The Shammasian Brothers
Bang & Olufsen “Learn To Listen”
Agency: In-house
Production: Godman, London
DP: Karl Watkins
Editors: The Shammasian Brothers
Affiliation: Godman, London
How did you get into directing? Both graduated from film at University. Started making our own shorts/documentaries and writing scripts.
Why do you want to direct commercials? [Commercials are] a great discipline to tell stories in a short space of time.
What’s your most recent spot project? Bang & Olufsen, “Learn To Listen.”
Do you have plans to work in other areas–e.g. shorts films or features or TV? Yes, we are at the last stages of script development on our first feature film.
Have you ever done any of that in the past? No. This will be our first commercial feature film.
What do you think is the best part about being a director? Best part is the ability to earn a living doing a truly creative and unpredictable job. You are always learning and growing and realizing new dreams.
What’s the worst part? Worst part is the intense time some projects take to finally get off the ground.
Who is (are) your mentor(s)? Everything around us is an influence. From the man on the bus to a conversation we may have overheard. We tend to try and find ideas and inspiration from anything and everything and sometimes from the most unlikeliest of places. The trick is to always be open to your surroundings and see things from a slightly different angle.
Having such a love for cinema, a lot of our influences are drawn from movies and artists we respect. But it’s so varied, such as David Lynch, Frank Capra, Sidney Lumet, Roy Disney and Frank Miller, to name but a few.
Also music is a huge influence. Especially when writing. The right track can really place us in the right mood.
Not counting your own work, what’s your favorite recent ad? Why? Recently, we like the new adidas spot “Hello Tomorrow” from 180/TBWA San Francisco. Taps into the imagination and really takes you on a beautiful journey.
