On My Radar: Ben Consmueller & Ilia Lipsman

What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?

BC: For me it’s gotta be Kismet, for Monos. It was directed by Alexis Gómez, and I mean, this film is just beautiful. You get thrown into this world, and Adrien Brody just doesn’t let you go. It’s gorgeous. That’s all I can really say. The edit, the sound, the location… immersive is an understatement.

IL: The Candle for HeadsUpGuys, directed by Oleksandr Herasymenko. That feeling of loneliness and how it’s portrayed, is incredibly powerful. The hard cut to the brightly lit psychologist’s office is so jarring, it’s like a snap back to reality. We’re never truly alone. It’s brilliantly done. 

What website(s) do you use most regularly? 

BC & IL: shots Vault, YouTube, Vimeo, Director’s Library, etc, anywhere we can watch new work. We’re borderline obsessed with staying up to date. We’re always looking for the latest and greatest, pushing ourselves creatively, and keeping close to the bleeding edge of what’s possible. There’s so much inspiring work out there — it’s amazing to see the risks people are taking and the magic that comes from it.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought?

BC: Recently purchased an MX Master 3s mouse. Absolute game changer. IYKYK.

IL: My new (to me) Garmin Forerunner 645: I run marathons so it’s been a huge help. I mean, if my runs aren’t recorded, do they even count?!

What product could you not live without?

BC: A good fantasy novel, I don’t think I’d be myself if I couldn’t read.

IL: My rice-cooker. It gets used. A lot.

What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?

BC: It’s twofold for me. Sorry to cop out, but I can’t pick between Sinners (2025) and Nosferatu (2024). Two directors, in Ryan Coogler and Robert Eggers, at the height of their powers with absolute control and mastery of their craft. Probably the most immersive theatrical experiences I’ve had in a long time. 

IL: Green Book (2018). I love history, and it was easy to be transported back in time. The world felt so lived-in, and the chemistry between Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali was something you don’t see very often. 

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

BC: Does a trilogy count? It’s The Lord of the Rings for me. It’s shaped me in ways I can’t describe, to the point that I’ve got an illustrative tattoo of the fellowship leaving Rivendell tattooed on my arm.

IL: 12 Angry Men. How do you make one of the greatest feature films of all time in a single room? I still don’t really understand how they did it,  but they did it.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

BC: I don’t use social media as much as I probably should. Instagram is great for staying connected with friends and people in the industry, though. 

IL: Reddit; you can find an answer to any question you may have. Whether it’s a good answer... well, that’s a different story. 

What’s your favourite TV show? 

BC: Currently, it’s Severance. It asks both real and philosophical questions, the performances are incredible and the way it’s shot perfectly encapsulates the feelings and thoughts the show leaves you with. All time though, I’ll have to go with Band of Brothers. Heartbreaking, historical, brutally realistic… it’s everything I could ever want in a series. 

IL: Ditto on Band of Brothers. Ben said it all; it’s epic, it’s personal, it’s grounded, and it does everything with historical integrity. A masterpiece.

What’s your favourite podcast? 

BC: Hardcore History. Each episode is an absolute journey (they’re like four-to-six hours long) and Dan Carlin just has a way of transporting you to another time and place. The podcast doesn’t just teach you history, it puts you in it. Great for road trips!! 

IL: I love the Founders podcast, by David Senra. He has a way of showing that success is messy, human and learnable. Something super-helpful as we work on growing our own business. 

What have you been most inspired by recently?

BC: Sinners. I keep watching bits about how they made it and how Ryan Coogler was able to achieve his vision. He’s everything a great director should be. 

IL: I get a lot of inspiration from travelling. I recently visited Calgary and got to go out to Banff. Being immersed in nature, with naught but my thoughts, is a surefire way to get the creativity flowing.

If you could only listen to one music artist from now on, who would it be? 

BC: This question feels illegal… I’ve been listening to a lot of Colter Wall. Incredible storyteller. I also love the great Sam Cooke, not sure a more soulful voice exists.

IL: This might be niche, but it has to be Ludovico Einaudi to me. His music just makes me feel things, that’s all I can say.

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be? 

BC: Subtle brand plug here… I wish more brands were willing to go Far & Away and take creative risks. After all, fortune favours the brave. 

IL: Very subtle… but yeah, I agree. There’s more creative talent out there than ever before. Unleash it!! 

Who or what has most influenced your career? 

BC: My obsessive reading habit first got me involved in wanting to be a storyteller. My aspirations have changed from being an author to being a director, but authors like Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, J.R.R. Tolkien, Scott Lynch… they’re why I’m here. Dennis Villeneuve is a great Canadian inspiration of mine as a director, and I love the intentionality behind Robert Eggers' work. It’s really a hodgepodge of influence. 

IL: I picked up a camera because it gave me an excuse to go out and explore. At first, it was my backyard here in Nova Scotia. But that led to over 20 different countries across three continents. The stories I heard from the people I met really influenced me to want to tell stories outside of a single frame. 

What scares you the most? 

BC: Quitting. What could have been… if I had just kept going? 

IL: Getting stuck in perfectionism is scary, sometimes you just have to get your work out there. Can’t learn from your mistakes if you never make any.

What makes you happiest? 

BC: Cheesy, but spending time with my partner Mary and my family. Secondly, riffing on creative ideas with Ilia, dreaming big about the future, and that feeling on set when you know you captured the moment. 

IL: Ditto on the partner and family. I also love training for and then doing some sort of physical challenge that I don’t think I can do, like running an ultramarathon.