Top director: Simon McQuoid

Every fortnight Campaign Brief Asia is turning the spotlight on a hot director that is currently in the news. This new feature to the website will portfolio their work and give an insight into how they operate. Here we look at one of last year’s most awarded.

Simon McQuoid, ranked number three director in the world in the 2008 Gunn Report, has signed with Revolver for representation in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. McQuoid’s X-Box Halo 3 launch films, won the Film Grand Prix at Cannes 2008, along with the Film Grand Clio, a D&AD pencil, and several Gold One Show pencils. The native Australian began his career in Perth as an art director. In 1995, he relocated to the US, working his way to a group creative director position for TBWA/Chiat/Day in New York. In 2003, he transitioned into directing. He’s represented in the US by Imperial Woodpecker, a new production company launched by Stacy Wall.

What impact has winning the Grand Prix at Cannes for Halo 3 had on your career? Have you been inundated with scripts since then?

Thestandard of scripts that I am seeing now has definitely gone up. Andpeople seem to know how to pronounce my last name, which is nice. Theboard flow has improved for sure.

You’ve just signed with Revolver – what prompted that decision?

Ilive in New York, but I’m Australian. I’ve never had any representationin Australasia so it seemed logical to me to get representation thereat some point.

I’ve been keeping an eye on companies whose work Iadmire for the last few years and Revolver was certainly one of them. Iwas introduced to [executive producer] Michael Ritchie through a mutualfriend and we met, got on well and away it went from there. I like thestyle and standard of the work on Revolvers roster. Each director isvery different but they all have a high level of craft, and amazingattention to detail to their work, so I feel very pleased and humbledto be sitting among them.

Have you done much work in Asia throughout your career?

Notone. I will give a gold watch to each member of the team I work withfirst. That’s a promise; it’s in writing now, so I have to do it.

Why did you make the switch from creative director to directing? What was your first big break as a director?

Iwas always planning on doing it; I just took longer than I thought. Iloved being an art director but when I became a CD I found I gotfurther and further from the creation of the work. Once this happened Iknew it was time to make the transition. My first big break was a spotI did for Partnership for a Drug Free America. It was a great scriptwith a great idea out of Goodby. It set me on my way for doing dialoguespots, which I love. Up until that point I hadn’t really done muchdialogue. It was a break in that the agency guys took a risk in goingwith me and I am eternally grateful to them for that (see the spot onthe Revolver website).

What’s the most memorable spot you’ve directed?

Iguess it would be Halo 3. The entire process with the agency wasfantastic. We all wanted to make something great and it was reallyquite easy in some strange way. It wasn’t the traditional productionprocess; it was far more informal, and very collaborative from theoutset. They were brilliant scripts, and my casting director found someincredible actors, it was simply a joy to do. I love that the idea atthe core of the campaign had so much substance to it (see the spot onthe Revolver website).

What do you love about directing?

Tobe able to create visceral and moving stories is immensely satisfyingfor me, whether serious or comedic it doesn’t matter. One of the joysof making commercials is that the spots are centred on an idea, I likethat the execution is informed by the idea, and I enjoy that discipline.

Recently McQuoid was asked to nominate his favourite commercials. Here are his choices:

Volkswagen ‘Night Drive’ isa wonderful idea made even better in execution. This is an incrediblybeautiful spot. The voiceover and visuals create a haunting visceralpiece. I watched it over and over again.

The Epuron ‘Power of Wind’ is such an intelligently directed spot. The casting is inspired and it’s smart, sad and funny all at once. Top Class.

This Nike ‘I Feel Pretty’ film is a really smart idea. I love how big it is. It has a seriousness in its style, riding on a very funny premise.