We Find Out More About How 'ADCAN #MakeGood'

Anyone involved in the creative and advertising industries will be familiar with the awards system. The process generally goes: you make your work, you like your work, you pay a sum of money to make other people watch your work and keep your fingers crossed that they’ll like it enough to give you a shiny symbol of success to take home. The value of the award (and usually the price you’ll pay to enter) are related to the notoriety of both the awards body and the judges. Quite obviously this can be a crucial way for someone in the industry to make their work stand out and get more work off the back of it, while also being a nice reward for all the hard work put in.

While there are initiatives, such as the YDAs and the Saatchi & Saatchi NDS which specifically focus on up-and-coming talent, there are very few meaningful ways for people just starting off in the industry to gain recognition. On top of this, for a young filmmaker hoping to ‘get in’ the industry can seem like an inaccessible puzzle full of ivory towers behind closed doors. Through our ‘Scout’ section at Source Creative - where we feature unsigned talent - we are often asked questions about the industry by gifted young directors unsure of where to take their work or who to speak to. An award such as ADCAN was therefore bound to catch our eye.

The premise is simple, young and eager filmmakers desperately want to get their work out there, charities need work but often don’t have the budget for it, so by putting these two people together everyone wins. On top of that they have their work judged by three top production companies (Nexus, Rattling Stick and Partizan) who are in turn keen to find new talent. What’s not to love? The initiative was the brainchild of Daniel Heighes and Brydon Gerus of TBWA/Mal, London, so we decided to get in touch with them and the companies involved to find out more about this operation and just how it works from the inside.

ADCAN is such a wonderful idea and opportunity for both young filmmakers and charities. How did it start and how / why did you become involved?

“ADCAN was started in 2014 by myself & Brydon Gerus” explains Daniel Heighes of TBWA/Mal, London. “Brydon had entered & won another competition, but was disappointed with how little support the industry gave young filmmakers and charities alike.” This was the spark needed for the idea to put these two mutually-beneficial parties, namely young filmmakers and charities, together with the support of the industry behind them. Unlike the conventional award set-up, these filmmakers receive workshops and contacts in the industry as prizes, both things that are far more valuable at the early stage of a creative’s career.

After pitching their idea to a number of production companies they found Nexus, Rattling Stick and Partizan eagerly stepping forward to help. As James Tomkinson of Nexus tells us: “we are heavily involved in the planning with regular round tables leading up to the competitions launch day and then in the run up to the awards show.”  When asked why they became involved, Rattling Stick’s Andy Orrick explains: “They pitched the idea and it was so simple and brilliant that it seemed like an easy decision for RS to make. What’s not to love, charities get the help they need as do young filmmakers. It can genuinely claim to be ‘a platform for good’.” Katie Keith, also of Rattling stick, adds “without saying they had us at hello it was a no-brainer for us.” “We are always keen to help young filmmakers get a foot on the ladder and to ‘give something back’ when we can so we had no doubts that we should be involved,” says Jenny Beckett from Partizan enthusiastically. Clearly the goodwill sparked from TBWA/Mal was quick to spread!

Why do you think a competition like this is important and what is your hope for it?

“One of our biggest surprises in setting up ADCAN, is how many people want to give something back and change the industry,” Daniel tells us delightedly. He adds, “the Creative industry sometimes gets a bad rep, yet is full of talented & motivated people eager to use creativity as a force for good.”

ADCAN as an initiative is in fact set up pro-bono by the various organisers in their spare time, with no incentive other than their own desire to help nurture talent and charities alike. As Andy tells us, “at the heart of the idea is a simple equation - one platform to connect two parties in need.” After all, it’s not just about the filmmakers as Katie reminds us: “increasingly brands need content to be seen and heard but there are a huge number of charities out there who don’t have the funds for it, or access to a marketing department. ADCAN cuts all of this out with Agency planners developing a strategy that is then briefed directly to filmmakers.”

But, at its heart, ADCAN is about the work and the young directors creating it. As Jenny explains, “it’s incredibly hard for young filmmakers to get their work viewed by the right people in the industry, the decision makers, the few people that would be willing to give them a chance or even representation.” On top of this, as Katie reminds us: “We see a lot of young filmmakers who say they want to get in the industry but this event requires them to work at it (for a good cause) so it really filters out those that are really passionate.” This is one of the crucial aspects that sets ADCAN apart; by asking people to work to a specific brief the young filmmakers must respond in an industry-like way, demonstrating both their commitment and ability to see an idea through. The involvement and feedback from the production companies on top of this provides the essential support needed at such an early stage of their careers, as James summarise: “it felt really important for Nexus to be involved with ADCAN right from day one as it really is something that, as a company, we felt we could contribute to on so many levels.”

