Frank Budgen & His Many Variations of an Enigma

No list of advertising heroes from the last 20-plus years would be complete without mention of one of the industry’s most inspiringly creative directors; Frank Budgen.

Initially an agency copywriter, Budgen started his career at BBDO London, before moving behind the camera full-time in 1991. A director at, and co-founder of, production company Gorgeous, he was known for outstanding work such as Nike Tag, the PlayStation spots Mountain and Double Life [below], Guinness Snail Race, Reebok Escape The Sofa and NSPCC Cartoon, to name just a few. He was also recognised as the industry’s most awarded director, alongside Tony Kaye, at D&AD’s 50th anniversary awards show in 2012.

Above: Playstation, Double Life

In an interview with shots, shortly before his sad death in November 2015 after a long battle with leukaemia, Budgen reflected on his career and life. “Sometimes I wish I’d maybe done something more useful or helpful to others or to the planet in some way,” he told contributing editor, Carol Cooper. “But I guess I’ve always been too attracted to the gloss and glitter of society, which I think is called culture or the arts.” He also discussed his interest in the technical aspects of being a filmmaker and how a camera could enable a whole host of styles and approaches; “I’ve pushed cameras, lenses and stock to their limits and beyond,” he said. “Opened the camera or shone light into it while it is filming. Tampered with their mechanisms, used a jam jar for a lens, or sound tape for film. Other times I have shot completely clean, occasionally using just one lens for the whole job.”

Budgen was multi-talented. As well as being a visionary director, he was also highly skilled as a photographer, artist, musician and some-time-inventor.

**Frank’s multiplicity of Double Lifes: from sculptor to musician**

And Budgen was multi-talented. As well as being a visionary director, he was also highly skilled as a photographer, artist, musician and some-time-inventor; “Although I’m known mainly for my commercials, I’ve probably spent as much time on other more personal projects. I still play around with a keyboard and bits of software. I often do a guide track to edit to. I don’t tell the agency it’s my music and never push it, but once or twice it has nearly ended up as the final piece… I like to work in a random, sometimes chaotic way, whenever I can, making copious notes and conclusions that I never again refer to. I have done a few sculptural pieces based on the sun. And one pretty ambitious one based on its shadow, which would commemorate an annual event, ideally in a large public area, that I would like to get commissioned. I also have another, equally ambitious one, that would need a very large indoor space, like the Tate’s Turbine Hall.”

“Though I’m known mainly for my commercials, I’ve probably spent as much time on other more personal projects… I still play around with a keyboard and bits of software. I often do a guide track to edit to. I’ve done sculptural pieces based on the sun.”