The Work that Made Us: Si&Ad
Si&Ad first met each other as in-house designers at Virgin Records in the '90s before some gentle persistence (which you can learn more about below) landed them a directing gig for a music video in the year 2000.
They have enjoyed - and continue to do so - a prolific career in music videos, before foraying into commercials with a deftly intricate style that lets their films be as they're intended, technique never getting in the way of their charm.
In the UK, Si&Ad are repped by long-time partners Academy Films, but recently joined the roster at Caviar for US representation and a vision to expand their filmmaking to more long-form projects.
LBB's Addison Capper is over the moon to delve a little into their back catalogues, as well as discover some of the nuggets of creativity that have inspired them as directors.
LBB> The ad/music video from our childhood that stays with us…
Si&Ad> 100% Thriller. We remember when it ‘premiered’ on Top of the Pops, the UK’s favourite popular music show back in the day when there were only four channels on TV. A massive chunk of the half hour show was carved out for the event. We set our VHS recorders running and sat back slack jawed as the beauty of it unfolded before us. In fact, most of Michael Jackson's videos were all huge events throughout the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
LBB> The ad/music video that made us want to get into the industry…
Si&Ad> There isn’t one specific ad or video clip that led to us joining the industry. It was rather a scene that was going down. We were working for a record label and we used to like and hang out in the music video department. We got to see the director's pitches and first cuts and it was pretty exciting stuff. We were looking at ideas penned by the likes of Jonathan Glazer, Walter Stern, Chris Cunningham, Spike Jonze, and loads of other AMAZING talents. A lot of their ideas never even got made, which was a real eye opener. But watching these films grow and evolve from a paragraph or sometimes a one-liner into a full blown visceral ‘thing’ was inspiring for sure.
LBB> The creative work that we keep revisiting…
Si&Ad> There are too many great works of art that we both revisit regularly. From Marvin Gaye to Saul Leiter to Steven Spielberg and everything in between.
LBB> Our first professional project…
Si&Ad> Our first professional project of note came about as an indirect result of 9/11. The pool of directing talent that usually worked on ‘pop’ acts were all stuck in the States. The record label we were working for had a pop act in the UK who needed a video urgently. We knew all this because we were always hanging out in the music video department. We were like, ‘Hey guys, we’ll make the video for you’, and they were like, ‘F%&k off’. After a week of this they eventually came to us and said, ‘We’re in a tricky spot, can you make the video for us.’ We of course agreed to make the video, which went to number one in the charts by the way… thank you very much. Not bad for a pair of lads who didn’t know a gaffer from a grip.
LBB> The piece of work that made us so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Si&Ad> Our mums always told us, ‘If you haven’t got anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.’
LBB> The piece of work that still makes us jealous…
Si&Ad> There are so many great pieces of work out there that make us jealous. Jealousy strikes every time we switch on TV or enter a movie theatre.
LBB> The creative project that changed our career…
Si&Ad> Common consensus would say that the piece of work that changed our career was Match.com, BUT we’d say Robinsons. They’re both good films and we’re eternally grateful for the opportunity given to us that enabled us to make them, and all the rest for that matter.
LBB> The work that we are proudest of…
Si&Ad> A few years ago we made an ad for St. John’s Ambulance that explained how to save the life of a choking baby. Apart from being very funny it did actually save lives. We received some heartfelt thank yous from parents of children who would not be alive if it wasn’t for the collective efforts of everyone involved in that project. A 12-year-old boy saved his younger sister from choking to death after seeing the film. Job done.
LBB> We were involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Si&Ad> See the answer to question five, but there have been a few. Hahahaha.
LBB> The recent project we were involved in that excited us the most…
Si&Ad> Earlier this year we did a spot for the NHS. We were advertising ‘poo tests’. Yeah, you read it right. The film was a joyous adventure into freeform dance. The process was not only great fun creatively but also the time and effort put into the project by our crew and cast brought all the warm feelings to our normally cold hearts.
