Big thanks to my alma mater (once more), for yet another feature in both 2019’s and 2020’s undergraduate prospectus.
A rehash of some of my previous responses, but for those of you still interested, here’s the full interview -
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PROFESSION.
When I’m not directing commercials, I look after Semicolon — a boutique production house with a focus on branded content I founded together with a couple of ex-ADM schoolmates.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE EXCITING PROJECTS THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON NOW?
In between my commercial work, I’m also developing a feature film I’m writing with ADM seniors.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY IN ADM?
The late night shoots for our Final Year Project were what stuck. It brought out the collaborative nature of the film medium, more so under the pressure of a timeline that bonded us in ways rarely achieved elsewhere. And in many ways I consider myself fortunate to still be working with these people - collaborators with shared beliefs, a strong, daring sense of curiosity and a never-say-die grit. It makes for good fun and even better memories.
IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR EDUCATION IN ADM PREPARED YOU FOR THE REAL WORLD/ HOW DO YOU THINK THAT STUDYING ART AND MEDIA IN ADM HAS PREPARED YOU FOR THE INDUSTRY?
Learning didn’t just happen within the glass walls of ADM.
I learned that there was a larger world out there, waiting to be explored, picked apart and observed. Self-initiative is the key. ADM’s a good diving board from which to leap into a more expansive pool of experiences and knowledge.
WHAT IS THE PROUDEST MOMENT YOU HAD IN ADM?
Ironically, it came after I had graduated. In 2018 I was invited to direct the promo for the 10th graduating batch of ADM students. As with most of my commercial work, timelines are tight and budgets, even more so. But in my initial pitch to the student committee, it was heartening when they didn’t just jump on board, they wanted to take it to the next level. Ambition was quickly followed with a tenacious grit and ingenious resourcefulness. And that same spirit that banded together an entire batch and rounded up a 30-man crew in a short span of a week reminded me of how we got through school. It taught us that no ambition is too crazy as long as you have the right band of people at your back. It taught me what it meant to dream and hopefully, it is what will keep us dreaming.
WHAT IS A PIECE OF ADVICE THAT YOU WILL LEAVE WITH INCOMING STUDENTS?
Stay curious. A lot of what we learnt back in school was self-initiated. Tertiary education isn’t so much about being spoon-fed information, as it is about the continuous search for knowledge. You learn so much more by asking the right questions and knowing where to look — because it’s everywhere in school. And in many ways, that is who we are as creatives — curious about the world around us. So why not start in school?
