On My Radar: Christian Saint

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

Two immediately come to mind. The first is Chanel's Spring Summer 2024 Haute Couture film by Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar. I remember watching it and thinking, this doesn't even feel like an advert. It felt more like cinema. I loved how restrained it was. Every frame felt intentional, and it trusted movement, silence and symbolism instead of trying to do too much. 

The second is Salomon Ligthelm's FIFA World Cup campaign for Kia. It's huge in scale, but what stayed with me wasn't the spectacle, it was the emotion. That's always the work that sticks with me. I think the best advertising doesn't really feel like advertising. It builds a world, makes you feel something and leaves you thinking about it afterwards.

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

ShotDeck, without question. I'm slightly obsessed with it. I can disappear down a rabbit hole for hours looking at films from the 1930s and come out with references for something completely different. I love studying older cinema because it reminds me that great visual storytelling never really goes out of style. A lot of what feels fresh today actually started decades ago.

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

The new iPad Pro. It's become my favourite part of pre-production. Because I come from a background in architecture, I naturally think through sketching before I think through shooting. Drawing helps me solve ideas visually before they become reality. I use the iPad to sketch storyboards, work through compositions, map camera moves and solve visual problems before anyone even gets to set. I also take it with me on location recces so I can draw directly over spaces while I'm standing there, testing framing, geometry and movement in real time. It's almost like having a sketchbook that thinks with me, and it's completely changed the way I prepare for a film.

What product could you not live without?

My phone... but not because I'm glued to it. It's because it has music. Every project starts with music for me. Before I think about shots or lenses, I'm listening. That's usually where the emotion of a film begins. It also keeps me connected to my family back home in Ghana. I moved to London last year, so those calls mean a lot. My phone keeps me inspired  creatively and connected personally.

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

That's a dangerous question because my answer changes every few months. Right now I'd say The Brutalist and Roma. The Brutalist completely pulled me in because of how it treats architecture almost like another character. I also still listen to the soundtrack while I'm writing treatments. Roma is one of those films I keep going back to. I love how patient it  is. Nothing feels rushed, and every frame has a purpose.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Stalker, by Andrei Tarkovsky. It's one of those films that completely changes the way you think about cinema. It doesn't rush you or explain everything. It invites you to slow down and just exist inside the frame. Every time I watch it, I notice something I completely missed before. I love films that trust atmosphere just as much as dialogue, and Stalker is probably one of the greatest examples of that.

What's your preferred social media platform?

Instagram. It's honestly become less about social media and more about research. I spend most of my time discovering filmmakers, photographers, architects and artists from different parts of the world. I probably save more posts than I actually upload. It's one of those places that constantly reminds me there's no single way of seeing.

What's your favourite TV show?

Snowfall. Damson Idris is incredible. What I admire most, though, is how restrained the filmmaking is. Every camera move feels earned. Nothing is there just because it looks cool. I always appreciate work that puts the story first.

What's your favourite podcast?

Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin. I love how curious he is. His conversations wander between music, philosophy, psychology and creativity, and somehow it all makes sense. I usually finish an episode with more questions than answers... which I actually enjoy.

What have you been most inspired by recently?

Travelling. Over the last year I've been to Amsterdam, Paris, Prague and back home to Ghana, and every place has given me something different. Sometimes it's architecture. Sometimes it's people watching. Sometimes it's just sitting in a café and noticing how a city moves. Moving to London also shifted my perspective. It reminded me that my stories can stay rooted in Africa while still connecting with people anywhere in the world.

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

Kendrick Lamar. That's an easy one. Every time I go back to one of his albums, I hear something new. I love artists whose work keeps revealing itself over time. As a storyteller, that's what I hope my work does too.