Directors Simon+Ben 'Embrace Chaos'
Looking at the work directors Simon Frost and Ben Hanson have done as Simon+Ben over the last few years as part of BORDERLAND’s roster (a production company they co-founded five years ago) - for Dell, CALM, National Geographic, Lexus, and SKY - it’s clear that the creative duo doesn’t do anything by halves. Each of the films is a deft mix of documentary and film craft, intentionally blurring the lines between advertising and art.
A few different principles drive the directors. One is never shying away from difficult subjects. This is very apparent in ‘I Will Always Be Me’ for Dell, a film about helping people with motor neurone disease (MND) preserve their voice; and ‘Stay’ for CALM featuring people who had lost loved ones to suicide.
They never script their work - something they’ve insisted on from the start. Why? Because “the right conversation will reveal the story in the most authentic way.” And they work with minimal crews to create the intimacy needed to capture the subjects of their films at their most natural. Though idiosyncratic on the surface, Simon+Ben’s agency background, where the two initially met, means they have a great appreciation for the time and effort creatives instil into an idea before it ever lands in front of their eyes. That’s why collaboration is at the heart of what they do as is working to really understand and hear the client.
Driven by authenticity, Simon+Ben “roll with the punches and change what we think we are doing at any moment,” to get the right shots and the most relevant parts of a story. They look for crews who can likewise “embrace chaos” in service of creativity and narrative.
Today, LBB caught up with Simon+Ben to learn more about their creative approach, how they commit to and make unscripted shoots, and the two long form documentaries that will soon make their debut.
Above: 'Right Now In - Mermaids' for Dell
LBB> How did you two meet and form a creative partnership? What appeals to you about working as a duo?
Simon+Ben> We had both tried on many hats in the years before we met; animation, editing, composing, youth offender rehabilitation and, of course, directing.
We ended up meeting as directors in an agency ‘in-house’ production department and hit it off straight away with a shared love of the Cohen brothers.
Our first job together was for Lexus and their hoverboard project. It was a baptism of fire and after two very testing weeks in Barcelona it was clear to us that the duo-ship had legs!
We found we brought very different qualities whilst being able to work harmoniously as a single unit. We had a shared love of documentaries and over the last seven years it’s taken us to amazing places and given us some incredible experiences.
LBB> Having worked in the agency world, are there any lessons you learned from that time that you carry with you to this day?
Simon+Ben> In the midst of pre-production and the shoot itself it can be easy to overlook the amount of work that has gone into a project before it gets to us. Starting at an agency meant we saw the process, the late nights, the months and years spent honing an idea. We take the attitude that if you're lucky enough to be picked for a project, you’re given the privilege to bring it to life.
Above: 'Plastic - A Second Life' for National Geographic
LBB> And how would you describe your visual style? Are you inspired by any particular filmmakers?
Simon+Ben> We love documentaries but we take inspiration from so many places. One thing that is really important to us is that beauty and craft doesn’t tip your film into fiction and stays true to what we want a documentary to be, especially in the world of ‘branded docs’. We really analyse this - is this natural for the subject? Where is that light coming from? If you watch something and believe that the subject was ‘in on it’ or being asked to act - then you’ve lost the greatest asset of the documentary approach.
We like the challenge of creating a specific visual style whilst giving the subject the freedom to move around and not feel routed to a mark. We find that the more you can hide your process; including lights, eye lines, crew and instructions, the more free the subject is to be themselves.
LBB> Your work spans difficult and poignant subjects. Why are you drawn to the more serious side of advertising?
Simon+Ben> In the early days we would make absolutely anything anyone would trust us with. But as we followed our interests our reel slowly began to reflect the things we are most passionate about. We’re also big believers in the rewards of testing the limits of your comfort zone. For us that can mean working in dangerous places or with people in difficult situations. When access is difficult and trust is hard won, you often end up with a more interesting story.
Above: 'The Last Of The Korean Mermaids' for Heanyeo
LBB> You often work with real people and real stories - how do you approach it so that the story remains authentic while being protective of your subjects?
Simon+Ben> We try to keep crews to a minimum. A lot of our films are made with just the two of us. We want to be present and familiar to our subjects long before the shoot day through zoom calls or meeting them without a camera to state our intentions and allay their fears.
If you are going into someone's home to talk about something sensitive, you don't do that meeting them for the first time with 10 people in the room and a video village. So, can you do it with only two of you? Can you create room for the agency to have input whilst keeping the feel of a very low key thing?
We’re really passionate cinematographers and, although we love collaborating with DOPs, we also love the way it works when it’s just the two of us and our subject in the room. No shouting action, and setting an atmosphere where our subjects don't feel overly observed.
We also embrace chaos. It might sound counterproductive but people's lives don’t fit into a carefully planned schedule and our shoots reflect that. We have to be able to roll with the punches and change what we think we are doing at any moment.
There are some projects where we do need to crew up, but we are really careful about who we bring on board. Some very talented crew don’t love our lack of structure and set norms and that’s understandable. But when we find people who are great at what they do but also love and embrace the chaos - it's brilliant.
LBB> You told us before that you’re against scripting - is this still the case? If so, how do you sell that idea to a client?
Ben+Simon> It’s our job as directors to instil confidence in the client that we will hit their objectives without feeding lines to our subjects. We totally understand that a client is investing in these people and they need to ensure that the connection is there and clear. Earlier in our career we’d often be asked to “get them to say this for safety” but we’ve never achieved anything believable this way.
If you have cast the right people, and their story is properly linked to the project or the brand idea then you shouldn’t need to script them. The right conversation will reveal the story in the most authentic way.
But of course we totally understand that we’re often making films to promote a brand, and certain themes must be delivered. Before we head into the shoot we’ll outline clear themes with the client and agency. We guarantee that by covering those topics in a way that feels natural to the subject - we’ll get the story and it will feel so much better than fed lines.
Above: 'I Will Always Be Me' for Dell
LBB> In general, how do you strike the balance between being open / collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Ben+Simon> The best jobs we’ve ever done have been the most collaborative.
Even if we’re shooting underwater or in a tiny flat at the top of a high rise, we ensure the agency and client are able to input, collaborate, and steer things.
Back to the fact we worked in agencies, we know that we don't own the idea, we just get to bring it to life, so not being collaborative means you’re making something in isolation from those who know the most about it.
I think there is a cliché that the client just makes things worse, but I think when a client doesn’t feel heard or understood we push each other into the wrong decisions.
LBB> Which of your projects are you most proud of, and why? Are there any dream projects that you would love to make?
Ben+Simon> ‘I Will Always Be Me’ is our most recognisable and awarded work. But it had a clear goal - to get more people with MND (motor neurone disease) to bank their voice before it is lost. For us, the best you can hope for in advertising is that you are either making something really entertaining or something that has a genuine positive impact. So for impact alone that would be our proudest.
LBB> Finally, what’s next on the horizon for you as a directing duo?
Ben+Simon> We’re working on a great project with McCann London which will be rolled out next year. We’re also in the edit for two long form documentary projects which have been several years in the making. And that’s a world we are keen to explore; long form work which blurs the lines between documentary, television and advertising.
