The Directors: Pensacola

Pensacola are clever, fast and furious. True craftsmen who magnify stories with humour and heart. Their work has been shortlisted at international awards, including London's 1.4. and Berlin Commercial. They recently worked on a promo for The Chemical Brothers feat. Beck.

The Pensacola world is reality but designed and elevated, as seen in commercials for brands such as Volkswagen, Uber, Fanta and Instagram, as well as music videos for artists including Jarami, Chvrches and Lil Yachty.

Name: Pensacola

Location: New York

Repped by/in: CANADA (UK/SPAIN/US), REKORDER (GERMANY), MADREFOCA (MEX), STEAM (CANADA)

Awards:

One Point Four - Best Promo (Flying High Directors) Selection - Axe - Smell Ready

One Point Four - Best Commercials - Flying High Directors (Established) Selection - Sports Direct - Never Just a Game

One Point Four - Flying High: Music Videos Winner - Jarami - No Chance

One Point Four - Commercial Flying High Directors - Established -Finalist Volkswagen - Gesture Control

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

Pensacola> Scripts that have a strong concept and are direct, clear. Those allow for further exploration and spark creativity. There are too many times when scripts try to satisfy too many people and tick too many boxes. That middle ground is what we always want to break through. Bolder, interesting and ironic scripts are the ones that get us going. It is normally in these that we can emerge with a new visual approach.

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?

Pensacola> We let the agency give us the context. Our job is to help them improve and execute the idea as best as possible. And if that means questioning some of the previous decisions made by proposing newer takes on it, we do that. Especially in markets where we are new or if it’s a product we don’t know that much about yet. A fresh view on a product is extremely valuable, and we always try to approach ideas and projects with this attitude.

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

Pensacola> The producer is one of the most important links. Having someone who understands your needs and respects your process is crucial. The creative process in advertising is set up in a more practical than freeway, which can kill good ideas immediately. Producers who allow for space, a good flow of ideas and who aren’t always thinking of a to-do list are the ones you want on your side. We are lucky that we work with a lot of those.

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?

Pensacola> There is a constant search for versatility in our work. We love comedy, VFX, transitions… But we have evolved more towards narrative and in-camera effects. I love working with set builds. It’s hard to say. One thing is clear: I would love to do more sports and cars, and do as much as possible with stunts. The exhilarating rush of getting extraordinary stuff on camera cannot compare with anything. 

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

Pensacola> I don’t know if it’s a misconception, but I really dislike it when people have described our work as 'quirky'. With time, I realised this adjective didn’t fit how we see ourselves. It's the main driving force behind wanting to evolve our reel and steer it towards something new. The new music video for the Chemical Brothers is an excellent example of that reaction. It has a degree of playfulness and fun, but there’s a story and a sense of drama underpinning it all.  

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

Pensacola> I am always working to be better at this. I am very open to suggestions and thoughts and value all the background and brand knowledge the agency and client bring, but at certain points in the process, it can dilute the idea and confuse things if there are too many cooks in the kitchen. It is a hard business, but ultimately, we have to be there to help the agency get the best outcome. There needs to be trust in both directions to allow each other to fulfil our roles. We always try to articulate the reasoning behind our choices and ideas and defend them because we put a lot of thought and care into making those choices.    

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)? 

Pensacola> I wish each format had a specific creative, honestly. Formats imply viewer patterns and ways. And it’d be so much cooler to come up with ideas that are specific to each of those. I am sure the audience would appreciate that too!

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)?

Pensacola> We like AI for simple image generation, but AI is great if used as a tool to explore creative concepts. I don’t think of it as an end product, to be honest. I love how the possibilities in terms of image generation and narrative are expanding. Still, I feel like, as humans, we always connect more with things that are imperfect and impossible to pre-conceive, and AI cannot create that (yet). 

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

Pensacola> In chronological order:

MIDNIGHT BLUE -  MR Flash

Because it is the first music video where we went all out while having 0 money, and taught us that concept is key.

IGTV - Choir and Dancefloor

We got to develop the concept together with the team at W+K Amsterdam, and we loved every bit of it. It is the most conceptually driven spot we have made: it is about and for the format.

SPORTS DIRECT - Not just a game

We liked the creative and got the chance to do something big and more action-driven and with Eric Cantona, who is a legend and a renaissance man.

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS ft Beck- Skipping like a stone

Our most recent work and something that starts to show an evolution. It is the most free we have felt in a while.