The Directors: Álvaro Stocker
Alvaro Stocker is an emerging film director born and raised in Argentina. He grew up playing drums and then soon after discovered his passion for film when he found an old 8mm camera in a closet of his parents house. His love for the two resulted in him breaking into film directing studies, and making music videos for Argentinean artists. He has worked with leading musicians, collaborated with creative agencies, and bold clients to create unique films.
His chemistry of subtle wit, visual storytelling and a raw cinematic aesthetic sets his work apart. He often utilises different visual mediums such as 8mm, 16mm, digital, or just a phone to create films that feel tangible and textured. Always looking on finding the perfect brush to express his art.
Name: Alvaro Stocker
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Repped by/in: PRIMO (Latam: México, Colombia, Brasil, Argentina, Chile). SOLDATS (France). ANTIESTÁTICO (Spain). WASTA (Middle East). SPLENDORS (United States).
Awards: http://www.alvarostocker.com/awards/
LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them?
Alvaro> After a challenging year filled with travel and filming in various markets, I’m now focusing on editing some pending director’s cuts, finalising the colour grading for an upcoming music video, and pitching new projects.
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Alvaro> I’m drawn to stories that inspire, motivate, and spark dreams, stories grounded in reality.
For me, good storytelling is rooted in authenticity and a sense of realness.
The scripts I’ve appreciated the most are often simple yet powerful, and also the ones that are open for new ideas.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Alvaro> How I approach treatments depends on how much time I have from brief to presentation and how busy I am.
I like to begin always with a personal connection, a story, or appreciation that links me to the script. My goal is to make each treatment feel genuine and reflective of my identity, avoiding unnecessary embellishments. Phrases like, 'It’s been a long time since I’ve read a script as great as this one' feel dismissive to the creatives.
For me, less is more, one strong image is far better than five that only vaguely try to reference an idea. I also believe every treatment should stand on its own, with unique design elements: typography, writing style, colour palette, aspect ratio, and overall approach.
Lastly, it’s crucial to collaborate with the producer beforehand. A treatment isn’t just about winning the award, it’s about pitching something achievable, directly aligned with the budget and production capabilities.
LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?
Alvaro> For me, more than the research process, it’s crucial to gather the right information from the agency. Talking to them helps me understand the origins of the campaign, its objectives, what they’re aiming for, and the dynamics of their relationship with the client. With that context, I can build my approach, even if I don't know the brand or the market.
I also believe in the universality of certain emotions, something that transcends cultures and connects through the stories that are bigger than the brand itself. And the crew I choose to work is key in helping me to bring something to life in a market where I’m new to.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Alvaro> The relationship with the producer is the cornerstone of any project, followed closely, in artistic terms by the dynamic with the director of photography (speaking about my work).
In advertising, where significant budgets are at play, the producer ensures that every dollar is strategically allocated. It’s not about how much money is spent, but how wisely it’s used. Poor allocation, no matter the amount, can derail the effectiveness of a campaign.
Great advertising isn’t about excess, it’s about balance. Just like a house can lose its charm when overbuilt into something that feels like a shopping mall, storytelling can lose its authenticity when the budget overshadows the story. It’s not that good advertising is cheap; it’s that it requires a harmonious collaboration between director and producer to make every decision purposeful.
The relationship with the director of photography is equally important. It’s through this collaboration that a commercial visual language is elevated. Sometimes, I prefer working with cinematographers who aren’t traditional experts in the specific field to shot.
For instance, the first time I shot in a virtual production studio, I chose a cinematographer who had never worked with that technology. I admired their style and trusted their fresh cinematic perspective to bring something unique. It’s a gamble, but inexperience often translates curiosity into qualities that spark innovation.
Inexperience can inspire unexpected and creative solutions, especially in advertising. Of course, if this were heart surgery, my philosophy would be quite different, hah!
LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about - is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?