We loved the promo work made by Nexus, Rattling Stick and Partizan. Can you tell us a bit about making them and about coming up with / responding to the #makegood tagline?

“For this year’s ADCAN competition all three production companies have agreed to create promotional material to respond to the #makegood tagline in any way they see fit,” says Daniel, “there was no budget and no brief apart from that (make good) and we think the work they made is incredible and so inspiring.  It sets the creative bar high!” That’s definitely the benefit of having some of the industry’s most creative companies behind you. The four selected directors who took on the challenge were Jack Cunningham and FX Goby of Nexus, Austen Humphries from Rattling Stick and Partizan’s Ozzie Pullin. Ozzie in particular strikes a chord with the ADCAN ethos, as Jenny explains: “we chose young director Ozzie Pullin to execute the brief, not only because he is an ideas genius but it wasn’t long ago that he was a Runner at Partizan wanting to become a director… a great example of someone who got his work in front of the right people.”

As for the work itself, the fairly open brief has led to brilliantly diverse creative interpretations by these four talents. The two gifs from Nexus show how the brief can, even literally, be a kernel of inspiration. Director FX explains how, for his piece of work, “’make good' is the seed of something. In this case the seed is literal - a corn kernel. That pops into a sheep. Why a sheep? It's unexpected - like all the best ideas!” Jack goes on to add: “The term 'make good' could apply to so many things that I decided to focus on one of the most basic - the simple act of actually making something. Massive fingers delicately make the first cut into a piece of wood - from tiny beginnings great things will grow. The pivotal first step of a project infinitely looped.” Big ideas can certainly have small beginnings.

Meanwhile, Rattling Stick’s Austen Humphries describes his approach nicely, “that #makegood line was what drove the idea obviously, principally the idea that even when you’re faced with an insurmountable pile of shit and trouble, if you keep your head up and you keep focussed, you’ll end up with something you can be really proud of. Then you get the cream pie in the face. So I guess the moral from this story is, think big, think funny, think of something you’d actually want to watch again, and get yourself a fucking good Producer. Then you should #makegood.”

The charities involved are really brilliant and varied causes. Do the charities develop the pitches on their own or are they assisted? How varied are the responses by the filmmakers?

“We work hard to identify the right charities and are keen to have a good mix,” Daniel explains. “This year we focused on mental health, equality, sustainability & community.” However charities aren’t advertisers, and writing pitches doesn’t come naturally to everyone. This is where ADCAN can really flex it’s creative muscles, with Daniel explaining “We work closely with the charities by developing their brief to ensure they get what they need, but also that the briefs are challenging & inspiring for the filmmakers.” So, as Andy elaborates, the well-placed bods at ADCAN HQ “coral some of the industry's best and brightest minds to help craft the briefs to ensure that the charities get films that will be of real use to them. A lot of time and effort goes into crafting them and they’re critical to the success of the whole initiative.” “The responses we get are brilliant for so many reasons and so varied - live action, animation, film, stills and everything in-between.  It’s incredibly inspiring to see how people have interpreted the brief and the efforts they’ve gone to create content,” Daniel enthuses. The content speaks for itself, with well-crafted imaginations evidently running wild. “Creativity thrives on a tight brief so, because of this, we tend to see really varied but effective responses,” Andy sums up.

What are you looking for in the winners?

“We look for a number of things in the winning films,” Jenny tells us, “how well have the filmmakers answered the brief, how well the film has been crafted. It’s important that the shots have been composed appropriately and artistically, that the performances of the cast are considered, and that the music has been carefully selected and thought about from the beginning of the production process.“ “This is a tough competition” Judy Hill, of Nexus, adds, “as the entrants are working to a planner's brief - just as a creative would do - plus they are executing their script.  The winners are those who have succeeded in writing a pure creative idea coupled with their executing their story in a single minded fashion.” If this sounds like a lot for a young filmmaker new to the industry to do, that’s probably because it is. Andy encapsulates it: “Singular, simple, strong ideas beautifully executed that answer the brief. The holy grail basically!”

