On My Radar: Ben Woolf
Burnt Road director Ben Woolf covets noise-cancelling headphones, rehearsal time for a project, and that serene feeling when all the hard work pays off, as he reveals what's on his creative radar.
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What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?
Spotify Wrapped. It’s an annual reminder that the algorithm knows me better than my friends.
What website(s) do you use most regularly?
ShotDeck is amazing for images and references for director’s treatments. YouTube I use all the time for that one specific clip then find myself, hours later, watching random shorts about obscure lens calibration techniques I don’t need to understand.
What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought?
I’d love to say a vintage camera I’m rebuilding for a personal project. Actually — because I’ve got a very young child — it’s a decent pair of noise-cancelling headphones. I can turn down the toddler chaos and focus on the meaningful things… like writing treatments and bantering on old WhatsApp crew threads.
What product could you not live without?
Artemis Pro viewfinder app is pretty useful – being able to show the creative and client what the lens will see, before we’ve even built the camera, is amazing. It helps protect the creative vision, the schedule… and the camera operator’s back.
What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?
Take Shelter (directed by Jeff Nichols and featuring a killer performance from future Superman baddy Michael Shannon). It is such an intense film, and so beautifully made. The acting is incredible and the camerawork is so precise and economical. I was outraged to learn they shot it in 24 days – seriously impressive.
What film do you think everyone should have seen?
The original The Heartbreak Kid, directed by Elaine May. It’s insanely awkward, genuinely hilarious and a true classic with zero pretentiousness. It just hooks you into this slightly flawed character and then relentlessly tightens the screws on him (and you) the whole way through. It’s brutally funny, unflinching and so taut. If it weren’t a comedy, it would be taken way more seriously. It’s a masterpiece.
What’s your preferred social media platform?
Instagram. It’s a constant feed of locations, faces, references – plus the occasional existential spiral.
What’s your favourite TV show?
The Bear; it’s like a panic attack with superb blocking. I also have a mild obsession with Chernobyl – the sound design alone is a masterclass in building dread without showing the monster.
What’s your favourite podcast?
Scriptnotes – with Craig Mazin, the writer of Chernobyl – is brilliant. I’ve also been getting into the hyper-nerdy Conversations with Tyler. It’s not directly related to work but it feels like the host, Tyler, comes to it with authentic curiosity. I like that he doesn’t seem embarrassed to relentlessly ask super-basic questions of his insanely qualified guests.
What have you been most inspired by recently?
I saw Cameron Winter (from Geese) play live a couple of weeks ago. He was on stage solo – just him and a piano on stage – for an hour. It was genuinely incredible. The entire audience basically held its breath for the whole performance. It was a masterclass in holding an audience's attention with an honest performance. It reminded me that if it feels spontaneously true in the moment then you don't need to hide behind gimmicks or VFX spectacle.
If you could only listen to one music artist from now on, who would it be?
It’s tricky to imagine any single artist not getting intensely annoying after a while. I saw Radiohead earlier this year, though, which was pretty amazing. I’d seen them a long time ago and it was interesting to see how they’re still pulling apart their music and finding new stuff.
If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?
Stop treating rehearsal as a luxury. In my experience – whether directing seasoned actors, first-time performers or elite athletes – the magic happens when you carve out a bit of time to let the performance breathe and happen naturally. If you want it to feel authentic, you have to protect the bit of the process that nurtures it.
Who or what has most influenced your career?
My background in theatre; it taught me the secret of how audiences really think, how performance works, and how to make stories matter without relying on spectacle. Bringing that theatrical rigour into the commercial world – specifically when working with non-actors or celebrities – has I think been the defining factor in my career. It’s how you get a grounded, genuinely engaging performance in a 30-second spot.
What scares you the most?
Creative autopilot; the moment you start making things on muscle memory is the moment you stop being curious. I’ve been lucky to have worked across a bunch of different genres and formats – it definitely helps keep you fresh and inspired. Also, mice really freak me out.
What makes you happiest?
A set where everyone’s got that calm buzz; the prep’s paid off, the plan’s working, then someone does something unexpectedly brilliant and you can all pretend that was what you meant the whole time.
Tell us one thing about yourself that most people wouldn’t know.
I like having printed boards to shoot with, and then ripping them up when we wrap. Ideally, it’s good to be making weirdly direct eye contact with the creative as I tear them. What that feels like depends on how the day went – it’s either a shared mic-drop or a silent protest.
