The Directors: John Larigakis

John Larigakis started his career as an art director, working at advertising agencies like DDB, Cossette and 123w. His work has won multiple creative awards including six Cannes Lions, 12 One Show Pencils, and six D&AD Pencils. John’s directing work is characterized by a bold use of colour, dry comedic performances, and incorporating surreal, imaginative visuals into live-action.

Name: John Larigakis

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Repped by/in: Canada - BOLDLY

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

John> I like scripts that are smart, a bit surreal, and have room for dry comedy. Taking absurd characters and playing their performance very real, (without winking or acknowledging that anything is strange in that world), is probably my favourite kind of spot. It’s always exciting to build a unique world and then see it come to life.

If I had the choice to shoot a great dialogue spot with two people at a coffee shop, or the same script, only the two people were half-humans, half-lobsters, I’d pick the second one - mainly because I enjoy the challenge of bringing something strange, surreal, and beautiful to life.

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

John> I aim to get as much information as I can get from the team to find out exactly what their dream spot looks and feels like. Then I like to develop a detailed, art directed world for the concept to live in, and see what aspects of the idea can be elevated. I’ve been on the receiving end of many different styles of treatments over the years so I’ve been able to apply key learnings to my own.

I approach creating a treatment like creating a brand, solidifying details like what the key colour combinations will be, who the characters are, how camera movement will add or take away from the idea, and how all of the elements work together. All of the references I gather should create a distinct and cohesive world that makes it easy for everyone to envision the final spot.

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?

John> The strategic side is big for me because I think one of the most important details to nail is the tone for the brand. Looking at who the audience is, what the brand has done in the past, and knowing what has and hasn’t worked can be very helpful.

Because I come from an agency background and I’ve worn many hats, I appreciate what has to happen for creative ideas to see the light of day. If you can add a unique spin on the idea and also create a spot that’s in the ideal tone for the audience, then everybody wins. That’s the sweet spot I aim for.

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

John> It’s hard to single out one relationship as the most important - I think all of them are important. 

The director and creative team should have a close working relationship. I always sympathize with the team having been on that side. If you can help create an environment where everyone is comfortable and confident, then you can push the spot to be even better together.

The relationship between the director and the talent is also very important. The more a director can get to know the talent, joke around with them on set, and allow them to be themselves, the looser they’ll be when it comes time to shoot. If there’s a genuinely fun and motivating atmosphere on set, the better the results will be, and the more everyone will want to push themselves to make something great.

The director and DP also need to be fully aligned creatively. That way it’s possible to pivot and make quick decisions in the moment. Sometimes last minute tweaks and spontaneous thoughts can be the difference that takes something from an 8/10 to a 10/10.

LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about?

John> Stylistically, I like stories that have a clever, unexpected twist to them, and room for comedic relief. The bulk of my reel is focused on comedy, so there can be a misconception that I only want to work on comedy scripts. I also enjoy working on scripts that allow for building a visual world. If there’s a concept that’s highly cinematic, and involves conceptual unexpected elements, that’s something I would be interested in developing as well.

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

John> In a spot for PlayLand, we created an armchair character who had to break out of their chair body. It was an interesting challenge to solve. After exploring options, the best solution ended up being to go very analogue with practical effects in-camera. We decided to find two identical vintage armchairs, saw them in half, hollow them out, and rig them to break in half when the actor released it. The result ended up having more charm and realism than if we had created it with polished 3D or VFX and it reinforced my love for practical effects.

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

John> I’m open to exploring options to find out if something actually works. With comedy, it becomes obvious pretty quick if people are genuinely laughing or not. If it fails the laugh test, it’s not going to work. I never come in and try to steamroll a creative team’s script, but I do like to offer as many suggestions and additions for elevating the spot as I can.

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?

John> I think that having a more diverse pool of talent in the production world doesn’t just benefit the industry, it benefits society as a whole. It helps showcase voices that would otherwise not be heard and more accurately reflects the experiences of everyone in our community. 

I’m open to mentoring and apprenticeships. There are a lot of details you’ll only learn by actually being on set, and it can be hard to break into that world if you’re not given the opportunity. 

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?

John> It forced me to do more meticulous pre-planning and experimenting. I’m an illustrator so I already enjoyed creating my own storyboards, but through the pandemic I started developing even tighter drawings and animatics. This has helped me get a clearer sense of colour blocking, framing and set design and I’ll continue to work this way.

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)? 

John> I factor this into the framing and shoot schedule where possible and work with the DP to make sure we achieve it in the most elegant way. Sometimes we’ll shoot wider, or shoot custom assets for a specific medium. In situations where this isn’t possible because of timing and scope, we’ll plan some of the editing and VFX ahead of time to confirm we’ll get the final assets we need. Even if this means extending shots in an artful way in post.

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)?

John> A lot of the spots I work on have a surreal element to them so new technology will only add to the toolkit of options for bringing an abstract visual to life. We used 3D face scanning technology to create a porcelain statue of our actor in a recent Nintendo Switch spot. 

In another spot, 'Flavor That Lasts,' we used AI technology to age the characters’ faces. It added another layer of polish and realism than relying on the in-camera makeup alone.

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

John> 'Flavor That Lasts'

This spot shows two guys who are sceptical of long-lasting gum. As they debate it, we watch them physically age about 50 years. Everything in this spot was crafted intentionally to create a distinct, quirky world, from the wood panel-style basement, to the timing and expressions of the characters, to the prop hair and aging effects, to the jazz flute musical sting. It’s a great example of a dialogue spot with a surreal visual twist, and using in-camera practical effects.

'Scream Time'

The film tells the story of a teenager who’s been sitting and scrolling on their phone for so long that they’ve become part of the furniture, only to break free at an amusement park to have some good old fashioned fun again. The world we developed is eclectic and nostalgic, using custom props, practical effects and a 1950’s music track. It showcases my surreal, comedic style in a very colourful, visual way. 

'Living Room'

This spot highlights the dangers of renovating your home without testing for asbestos first. It shows another approach to bringing a surreal, visual metaphor to life using stop motion and miniature props instead of live-action. It has a distinct, art directed look, and a more whimsical, charming tone than you’d typically find in a health-focused PSA.

'Thoughts'

This spot follows a character chased by his own thoughts, represented by a human-sized thought bubble character foiling his every move. The costume design, subtle comedy and bold colour choices are another great representation of my style.