The Directors: Pardeep Sahota
Pardeep Sahota is a three time Clio award-winning writer, director and editor. He won the British Arrows Emerging Talent Gold Award 2022. He has collaborated in commercials and promos with a vast range of clients and world renowned brands. His award-winning short film series Bleeding Art, was Official Selection at BAFTA qualifying Slamdance Film Festival 2020 in Park City, Utah. In 2021, he was the recipient of the B3 Media Associate Artist Award, an organisation dedicated to supporting British multicultural talent in the creative industries. He won 12 Promax Europe & Global Excellence 2021 awards including Gold Funniest Promo and Gold Use of Copywriting. He ended the year winning 3 Clio Entertainment 2021 awards including Silver for Best Social Content Campaign and Bronze for Best Copywriting. His work has been shortlisted by the Shiny Network and reviewed as 'clever, funny and not for the faint-hearted' and that is the perfect description for the type of creative work he wants to continue to make.
Name: Pardeep Sahota
Location: London
Repped by/in: Banquet
Awards: British Arrows – Emerging Artist Award Gold 2022, three x Clio Entertainment Awards 2021 (one x Silver, two x Bronze), 17 Promax Awards (Global Excellence, Europe, UK)
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Pardeep> For me it’s the idea, if it’s something that resonates, challenges or thrills me into sparking off ideas. Starting off the idea factory in my head, then that’s what excites me.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Pardeep> The goal is to align the vision with execution, balancing brand strategy with creative ingenuity. Which is a bit like herding cats. And the trouble with herding cats is, it never goes the same way twice.
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?
Pardeep> I don’t think you can create an ad for a world if you don’t understand it, so I think there’s always certain level of research and understanding going on each time. I like to look at the history of the brand and where it wants to go and where the competitors stand.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Pardeep> I think its essential to have great working relationship with your actors as they are bringing your vision to life, they are doing the hard bit on the day. And next to that is the DoP who is functioning as the other half of my creative brain translating that choreography into the vision.
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?
Pardeep> I’m naturally drawn towards comedy, it seems to be my reflex in most situations and so over years has become my most developed muscle. But I really get a kick out of it when the comedy is challenging and clever. These qualities are what I admire most in work I see and what I’m passionate about practising in my own.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Pardeep> I’m not really sure. But one thing I’ve noticed a few times is a worry that we might be talking over an audiences head somewhat and I think that does the audience a disservice. Whenever we have shot a little higher, it’s resonated and the audience picked it up, enthusiastically so. I think they aren’t given enough credit sometimes and so the work can speak at a higher level.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Pardeep> I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t encountered too many crazy problems and have had the good fortune to collaborate with great professionals.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Pardeep> Like with any creative endeavour its all about communication and making sure we are heading in the same direction. It becomes less a tussle for protection of the idea if all parties, agree and know where we are headed.
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?
Pardeep> Coming from a working class, British Asian background I think its great that we are able to open up the industry to new blood and new talent. The industry needs more new voices not echoes. I sat on the jury for the Young Arrows 2022 and there is an exciting wave of talent on the horizon.
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?
Pardeep> I think remote working with our changing lifestyles is one of the positives to draw from the pandemic. It’s all about effective time management to get the job done.
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)?
Pardeep> It’s something you definitely have to be aware of but at the same time you can’t artificially constrain your ideas visually in the event that they are presented on the smallest screen.
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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)?
Pardeep> This entire interview has been conducted with ChatGPT. Pardeep left to go lay in the garden.
