The Directors: Trevor McMahan

After starting out at Smuggler as the 'third arm' of directing duo HAPPY (Guy Shelmerdine and Richard Farmer), Trevor has since developed a voice all his own. With a mix of authentic performances and cinematic storytelling, humanity, heart and humour, he’s crafted stories for clients including Coca Cola, Volkswagen, Google, Visa, T-Mobile, McDonald’s, Jeep, and Cadbury.

Name: TREVOR McMAHAN

Location: zoom, pretty much all the time.

Repped by/in: Tinygiant in the US

Awards: Cannes Lions (Gold x two), cfp-e Young Director’s Award, AICP honouree

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

Trevor> I love when a script makes me think about something in a new way. Good ideas leap off the page and make me LOVE what we do. But… when an agency leaves enough space for me and the crew to elevate things, THAT is the thrill. To look out into the unknown and discover all the nuance and ideas that make the end product more real and meaningful than just a script that got filmed. I LIVE for that feeling.

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

Trevor> The instinct is to write about everything. But NO ONE wants to read a novel about their :30 second script! Treatments have become mind-numbingly cumbersome beasts… and we’re all just so over-committed. So, I tend to try getting right to the essence of the thing, exploring the two or three aspects that will make the difference in the final product. Because when those things align, the rest will sort itself out as we go through the process.

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?

Trevor> When venturing into new territory, it’s always helpful to know the lay of the land. To look at past work of the brand or by others in the category. But… I also think it’s important to trust one’s instinct as a director! Instead of parroting work other people have already done, I ask myself how I would imagine telling the story. What would get ME excited about watching it??

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

Trevor> Just one?? Honestly, it takes so many talented people! 

Producers who truly believe in you and reps who connect passionately to the work.

A creative team who can summon the courage to leave space for collaboration, and a client willing to go along for the ride of discovery. 

I love working with all the crew members, and love to encourage them to geek out and make their art, because every little layer elevates the work. Whether it’s a grip inventing a new camera rig to make a shot happen, or a stylist who creates the perfect custom t-shirt for a character. 

But if I were to narrow things down, I’d say the DP and the editor are the two I find myself spending the most time with, creatively. We talk a lot about visual language and finding unique ways to express the particular brand story. And conversations with the editor ahead of the shoot can give us more of a springboard on the day. 

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?

Trevor> I love stories. Regardless of genre or subject matter. I’m constantly thinking about them. How to tell them. What makes a good one work? What about stories makes us feel things and laugh and want to watch more? Even looking at things like vignette ads, I’m thinking about how to find the story beneath the surface that can grab us and make those disparate moments mean even more, together.

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

Trevor> In the past, I’ve been told I should 'find my genre' or 'style'. That it can be helpful for an agency to look at my reel and know exactly what they’re going to get. But that’s always felt antithetical to the thrilling nature of creativity. Each project offers its own array of possibilities, its own creative potential. So I’ve always believed in pushing into uncharted territory, taking each film to its most creative expression, whatever the genre or style might call for, and keeping faith that my filmmaking 'voice' will come through.

LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?

Trevor> What’s a cost consultant?? 

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

Trevor> Ha, always be solving! One time, I was on set shooting Coca Cola with a high profile athlete… when his agent decided to stop the shoot because he didn’t agree to the star 'drinking' the soda. The solution? To imply the player was drinking the soda, which ended up making the story that much more unexpected.

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

Trevor> Very honestly. I’m lucky to get to work on projects where my opinions are appreciated. But I make it a point to be open and honest with everyone throughout the process. I think that creative transparency can help put minds at ease. And ideally, we can align the vision and all pull on the same rope.

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?

Trevor> I’m all for opening up to fresh perspectives. And love the idea of having an apprentice! I promise I won’t throw ketchup at the wall!! ;)

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? 

Trevor> I’ve gotten pretty used to the video calls. And I like how I’ll be shooting in Europe, talking to creatives in Chicago, about a shoot we’ll do in South Africa, for clients in Atlanta. 

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)?

Trevor> The 9:16 format is the trickiest, because it’s just such a tall order (no pun intended) to tell a story both horizontally and vertically. I’d always prefer to grab unique takes for vertical, and edit them in a way that makes sense for the format. But when that’s not possible, we’ll board accordingly, compose shots with the full frame sensor, and it usually becomes a non-issue.

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)?

Trevor> I’m not a tech guy. And maybe this is old fashioned of me, but I think the tech should always be in service of story. So, I’d much rather lead with ideas than with technical processes. 

But… when it comes to designing the logo on the prop carton of milk in the fridge or the posters on the wall of a teen’s room, I’d rather put a funny prompt into an AI graphics generator and get interesting carton logos and posters that look real rather than generic 'milk' props or 'rock band' posters. 

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

Trevor> AEP 'Moments' - We embraced a finely-tuned and very human attention to detail in this, and brought a variety moments into an interesting unison.

HUAWEI 'Umbrella' - The script for this was very simple - guy is a no-show so girl 'removes' him from her photo roll until, at last, he shows up. I was encouraged to bring ideas, including of course, the umbrella, which is one of those details that keeps the actors from having to do too much by sort of speaking for them. 

TYMBARK 'What is it made of?' - This one still gets me. It’s funny, but creeps up on you. The script was brilliant, we pushed things even more on the shoot, and the VO got even better as we were playing around in the edit. Makes me smile every time.

ALLEGRO 'New Dad' - It always helps to relate with the work. To find that thread or angle that hits home and can help make it personal and meaningful. That was definitely the case here - I had just gone through being a new dad, and I was a bit surprised how it all poured out in conversations with agency, DP, production designer and, of course, the actors.