Exit signs craft master Campbell Hooper
Campbell Hooper, the newest addition to Exit’s roster, and Jessica McCormack (the brand whose celebrity clientele includes Rihanna, Rosie Huntington-Whitely and Emma Watson) have teamed up on the London luxury jewellery brand’s latest campaign.
Hooper’s most recent work for the brand includes two films and a series of photographs with the brand’s first brand ambassador and collaborator, Zoe Kravitz, whose directorial debut, the thriller, Blink Twice, was released in August, with a star-studded cast.
Being given an entrée to the demanding world of fashion is a grand statement of ability. For Hooper, it’s also a testament to his vast range as well as his finesse. Hooper’s creative output encompasses film, design, illustration and photography and he has crafted a reputation for work that touches hearts with its humanity using his instincts and insights as well as the striking visual imagery he creates from an education in graphic design and a grounding in music videos.
Hooper’s characteristic humility shows in his response to how he came to work with an internationally famous fashion brand and a Hollywood superstar with a royal pedigree in the world of music. “Other than Please Show Diamonds, it was a completely open brief. We decided on the spine of the film being Zoe reciting place names to create a kind of poetry. It’s so simple but her voice is so great it carries. One film features the street names between Jessica McCormack’s two showrooms and the other are the pubs – The Harp, The Seven Stars, The Rising Sun, The Orange. (Everyone thinks it’s tarot cards 🙂
Here’s a glimpse of the artist whose remarkable visual and narrative craft has led to direct films that premiered at Cannes, Tribeca and Clermont-Ferrand, created commercials for brands such as Lexus, HP, Hyundai, Samsung, Peugeot and Subaru, and directed music videos for Tame Impala, Flying Lotus and Coldplay.
How and why did the evolution of Campbell Hooper grow from graphic design to television commercials? What has remained a constant throughout?
Campbell Hooper: Well, I came up, not through graphic design per se, but more through the indie music and fashion scenes. So from the get-go, it was album covers, music videos, fashion films, and everything in and around that world. And of course, no money, so I had to do everything. Which is great because while it comes with zero budget, that also means an unrestricted creative space — and who cares when you’re 25 anyway? So that work with friends’ bands and labels swelled into shooting for international bands like Tame Impala, Coldplay, and Flying Lotus and various British and European luxury labels.
The simplest explanation, however, is that the difference between shooting film and stills, illustration, graphic design, and composing music is it’s just different buttons. You press it and see what happens.
What do you feel are the “signature” characteristics of your work?
CH: It’s hard to see your own “signature” in a way. But I would guess it comes from having to work through every role in the filmmaking process. In the last few projects, I’ve of course directed the films, but also gone back to shooting the stills, editing, grading, composing the music, and mixing the sound design. I’m intentionally choosing projects that allow this process.
The other aspect is that I find the voice of the project through the craft of making it through to the end. The form opens and reveals itself by working with the material. Obviously, it’s harder to do that on a commercial where everything is heavily vetted, but it’s important to try and hold onto the spontaneous and allow for creative movement. You just have to hold your nerve.
What are you most proud of? What have been the greatest challenges you’ve conquered in your career?
CH: I think the greatest challenge is learning self-preservation in a commercial industry that assesses you over a process in which you have little control. I’ve learnt to listen — to creatives and especially to clients — to get a real sense of what they actually want, so I can understand what I can give back in response. That goes equally for really mainstream brands like supermarkets and banks, or more left-field creative or luxury brands. It’s less ego. Less performative. That’s a hard but important lesson for an art school kid who was taught that it was all about breaking things and not giving a shit.
Why Exit? What does it mean to you to be joining Exit?
CH: I’ve always really admired Exit. Obviously, that’s in the calibre of the senior directors that came before me, but also they seemed to possess a certain humility and sincerity — things that now, for me, come at the top of the list.
View Campbell’s reel here.
Exit has offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland. For all director enquiries please contact leah@exit.com.au / declan@exitfilms.com / wilf@exit.com.au