The Directors: Santiago Franco

Santiago Franco, born in Buenos Aires, studied film directing at the Universidad del Cine (FUC). In his first years he made several short films that were presented and awarded at international festivals like the Shanghai International Film Festival and BAFICI among others. Since 2010 he has directed commercials and music videos in different countries in Latin America and Europe. He’s worked for big brands such as Stella Artois, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Chevrolet, Linkedin, Brahma, among others. He’s also collaborated with artists such as Tini Stoessel, Karol G and Abraham Mateo among others.

LBB> What does creativity mean to you and when did you first realise that you wanted to be a director?

Santiago> I realised I wanted to be a director in my second year of my Film Studies when I did my first short film. I vividly remember when I captured the frames I wanted I said, “Hell, yeah! This is what I want to do!” It felt amazing, I felt I was on the right path. It is funny that this feeling came two years after I decided to study Film. Being a director is not for everyone. A phrase by Stanley Kubrick that characterises very well how it feels: “The hardest part of filming is getting out of the car”, because you know that everything depends on you once on set.

About creativity, I used to think that it was tightly related to a hard working process of ideas and thoughts. Now I feel this process has to be experienced in the body as well, there should be space for idleness to let ideas settle. It is a combination of hard work, taking breaks and changing the air when I travel for work to see things afresh.

LBB> Did your childhood hobbies or interests give any indication of the industry you would end up in? What were some of your interests growing up?

Santiago> The main influence came from my parents and my grandfather, who was an architect. I love the technical aspect of taking pictures. My dad is an engineer who loves the scientific part of things, like understanding how complex systems and structures work. Later on I realised engineers also like to innovate. I was hooked by that.. My mother, on the other hand, is an artist, who added the sensitive side to my life. She used to read a lot of books to me, she showed me and talked about the work of different artists. My heritage was a merge between mechanics and the arts. I strongly believe that cinema is a combination of both.

When I was a child a romantic aspect of movies that sticks in my mind is the sound of grandpa’s projector. For me, making movies has a lot to do with that sound.

LBB> You’ve worked around the world. How has your global experience impacted your vision, if at all?

Santiago> Being a director is about solving problems all the time. Things are never what you think, there are always last-minute challenges. Even when you receive a similar idea that you have done before, it will never be the same, as I work with different people in different environments. The key factor is adapting to the circumstances and understanding what the project needs. Creating a film is like life, it’s learning to adapt to what you’ve committed to do the best way you can.

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

Santiago> How difficult! If I have to pick one that would be the executive producer as I rely on them big time. They are the glue, they’re pretty close to the project. The client, the agency, the talents, what is needed and the resources we count on to do the project... Production is about a way of working, of seeing the business, a way of life. When there is a meaning behind a company culture, everything falls into place. This is lasting. What I like about Mama Hungara, the production house I work with, is that we are on the same page about pushing together with intention and a sense of closeness and trust. 

Santiago Franco directing an actor portraying a referee for the Bplay Campaign, the official sponsor of the Football League.

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?

Santiago> Yeah, definitely! Having said that, it’s something that unfolded quite naturally. I am drawn to sports, the environment, the fans and the vibe. I have a 360 vision of sports, which helps me show it from different angles. A match is like life, it has certain rules. Sometimes they’re not fair, it has its ups and downs, and we share it with others. There are a lot of things you can get out of sports. Nowadays, we tap into technology to boost how we communicate the dynamism and poetic aspects of sports.

LBB> What are some pieces of work you’re particularly proud of and can you tell us a little bit about the processes behind them?

Santiago> In 2022 I made a campaign for Banco Galicia, it was a six-advert campaign that was initially thought for a digital market, which was later shown on TV as well. I remember this project very vividly as I worked with Mercado Mccan elbow to elbow. Another campaign I worked on a few months ago is the BPlay one. They gave me the freedom to contribute my ideas, which we ended up making the campaign longer and more impactful. Production-wise it was rather challenging, the weather was not on our side, it was raining, we shot in the evening and we were all tired. Having said that, one of the advantages was that we filmed in an amazing stadium. The beauty of this job is in the magic of the team synergy. The agency and the client were brave and also trusted in us. 

LBB> What is the most rewarding part of being a director for you?

Santiago> When I shot my first film, I was looking at the frames and remember I had rehearsed in my mind several times what I was seeing on the screen. This was an Eureka moment for me, a hell-yeah moment. It’s always on set when I feel present. Over the years, this feeling has grown in me, it’s a blessing. 

LBB> What’s one piece of advice you’d encourage every director to heed?

Santiago> I would say it’s not only about watching movies or commercials, it’s also about paying attention to your passions beyond filming. It’s about being curious and constantly seeing things afresh and having an avid will to learn and relearn things to feed your vision.