Tradie Shorts and Juggling Skills in the Playground
Playground stories are always the one we recall when in the presence of long time friends. A chorus of 'remember when...' and 'did you ever realise that...' are sung out over the table, and the information that follows is more than likely to bring a huge smile to the faces present. It is a joy to have someone that knows all your stories in as much detail as you do.
Playground is a film production company based in Sydney, with a focus on narrative that transcends the boundaries of art, music, film and advertising. Working with award-winning creatives including Adam Kiers, Bounty / Banana, Melissa Anastasi and Marianne Khoo, Playground creates content that connects with audiences through meaningful and entertaining interactions.
Executive producer and director David Barker established Playground about three years ago. Previously a co-founder of Taxi Films, David has worked on many ad campaigns and music videos for Australian brands and bands, and in 2019 released his debut feature film Pimped.
Alongside David, producer Nick Garner has been with Playground since 2021. With 15 years experience in arts publishing and production, most recently as editor of the Oberon Journal and the director of Peryton, Copenhagen, Nick has a wealth of knowledge that makes this partnership work so well.
We invited the pair to share their own playground stories with LBB, showcasing their friendship, business acumen and passion for creativity.
David: Hi Nick, you’re sweating.
Nick: That’s not sweat.*
David: … it’d be fine if you wanted to say it was sweat.
Nick: Yes, it would make sense, we have been busy with campaigns for FitBit, Paspaley, Ngnungulla, Hydralyte and The National.
David: Ah yes, I did see that. For this interview, can I ask why you’re working here at Playground?
Nick: Because we make work we’re proud of, with people we want to spend time with. We try to strike a balance between the art and the advertising, the short and the long, which keeps souls nourished and horizons spicy with potential… I’d be interested to know, if you were to introduce me at the start of a documentary, what's the 3-worder?
David: “Nick Garner - Producer. Father. Lover. All round nice guy. Someone who understands the purpose of art.”
Nick: I’m listening.
David: You also have an ability to see the bigger picture in how our business relates to creativity, and the ways that we can manifest those interactions. You bring a sense of calm and intellect to the process that belies the stresses and strangeness that we experience in this mercurial juggling act of creative endeavours, business and life. I’d also add, you’ve always supported and loved the creative process, working to bring together the different pieces of the puzzle, from when I first met you as founder and editor of Das SuperPaper right through to now and your work here at Playground.
Nick: I noticed that you can juggle three tennis balls. Can you do anything else?
David: I’d like to dance like Jamiroquai. Maybe you could have a go at my business card?
Nick: “David Barker, taller than average, likes t-shirts with pockets, quite patient: director, executive producer, candlestick maker.” … as a director, you can do the bells and whistles of Movie Magic but through it all I’d say you’re a humanist, you believe in the capacity of human beings to make their own meaning, and it’s this process, of people making sense of their world, that you’re capturing in a performance. As an EP, you’ve done yards, and you know when to trust others.
David: You ever wonder why we work so well together?
Nick: We do?
David: …
Nick: For the sake of less tears, I think it’s because we’re different. Cats and dogs you know. A Milo and Otis kind of thing. Production is a dance and we're confident knowing where we end and the project begins. For us this means trusting each other. For the client that means the calmest journey from pitching to happy.
David: It’s a crowded market, besides you wearing tradie’s shorts to functions and my juggling skills, what do you think makes us unique, or at least an up and coming comedy duo?
Nick: I’d say it lies in the creative voices we showcase. Our directors aren’t from a mould, they’re an idiosyncratic bunch who have honed their crafts outside of Adland – they test, experiment, ferment, and then bring that to the table in a way that demands attention.
David: I hear you. Our roster of creatives don’t just live in advertising. Yes they’re good at it, but everyone of them - Adam, Bounty/Banana, Marianne & Melissa - they’re all bringing into advertising craft elements they’re experimenting and learning from in other endeavours - shorts, music videos, drama, art. That’s important in today’s landscape.
Nick: You’re the veteran** can you speak to the changing landscape of the advertising industry more broadly?
David: Okay grab a cup of tea… now more than ever we have to offer extraordinary value on a number of different levels. Most important, creativity that breaks out of expectation, offers something that will attract eyeballs and earballs from the chitter chatter…elevate the message. If you want people to listen you have to make it an interesting conversation. And also on brand for your audience. Advertising is entertainment and social media has put a psychopathic tiger among the pigeons. Super-saturated, over-populated streams that drain the brain, deaden the soul and then have you asking big questions about humanity. BUT, we shouldn’t just jump off that bridge, just yet. It’s always about how creativity can be harnessed for visionary storytelling; to get in the way of the clutter. In some ways you could call it disrupting the disruption. And, as anyone who has made it this far into our soapbox propaganda knows, we have to offer value for money and exceptional management skills. Get all that right, and who knows, we might get a solid 8 hours.
*Nick silently mouths “I don’t sweat, I glow”
** Veteran means experienced, not ‘old guy’.
