Director’s Brief – 10 Questions with Tristan Houghton @ Taxi Film Production

Director’s Brief: 10 Questions is a new Q&A series from Campaign Brief that shines a spotlight on the broad mix of talent shaping Australia and New Zealand’s commercial directing scene. In this edition, we feature Tristan Houghton, a visionary First Nations director represented by Taxi Film Production and Oombarra Taxi. Here, Tristan answers Campaign Brief’s 10 Questions…

Sum up your directing style in three words?

Authentic, immersive and refined.

Was there a specific ad that made you think, “I want to do this for a living”?

It wasn’t a finished ad that made me want to work in advertising, it was the exposure to a commercial film set and watching the experienced director work. I couldn’t believe the level of craft that went into a commercial and that someone would pay you to spend the time and make it perfect.

What’s your all-time favourite ad?

I’d have to say Volvo “Moments” by Gustav Johansson. It came out not long after my second child was born and it had a profound impact on me as a person and a director. It’s authentic execution and layering of story is a huge inspiration.

In your experience, what’s the secret to a smooth director-agency-client vibe?

What’s worked for me is communication, asking all the right questions and digging a little deeper to understand everyone’s goal for the project. I also think that during our rush to bring the job to life we forget to take a minute and get to know the people we are working with on a more personal level. Talking work throughout the whole production process can be draining for all involved and being able to take a moment between locations or edits to know a bit more about the people I’m working with can often change the dynamic of the working relationship for the better.

Where do you go (or what do you do) when you need to recharge your creative batteries?

To recharge my creative batteries, I need to head offshore fishing. The lack of reception and the hyper focus it takes to find the target fish pushes everything else to the side for a day, creating the space to jump back into work again.

Ever had a happy accident on set that turned out to be a game-changer?

Most projects I’d say there’s a couple of these moments I’ve learnt to lean into. I wouldn’t say they’re accidents but rather challenges that have arisen through no fault of our own and you just have to go in trusting in your own ability to still get it done. This has been last minute talent changes who bring an unexpected performance, gear not arriving at the overseas destination and having to swap shoot days around resulting in free rain effects that has elevated the mood of the scene. These hurdles are always thrown our way, it’s the way you handle these moments that make or break your project.

What’s an up-and-coming trend in commercial filmmaking you’re pumped about?

I’m really excited about smaller camera packages with great image quality. As a director we have so many more tools that can create beautiful imagery which required large bits of supporting equipment and lighting. I feel far freer now to roll with the challenges knowing that changing a setup won’t lose us an hour of shoot time. We can run more cameras and move them in new ways. I feel like the shackles have been taken off and we can create commercials with less restrictions.

If you could direct a dream ad for any brand, which one would it be?

The Royal Australian Airforce! I grew up dreaming of being an Airforce pilot and still admire the aircraft to this day. Being able to dip my toe into that industry and bring a film to life would be an exciting and rewarding challenge.

What’s the best advice you’d give to someone trying to get into directing ads?

Start making! There’s a million excuses for why you couldn’t do a spec ad or create a free film for a local business. The sooner you start ditching those excuses and start making is the sooner you build your brand and network which inevitably snowballs. You will make mistakes, many of them, but you will learn everything you need along the way.

What are your top 3 ads you’ve directed?

IBM, Aurizon and Sydney Morning Herald, mainly because of the challenge of adventure, being out on the road with a plan.

Tristan is represented by Taxi Film Production and Oombarra Taxi.

To view Tristan’s reel, please visit www.taxifilm.tv