The Directors: Joaquín Güiraldes
Joaquín Güiraldes began his professional career at argentinacine in 2010, after graduating from the University of Buenos Aires. In his first years, he worked in different areas of the filmmaking process, discovering a special love for directing and editing. In 2013 he went agency-side.
He began at David Buenos Aires as a “creative editor” and later as a producer. In 2015 he joined The Juju to run their in-house production unit. In 2016 he returned to argentinacine, now as director. His style is based on visual storytelling, with a strong emphasis on editing and rhythm. As a director, he’s worked with clients such as Netflix, Facebook, MercadoLibre, Quilmes, Philadelphia, Burger King, and Budweiser.
Name: Joaquin Güiraldes
Location: Argentina
Repped by/in: argentinacine
LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?
Joaquin> As the pace of the industry has accelerated I feel the stages of the production process have become less defined. This can make some projects feel chaotic, but it also allows us directors to have input in earlier stages, and even participate more in the writing process. In my last couple of projects I felt the collaboration with the agency started earlier than usual and I had a lot of fun pitching ideas, rewriting scenes and even proposing new scripts.
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Joaquin> I definitely connect the most when I see an opportunity for storytelling. I think that’s what we all connect to the most. I’ll always try to shoot pieces that stand out visually, but the story is what brings it together. Tone-wise I’ve always connected to comedy the most. And if there’s sports involved, that’s great too.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Joaquin> I always try to isolate my favourite part of a project and focus on that. It can be thematic, visual, or even just a single joke or scene. For example if it’s about acting, I want to find good references to define the characters, and really set the tone. If I like the visual storytelling, I try to nail down the narrative, and give the client a detailed visual walkthrough of what I’m imagining. A lot of what ends up on screen will be defined later, so I want to communicate the stuff I definitely don’t want to lose.
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?
Joaquin> The first briefing call is really important for that context. I’m curious by nature, so I always try to read up on the brands, agencies and markets I work for, but I feel only the client and agency can tell you what’s really important.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Joaquin> Outside of my crew, the most important relationship for me is with the creative team, especially the creative director and copywriter. They know the concept inside out, so when we're on the same page, everything flows better. It’s all about collaborating to bring the best ideas to life and making sure the final spots work. A strong relationship here also means we can experiment and elevate the project together.
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?
Joaquin> I’m passionate about storytelling, especially when there’s humour involved. Visual comedy is my go-to because it gives so much room for creativity in timing and visuals. I’m also a big fan of sports, the energy and emotions in sports always make for great storytelling whether my characters are the athletes, or sports fans themselves. I’m always excited by projects that let me play with these elements in visually interesting ways.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Joaquin> I’ve heard people say my work is dark, visually speaking, but I think it’s just a coincidence that I shot so many commercials set at night. I’m all about natural lighting, night or day.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Joaquin> It really depends on the project and the process. In the end, I’m always about collaboration. As I said, I usually like to find something I love about each project, and focus on that. That way I can choose my battles so to speak. As long as the core of the idea is protected, I’m malleable.
LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent?
Joaquin> I can’t imagine working on a set that’s not diverse. The work becomes so stale without it.
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)?
Joaquin> Lately I’ve been shooting in 4:3 or open gate, depending on the camera. I like it as a format especially for acting, but it also gives the post team better material for the various cropping formats. When I’m editing I also like to watch the cuts on different devices, just to see it as people will see it later.
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)?
Joaquin> I’m usually an early adopter of technology but only if it fits into the process and doesn’t create a bottleneck. I’ve been using AI research tools for my treatments and it’s helped to make the presentations clearer and more precise, although as always, it’s always about knowing what you’re looking for.
LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why?
Joaquin> Mototematicos
This was one of those projects where everything just clicks. From the beginning the agency invited me to collaborate, to pitch ideas, new jokes, and redefine characters. The openness was there on set too. We focused on finding great actors which would allow us to try new ideas and improvise. The amazing crew created great sets with practical lighting which allowed us to focus on the acting and I’m really happy about the result.
Telling a story in 15 seconds is one of the most fun challenges a filmmaker can take on. It really requires the acting, cinematography, art direction and editing coming together and I think this spot really has it all.
Ahead of the 2021 Copa America we made a spot about Maradona coming down from heaven to help Argentina win its first cup in decades, and then we won our first cup in decades… and then we won two more. I’m not saying we ended the trophy drought, but maybe we did, ok?
