Rick Davis,

Senior

vice-president,

Creative director,

Young and Rubicam,

Toronto

I remember the first time I shot with Canadian director Paul Cade. Paul was quoting on a job against two other Canadian directors. He came into my office burdened with armloads of books, magazines and other reference pieces. He wanted to help us explore different looks, ideas and possibilities for our little tv spot. And he did it with much enthusiasm and joy.

Earned the right

Through his actions, Paul earned the right to become part of the creative team. He earned the right to have ‘say.’ He earned the job, too.

I’ve experienced that kind of collaboration and commitment from only a handful of Canadian (or Canadian-based) directors. Cade, Boris Damast and the late Richard Radke come to mind. Curiously, I’ve experienced it with every American director I’ve worked with.

Here’s a word of advice for a lot of Canadian directors, and particularly executive producers and production house operators.

Quit whining. Start doing.

Do what?

Show enthusiasm and interest when you’re quoting.

More than your reel

Bring something other than your reel to the table. Bring visual aids in print and film from around the world. Bring news of innovations in media and technology. Bring fresh ideas, fresh thinking, fresh approaches. Even if a creative team doesn’t use any of them, at least you’ve shown you care about what they’ve likely gone through hell to create and get approved. More important, you’ve shown you want to make it better.

Experiment more. Constantly look for new and exciting ways to be better and get better. I’ve seen so many reels where each spot looks like the next. The same lenses. The same composition. The same camera angles. The same editing style. The same marble columns. The same rolling hills. The same flock of birds.

Celebrate your camera people and editors more. Bring their ideas to the table, too. A great cameraman and editor can often make the difference between a highly entertaining, well-crafted piece of advertising and a 30-second strip of wallpaper.

Experience our client’s product. Use it. Chew it. Eat it. Drink it. Drive it. Endeavor to learn as much as you can about the client’s customers.

Quit gushing

And finally, to all you Canadian directors, I say tell your bosses to quit gushing over all the American directors they represent. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the following over the phone: ‘Hi, Rick, we’ve just signed this incredible (choose one: car guy, packaged goods guy, beer guy, food guy) out of (choose one: New York, l.a., Chicago).’

The reality is, our production houses and post facilities are as good as any in the world. It’s not the talent that needs fixing. It’s the way the talent acts and approaches their jobs that’s in need of a fix.

I’ll leave the last word to Troy McClure, a talented copywriter in our office: ‘There’d be no better glamour,’ she says, ‘than a trip to the podium in Cannes with a great idea that’s been brilliantly shot by a Canadian director.’

Work at it, folks.