Alvaro> In advertising, I feel more connection to work that doesn’t feel like traditional advertising, odd as that might sound. I’m also like documentary-style portraits and music videos. Those were my beginnings in filmmaking, so I enjoy revisiting them whenever I can.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Alvaro> I think there is something that happens to all of us directors, and it is the label that somehow limits us. Specialising can be good, but on the other hand, it often boxes us in: "He shot food”, "She does fashion“, etc.
I went through this with car commercials. For a while, that’s all I was getting, scripts for cars, and I felt it was restricting my growth as a director. So, I made the decision to step away from them for a while, and focus in other topics. For me, it’s not about trying to belong to everything but about expanding my creative horizons and keeping my work diverse.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Alvaro> I’ve faced quite a few over the years:
Once, we had to re-shoot an entire scene because we originally shot it on 16mm film, and the film got fogged.
Another time, for a commercial, I had cast a real pregnant woman for a key scene. Her water broke, and she had to give birth the same day we were scheduled to shoot. We ended up using the backup talent for the scene.
These moments, while stressful, always teach you to adapt and keep moving forward.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Alvaro> I believe it’s crucial to know where to focus your energy and which battles are worth fighting. This requires an understanding of which decisions will truly impact the final outcome.
From that perspective, you can make smarter choices about protecting an idea. For example, debating the colour of a T-shirt a character wears in a single scene is not the same as deciding whether that same T-shirt will appear throughout a 120-second spot in all the scenes. Treating both discussions with the same level of importance leads to an unnecessary drain of energy, focusing on the argument instead of the result.
That said, I always make it a point to share my perspective openly. Even if the final decision isn’t mine, the input I provide can resonate with the person who does make the call.
My goal is always to be collaborative, open, and honest. When this is not possible, I believe that directors cut comes into play.
LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?
Alvaro> I believe the production world has already naturally evolved to embrace new and diverse talents. As I mentioned before, inexperience brings fresh ideas. I’m not going to teach someone how to tell a story. But what I can teach is what I’ve learned from my experience in advertising, especially in relationships with clients and agencies, which brings a level of nourishment that only time can provide.
The most disruptive music videos are sometimes made by young directors who challenge conventional approaches. When you start, there are no rules, and that freedom of thought often leads to ground-breaking results. In advertising, the call is a bit different, cause there is so much that come into play, and the trust in the director is built from its experience.
In the end, it’s not just about teaching; it’s about inspiring and allowing each director to develop their own style.
LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats - to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)?
Alvaro> I usually choose an aspect ratio and let the others adapt around it. Of course, when adapting, something might be lost in translation, but the key is ensuring the story is still effective in the end.
When the product needs to be very visible, like a car, and I need to work with both 16:9 and 9:16 formats, I make sure to frame the shots in a way that works for both. But when the product isn’t the focal point, there’s much more room for freedom.
It's interesting that because of all the aspect ratios, wider lenses became a trend in advertising for a while. That said, shooting with anamorphic lenses a campaign that’s only going to be shown digitally in 9:16 feels like a waste.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?
Alvaro> I have mixed feelings about technology in filmmaking. I tend to romanticise the genuine, the authentic, the human element. For example, if I have to shoot a car driving down a sunny road, I’ll always prefer a real location over a closed studio with a screen in the background, a fan blowing wind, and a light to replace the sun.
However, it becomes truly interesting when new technology adds real value, when it helps us save time or accomplish things that were impossible just a few years ago. A good example is a project I did in Virtual Production, where we shot three different countries/environments in one shooting day. Another is using AI to generate photos that are seamlessly integrated into a set, or to create visual references from ideas in your head.
What excites me is when new technology is used selectively, and creatively. But when it becomes just a norm, or a convenience, that’s when I lose interest. It’s like when a treatment is fully generated by artificial intelligence or a script is written entirely by ChatGPT, it’s clear when that happens, and it doesn’t have the same feel or taste for me.
LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why?
Alvaro> Aeromexico - Estar cerca, llegar lejos
