded video and music with other live action or CGI references to help get your vision across. The downside to this is that most of my treatments are at least 30 pages plus, working across a digital platform that often now takes me a week or more to create. 

In terms of approach I often have a reference that I can draw upon from a movie that has immediate resonance. From there I then build outwards and find a way to integrate the story and visuals to create a more unique approach. Ultimately the key to a successful script is to create something that stands apart in such a competitive market. 

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?

Jim> I always do my homework on a brand, I look at any previous work and also speaking directly with the agency to get their take on their clients needs is obviously vital. 

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

Jim> Good question. I believe a director must have important relationships with all elements of the production from the agency right through to the post finishing. I would say that a good script, a good DOP, editor and composer will get you pretty much there. 

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?

Jim> I have shot most types of genres and worked with grizzly bears, elephants, monkeys and more. I have shot guns, blown stuff up, created love scenes, bar fights and comedy moments, but each one has its own unique attributes that I find incredibly engaging. 

I am probably most drawn to the metaphysical aspects of storytelling, whatever the genre. Moving an everyday experience into something more visceral and unexpected is where the magic lives. This is often found in the sound as well. 

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

Jim> That I am dark and foreboding. I am actually a funny guy! 

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

Jim> Oh yes. Always good, apart from being made to fly Kazakhstan Airways once.

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

Jim> There’s been so many. When people ask what I do for a living I state that I solve problems and that really is the trick these days, due to budget constraints, lack of time, location conundrums and more. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin ‘If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail’, but there is always an unexpected problem that arises no matter how much you have prepared. 

But some of the more interesting ones include an actor who couldn’t float in water, a famous basketball star who couldn’t jump, a Bollywood actor who wouldn’t get wet in a sea storm scene, half a crew collapsing from heat exhaustion, shooting in -20 degree temperatures, a dop going missing after a night out and so many more…

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

Jim> Ultimately the idea usually wins through, but there are so many unexpected curve balls that often come into play during a film’s conception. I used to push back a lot but it really is a case of exploring any opinions and seeing if they ultimately benefit the idea. I found a long time back that going with the flow and finding a solution together is a much better way forwards. 

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?

Jim> I’m all for it and always have been. I try to find the most diverse pool of people when bringing a production together. The more unique and interesting, the more frisson there is. 

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? 

Jim> It hasn’t helped my OCD’s. Actually, the only real difference is the remote meetings and the advent of Teams and Google Meet, other than that it feels pretty much the same. 

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)? 

Jim> I just focus on the idea and its execution - nothing more. 

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)?

Jim> I have shot with VR which was a lot of fun and what I would imagine the experience to be when directing a life theatre performance. I have recently worked with AI to create children’s faces in a three-dimensional aspect. And I have shot some virtual production as well with projections. All have their benefits when utilised correctly. 

At the moment I am also developing an action thriller/horror feature film with a company and utilising Unreal Engine and the latest motion capture software. In fact I have actually directed some Unreal Engine for another development project. This is becoming the future in so many fields. It is important to stay ahead of the curve.

LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why? 

Jim> Tough one. 

I love the Syfy Channel’s ‘Boy meets Girl’ as I had a great collaboration with the agency on this. It’s a love story with a lot of metaphysical elements. Just a beautifully realised piece of communication. 

MNDA’s ‘Sarah’s Story’ - I am extremely proud for what this did for the charity, the disease’s exposure and the fact the BBC wouldn’t play it. This also shows my capabilities as a writer, the original script was just a girl withering away on a medical table, but to me the disease felt like an invisible rapist who takes everything and so that became the starting point in how we developed the script into what it became. It also shows of my talents as a performance and visual effect director and editor. 

Sony ‘Champions League’ This was a great execution of design, performance and really well crafted CGI which took us several months to complete. I often do acting workshops to explore the script and also to allow the actors to really become invested in their characterisations. This is a perfect example of good pre-thought and character development for something that really is just frozen action. The emotional performances really cut through the clever visuals and that’s what makes this so arresting. 

Metro ‘Last Light’ - I developed a lot of the character introductions to the story. We were shooting in -15 degree temperatures which made it a very tough shoot. The woman who loses her child sang the lullaby in the casting and I knew instantly that this would become our motif for the film. Overall, it was a good piece of storytelling with great action, emotional performances, good CGI, great sound and a very well crafted edit.