However anyone reading this for tips on how to win should not despair. Dan points out “The judges are looking for a number of things but we understand that these films are made with very little, or no budget at all.” While content may be king, the key to creating this on a micro-budget is having strong, clear ideas and the ability to communicate them. As Katie explains “Craft can be taught and evolved (with experience, budget and crew!) but the ability to make your viewers feel something and to clearly tell your story / message is more instinctive. That’s where the talent lies.”

So, whereas the prospect of catching the attention of the judges without the help of flashy gimmicks may seem tough, it must be remembered that their highly-trained eyes are more than able to detect a strong idea when they see it. Daniel explains: “The main things we’re looking for is the idea, how it relates to the brief and the craft behind it.  It doesn’t have to be super sleek or involve arial shots / pyrotechnics, quite the opposite in fact.  Enthusiasm, storytelling, craft & a considered shot (or animation) are far more important.” This isn’t X-factor after all.

The prizes seem fantastic and all relate to helping young filmmakers gain experience in the industry and a much needed leg-in. Can you tell us about past winners and how you were involved with them - any success stories?

“As ADCAN is industry led, we look to offer continued support to anyone who’s been shortlisted with ADCAN. It sounds cheesy, but it’s a community,” Daniel tells us. The prizes offered to finalists come in the form of two days of workshops and talks from the three production companies judging the work, along with a glimpse into sound, post-production and equipment at the fantastic Work Editorial, ARRI Media, The Mill and Wave. As anyone reading this probably knows, seeing such a wide spectrum of top companies in the industry usually takes years rather than days. James gives us an example of what this means: “Kibwe, Johnny Kelly and Evan Boehm along with the Nexus Interactive Arts team undertook workshops with the ADCAN winners.  Smith & Foulkes and Chris O’Reilly, (ECD and Co-founder of Nexus) also gave some great inspiring talks at the awards ceremonies.”

The winners and finalists also get a chance to build much-needed contacts and are given crucial advice on their careers. “3 of our alumni have found representation, but many others have developed skills and relationships that have led them to secure work” Daniel tells us. “Partizan are still in contact with past winners, helping them to make career choices and continuing to connect them with the industry professionals,” Jenny adds, with Daniel explaining “all our alumni have the continued support of our partners, whether that’s production related, editorial, equipment, audio or postproduction.  That’s why we’re all involved with ADCAN.”

Katie can even point a finger at Rattling Stick’s own hit from the awards: “We have a fantastic success story. The producer of the winning film in the first year joined us as a PM and she has just produced her first commercial for The Sunday Times.” “She’s continued to be a dynamo, always with a big smile on her face,” Andy continues. “So, the initiative works. We receive emails from lots of young kids who’ve won a statue or what have you at whatever award and that’s great and we try and see them, but spending a decent amount of time with young people at workshops, over the workshop day lunches and at the awards evening means you start to build great relationships with the entrants which is worth its weight in gold for both them and us. And this industry is all about relationships. ADCAN is more like an old school courtship than Tinder.”

Finally, as this is only the third year, what does the future hold and what are your hopes for ADCAN further down the line?

“It’s exciting times at ADCAN and we've gained a lot of support and momentum,” says Daniel. “We’ll be announcing some exciting news later this year and we’re always investigating other opportunities. We love going into schools and universities to give talks & educate people about the media industry & we're keen to develop this further, so if anyone wants to get involved then please do get in touch!”

With so much good-will and expertise behind it, it’s hard to imagine this momentum slowing down, as James observes: “ADCAN has been growing year on year and in 2016 we’ve even seen record downloads of the charity briefs.” So, where does all of this lead to in the future? “My hope is that this competition continues to support young filmmakers, helping them get a leg up in the industry and also that charities get commercials that they are proud of and will be beneficial to them,” Jenny tells us. Katie adds, “to expand outside of the UK more. To develop a wider programme for the finalists perhaps. Whatever it will be, I have no doubt it will continue to be a truly fantastic, uplifting and life-changing initiative.” “It goes back to the simple equation at the heart of it - a platform to connect two parties in need.” Andy Summarises. “ That equation gives life to the idea of ‘a platform for good’. It can be applied to so many things such as diversity, education and generally building a better society.  I hope it continues to thrive, I hope more charities and filmmakers get the help they richly deserve and I hope it goes global.”

From left: Jenny Beckett (Partizan), Katie Keith (Rattling Stick), Judy Hill (Nexus), Andy Orrick (Rattling Stick) and James Tomkinson (Nexus)

* (Gif: Nexus director FX Goby's response to the #MakeGood tagline)