Peer Review: Dylan Maranda

Who are three contemporaries that you admire?

I figured for this we can go one commercial director, one feature filmmaker, and one photographer. 

Martin De Thurah’s commercial work is what made me want to get into advertising. From watching his Acura Made for Mankind spot in film school, to making work that blurs the lines of narrative and ads for games like Far Cry. Everything he makes incites a creative envy that pushes me to make my own work better. 

Filmmaking is a collaborative medium, and anyone who thinks otherwise will eventually hit major roadblocks in their career. 

Not the most low-key pick, but as a biased Canadian, Denis Villeneuve’s work continues to leave my jaw on the floor. If I was forced to pick only one director who’s work I would watch for the rest of my life, it would be him. 

A photographer that continues to inspire me is Bryan Schutmaat. His recent book Sons of the Living is hot of the press, and is worthy of your undivided attention. If, like me, you’re susceptible to the wanderlust of spur of the moment road trips, tread carefully around his work. It might move you to get behind the wheel and drive. 

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great direction, and explain why? 

When it comes to commercials, I believe great direction acknowledges the medium we are working in and uses it to further give back to the audience. Be that a story, a joke, a new perspective— Great commercial work makes people remember the brand and incites a genuine reaction. It makes people say to their friends “did you see that _ _ _ _ ad, where this amazing thing happens!?” 

Miles Jay’s series for Bose, specifically the Alive spot, is an example of what personally draws me to specific commercial work. It’s stripped back, it tells a story, it respects your time as a viewer, and utilises the brand to add depth to the narrative. You can feel his hand as a director, but never in an intrusive way.  

I am so thankful to get to do what I love for a living, even if the industry itself feels slightly Sisyphean at times, nothing beats getting to tell stories.

Kristoffer Borgli’s spot The Last Resort— A great example of substance and story coming ahead of the punchline, making the spot that much funnier. I also love that you can feel the same style of his narrative work across the commercials he directs. 

Chris Sargent’s Born The Hard Way is another— I got to learn under Chris for a couple years in Toronto, and I often think about how refined and restrained his approach to this spot was. Even when working with a huge idea, on a huge budget, with a huge brand, he manages to distill the idea down to its most simple form. That is the mark of a good director. 

What do you like most about the work that you do? 

I love that I get to work with people who are better than me at what they do. Filmmaking is a collaborative medium, and anyone who thinks otherwise will eventually hit major roadblocks in their career. 

My dad made me promise if I was going to do what I loved, that I needed to figure out a way to make a living.

I am proud of having a good radar for people of integrity. I try to make a point of working with people who are good human beings. My life is made richer by surrounding myself in that energy. 

I am so thankful to get to do what I love for a living, even if the industry itself feels slightly Sisyphean at times, nothing beats getting to tell stories.

What was your journey to becoming a director? 

I was bit by the bug when I was young. I grew up acting as a kid, I was in a touring theatre group at 9 years old, and I still carry that experience with me. We had a lot going on at home growing up, and watching movies or making little sketches on our handicam with my brother was a form of escape. It was something that brought my family and I closer, it healed and gave us a lot. 

I think for a while I thought I wanted to act, I got into an acting intensive high school where you did school half the day, and acting the other half. I loved it, and I take all my training from there when working with actors today, but I could feel myself burning out before graduating. I thought about doing a masters in photography or going into medicine via the military to pay for schooling.

Don’t be afraid to be gracious, to be humble— don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know, let’s figure out how to do that together.”

I remember being really torn about what to do— but when I dug deep, I couldn’t ignore my love for filmmaking. To me, it put everything that was important to me in one place. Telling stories, living creatively, working with actors, and giving back something that could heal in the way that I was when I was a kid. 

The rest is much less interesting in my mind. My dad made me promise if I was going to do what I loved, that I needed to figure out a way to make a living. That’s why I ended up in commercials. Some meaningful collaborations and awards later, I find myself where I am today, still figuring out that “making a living” bit though! 

There are so many different paths into directing, and I don’t feel anywhere near finished walking mine— but what I hold dear in my journey so far is where I started. Across the street from the Ridge Theatre on Arbutus Street in Vancouver, seeing movies with my parents.  

What is the most valuable skill you’ve learned in your career?

A big part of me believes that, at the end of the day, the one and only job of the director is to never show fear. 

Maybe that sounds like posturing— But so many times I see bad direction, abrasive personalities, bland creative, decisions made in ego, it all comes back to being afraid. 

 If it wasn’t for The Lord of the Rings behind-the-scenes featurettes I probably wouldn’t be in film to begin with.

Don’t be afraid to be gracious, to be humble— don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know, let’s figure out how to do that together.” Definitely don’t be afraid to push for something original— that’s what I am working on the most these days. 

Not being afraid— It’s daily work, but it’s what I find myself trying to reach for all the time.  

What is one thing every director needs? 

An Executive Producer that believes in you as a person and artist rather than a product. 

I keep my inbox open to any young director that wants to email me with questions, I make a point of that. 

Who was the greatest director of all time? Why? 

Difficult to say— It’s like picking the greatest food of all time!   

I will keep it completely personal and say Peter Jackson— If it wasn’t for The Lord of the Rings behind-the-scenes featurettes I probably wouldn’t be in film to begin with.   

Official Trailer for Peter Jackson's adaption of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Did you have a mentor? Who was it? 

No formal mentor for me— Although there are days where I wish I did. Now, at 30, I believe I am at a place in my career where I would offer a certain amount of expertise to a mentor, while still acknowledging that I have a lot to learn. That’s tough in your 20s when you are still really just trying to learn the ropes. I keep my inbox open to any young director that wants to email me with questions, I make a point of that. I hope I’m earning some karma for me to do the same sometime soon. If there is anyone that wants to let me shadow on their feature film, hit me up! 

There is power in young directors coming together to have each others backs— not allowing ourselves to be driven apart by the way the industry is shifting. 

That being said, there are some folks that have always made themselves available to me and have helped me in my career in immeasurable ways. Will Dempster, Suzanne Allan, and Matt Bieler are on my Mount Rushmore for people who have significantly furthered my career with their guidance, and whose friendship I deeply treasure.