The Craft
Q&As and behind-the-scenes info on the latest and greatest
commercials, shorts and music videos.
How Will Wightman and a budget camera shot up a sh*thole
The Blinkink director's latest slice of insanity, This Place is a Sh*thole, creates a manic monster out of an everyday horror: messy housemates. Jamie Madge caught up with Wightman to get down and dirty with the production process, jungle soundtrack, and innovative use of consumer 360 cameras.
How Uncommon made football a funny old game
Flaming footballs, falling pianos, marching bands and monster trucks all feature in FC 26's epically entertaining spot. But what did it take to corral all these things (and a squad of star players) to create a footballing fever dream?
BBH’s picture perfect approach to out of home
With iconic brands such as Tesco, Häagen-Dazs and Burger King, BBH London has been able to create suitably iconic out of home work that has picked up plaudits and admiring glances in equal measure. ECD Felipe Serradourada Guimaraes and CPO Stephen Ledger Lomas tell Danny Edwards about their approach to the medium, its recent renaissance, and why trust trumps bravery.
Anne-Sofie Lindgaard lifts the mask on her debut commercial
MindsEye's most recent directorial signing has just released her debut commercial spot, a powerful, Halloween-tinged film for domestic abuse charity I Choose Freedom. Using horror tropes the spot highlights the real-life terror faced by thousands of women and, here, Anne-Sofie Lindgaard discusses what went into bringing the campaign to the screen.
How Judith Veenendaal encouraged audiences to Feel
In August, director Judith Veenendaal, in collaboration with Bonkers United, division7, and SMUGGLER, released two powerful shorts that shine a poetic spotlight on the importance of self-checking for lumps. Now, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, shots caught up with Veenendaal to find out more about how the personal project came together.
How Erwin van den IJssel created infinite patterns for Playgrounds
Nexus Studios director Erwin van Den IJssel shares how he blended animation, typography and improvised jazz to create a frenetic title sequence celebrating the diverse talent at Playground's 2025 In Motion festival, held at the Barbican in London.
How Emma Branderhorst tackled online exclusion with KPN
Emma Branderhorst has reunited with telco brand KPN and Dentsu Creative for Everyone Except, a new short film tackling the growing issue of online exclusion. Here, the director explains her creative process, from casting real teenagers and spending time with them off-camera to incorporating social media-style footage for authenticity.
How McDonald's cooked up a taste of the past
McDonald’s vibrant summer campaign whisked audiences away on a magical journey through its iconic and much-loved McDonaldland, first dreamed up in 1970. We caught up with Black Kite Studios, Nick Roney and Wieden+Kennedy to explore how they delved into the fast food chain’s archives to create the ultimate trip down memory lane.
Some recent interviews in our "How To" series.
How The Sacred Egg got surreal in San Vansterdam
Riff Raff directing duo The Sacred Egg discuss their surreal spot Drop In for EA’s skate, sharing how they kept it authentic, captured the spirit of skateboard culture, and had a blast in Mexico City.
How Aardman’s talking animals stood the test of time
Known for bringing warmth and wit to the animal kingdom, filmmaker Nick Park's Creature Comforts has appeared in countless spots and series since its creation in 1989. We caught up with Aardman's Rich Webber and Steve Harding-Hill to reflect on the style's enduring appeal, and their most recent campaign, Human Nature.
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Ana Paula's story of desperation and determination
A new short film, just off the festival circuit, is a powerful, intense and emotional story about desperation, love and loss featuring a brilliant cast of non-professional actors.
How Eliza McNitt and AI connected the intimate with the infinite
In ANCESTRA, Chromista director Eliza McNitt merges the miracle of childbirth with the mysteries of the cosmos, crafting a live-action/AI short brought to life by hundreds of hands translating vision into poetry. Here, she speaks to shots about the film’s ambitious process and the human collaboration behind the machine.
How Anthony Dickenson made months of monoprints for Rival Consoles
To create his unique and mesmerising promo for the synth act, the 1stAveMachine director created 11 painted rolls, each 20 metres long, to house 5000 frames of pulsing imagery. shots sat down with Dickenson to find out what led to such a meditative and drawn-out project.