The Directors: The Martians
Greetings 🖖🏽🖖🏽
We come in peace.
You might know a lot of things about our planet, but did you know that cameras don’t work on Mars? The average temperature on our planet is -60°, which makes it very difficult to record any images. That’s why we moved to Earth.
We love moving images, and from all the planets in the milky way, your civilization spends 76 days, every Earth year, looking at them. That’s a lot of moving images.
Meanwhile, we have been trying to integrate ourselves in your customs. We noticed humans like shiny objects, so we managed to get hold of some shiny Cannes Lions, D&AD’s and One Shows.
Our telepathic powers know when you need our vision into your projects, but apparently here on Earth that’s unethical. You need to inform us first. So, here’s our contact if you’re in need of someone with a vision out of this world.
Name: Martians
Location: Planet Earth
Repped by/in: ALTERED.LA - US / Visionaries - UK / We Are Action - Portugal / Soup Films - Germany / DA Agency - Eastern Europe
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
The Martians> As Martians, we love scripts that are so simple they work on a universal scale. To ensure they're easily understandable, we normally share them with a Plutonian friend. As everyone knows, Plutonians aren't the brightest stars in the galaxy, so if he understands it, it means everyone will, and we get excited about it.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
The Martians> We have a very meticulous process.
It all starts with the 'Translation Stage'.
This means we translate not only the language but also the emotion and body language of the humans who were brave enough to meet us. Once we get that clear and straight in our green heads, we move on to the most important creation moment.
The 'Nap Time Stage'.
We take a veeeery long nap.
We’re not sure what really happens during this stage, but it certainly leads to the third one.
The ‘Deadline is here’ Stage.
Here, we just type for our lives and rush against time to deliver a beautiful treatment to the agency/brands.
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?
The Martians> We’re from Mars, so we’re not familiar with any human brands at all.
Ah! We do know NASA - they sent some very old-fashioned rockets into space a few decades ago.
Fortunately, we have mind-reading powers that work on humans, brands, and even some animals. This allows us to be strategically and creatively accurate in our approach.
Martian tip: never read the mind of a pug - it's weirdly empty in there.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
The Martians> We noticed recently that we normally build stronger relationships with the catering department. They have a very special human skill: making people happy. And we like happy sets.
Apart from catering, we tend to talk a lot with DOPs and production designers. Since we have two heads, we can talk to them simultaneously, saving time during production.
But the best conversations definitely happen in the “video village”. You cannot believe how shooting boredom raises amazing conversations among agency and brand humans. Sometimes we get jealous and wish we spent more time there.
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?
The Martians> More than once, someone has rated some of our films as “Beautiful Comedy”. We were very confused because the films weren’t supposed to be comedies. Since then, we’ve just embraced it, and we love receiving ‘Ahahahahah’ messages on Earthling social media.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
The Martians> Some people think that just because we use a spaceship to travel, we might be too expensive for their budget. But our spaceship is solar-powered, and due to our proximity to the sun, it is probably the most energy-efficient vehicle in the Universe. If you have a script you want to produce, just aim for the moon and we’ll be there waiting to read it.
LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?
The Martians> Yes, and it was funny. For the first time, the Martians weren’t the most out-of-place people in the room.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
The Martians> Since we can predict the near future, we rarely encounter production problems. However, once we didn’t properly count the number of clients attending a shoot, and we weren’t able to provide official Martians merch to everyone. Unless… one of us took off our Martian shirt. Fortunately, we always collaborate with wardrobe departments that bring way more items than needed, so we didn’t have to walk around the set showing our three-nippled Martian bare chests.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
The Martians> That is a tricky one.
But our friend Woody once told us something we now use on set:
“If you've got troubles, I've got 'em too.
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you.
We stick together and can see it through,
Cause you've got a friend in me.
You've got a friend in me.”
If we’re all friends and aligned, the results will be better.
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?
The Martians> Earthlings embraced us when we came to Earth.
We’d love to return the favour. Send us a note, and we’ll try to help
The more diverse voices we get working together, the better the universe will be.
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)?
The Martians> We keep it in mind very strongly. We’ve developed a technique that has worked so far. In every storyboard we create, we squint our eyes horizontally until we see the 9:16 ratio (or any other format) and immediately realise if it works or not. 'horizontal squint' is the future - you heard it here first.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?
The Martians> Technology on Earth is still quite rudimentary. For us, AI is the equivalent to Windows 95 for you. So, all these “new” technologies are child’s play for us. Luckily, here on Earth, we'll be tech-proof for a couple of centuries.
LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why?
The Martians> Born to Create Drama
From time to time, we find fellow Martians here on Earth and love bringing them to the screen. The girl in this film is one of those cases. The music she plays initially is a hit back on Mars, but apparently, it is considered out of tune here. We guess oxygen makes a lot of difference in how we experience music. Luckily, she finds her own niche by the end of the film.
Bet.pt
Back home, everyone can control time, so, for us, slowing down time is very banal. But here on Earth, humans are amazed by slow-motion. It pumps their hearts, builds expectations, and raises the levels of joy. As time control experts, we love showing off its potential.
Aldrin
Humans love coffee. We’ll never understand why, but that’s how it is. In this commercial we tell the story of someone who almost goes bankrupt because he drinks too much coffee. We don’t drink coffee; we just take naps. And we’re sure the smart guy in this ad just quit his job to take a nap as well.
