the Craft

Q&As and behind-the-scenes info on the latest and greatest
commercials, shorts and music videos.

18^th Nov

shotsgetsthefilmictreatment

To celebrate and promote Treatments, the latest addition to the shots stable of products, we commissioned a special film which is launching today. Here, the team behind it discuss its concept, creation and the challenges they faced while making it.

14^th Nov

HowYannisKonstantinidislandedtheWWFinhotwater

Continuing his series of "how the f*ck did he do that?" animations for the World Wide Fund for Nature, NOMINT director/co-founder Yannis Konstantinidis's latest presents the urgent environmental message of marine heatwaves through stop-motion, thermal cameras, and a whole lotta patience...

13^th Nov

How Studio Birthplace took on corporate greed and human indifference

Shot entirely on location in Indonesia, co-directed by an Indigenous filmmaker, and starring members of the Iban community, Studio Birthplace directing duo, Jorik Dozy and Sil Van der Woerd, explain how their new project is at once a music promo, a labour of love and a crucial weapon in the fight against environmental destruction.

13^th Nov CHRISTMAS 2024

How Sainsbury's created the biggest, friendliest Christmas ad of the year

Roald Dahl's endearing BFG was brought wonderfully to life in Sainsbury's heartwarming festive spot. Here, shots talks to agency New Commercial Arts, production company Rogue, and post-house Electric Theatre Collective, about how they took on a literary giant.

12^th Nov CHRISTMAS 2024

How Starbucks created a moment of calm this Christmas

From crafting a nifty rotating set to hand-sewing the perfect Starbucks-green miniature jacket, TBWA creative director Lauren Coates and BLINKINK directors Andy & Adeena talk us through how they brought the coffee chain's utterly charming and comforting animated campaign to life.

7^th Nov CHRISTMAS 2024

How ASDA took gnome for an answer this Christmas

This Christmas, ASDA ventured into the ungnome with a campaign that put some pint-sized porcelain people at the centre of their festive spot. Here, Hungry Man director Bryan Buckley discusses the making of the film, why the theme from The A-Team was the right choice, and how gnome puns are the gift that keeps giving.

30^th Oct

How Rachel McDonald portrayed the human impact of U.S. immigration laws

With the American presidential election looming, director Rachel McDonald helms a moving short film offering a poignant perspective on families affected by immigration laws. Here, she discusses research techniques, story structure and navigating difficult themes with young actors.

10^th Oct CINEMATOGRAPHY & PHOTOGRAPHY FOCUS

How Tom Sweetland helped the un-housed capture a city unseen

Marking today's World Homeless Day, the director shares how his collaboration with the MYLONDON project resulted in Unseen City, a touching portrait of street-based street photographer Wayne Chin.

Spotlight

Some recent interviews in our "How To" series.

30^th Jul SPORT FOCUS

HowHenryHobsoncraftedanOlympicdouble-decathlon

shots speaks to director Henry Hobson about how he managed to put the viewer into 20+ sports through dazzling first-person photography for Discovery+.

8^th Jul SPORT FOCUS

HowFactoryFifteenfilledTokyowitheastereggs

The Nexus collective, made up of Kibwe Tavares, Jonathan Gales and Paul Nichols, tell us how pre- and post-Covid planning, animation, VFX and shoots 1000 miles apart combined to create a disorientating journey through an Olympics-themed Tokyo.

14^th Jun

HowSwyftmadeasofaadthatisn'tasofaad

We hear from the makers of a new campaign for sofa brand Swyft that aims to defy the conventions of more traditional sofa commercials .

10^th Jun

HowCraigDavidmovedthedialforKuruptFM

Things aren't all they seem in this Ollie Wolf directed hybrid promo for Kurupt FM that mixes classic promo tropes with some behind the scenes tomfoolery.

25^th May

Howtocutamusicvideowithacrewof500

For VANS' branded promo of JPEGMAFIA's track Prone, Final Cut editor Ryan Beck had the daunting task of sculpting a 2-minute megamix from fan-shot footage.

26^th Sep

How Smith & Foulkes took Telstra travelling

Earlier this week Telstra released a beautiful new spot, directed by Smith & Foulkes. Here, the duo and their collaborators from Black Kite Studios explain how they created a film of 'epic simplicity'.

25^th Sep

CALM offers hope amid the storm

Campaign Against Living Miserably has released a new film highlighting the work the suicide prevention charity undertakes. Soundtracked by a song from New Order, who are CALM Ambassadors, the film is a powerful and compelling look at the important help offered to those who need it.

23^rd Sep

How Adrien & Roman hit the Big ligue

Filling the frame with a non-stop barrage of references, gags, and flourishes, Big Productions directors Adrien & Roman film for LIGUE 1 makes no qualms about loving the French side of football. Here, shots speaks to the directors about how they scored so many shots in a mere three days.

23^rd Aug

How Signature's TikTok campaign is a sign of the times

A recent campaign for Signature, a British Sign Language charity, features a series of TikTok dance tutorials teaching viewers how to sign, countering the wave of incorrect sign language that has been spreading on social platforms. Sam Arnold, a deaf filmmaker and first time commercial director, helmed the campaign and he and producer Theo Youngstein tell us all about it.

7^th Aug

How Bodyform rewrote 300 millenniums of menstrual myths

Creative agency AMV BBDO and SMUGGLER director Lucy Forbes take us behind the scenes of Bodyform's revolutionary new campaign, Never Just a Period, which blends live-action, stop-motion, animation, and a healthy dash of humour to highlight centuries of misinformation around periods, menopause, and reproductive health.