The Directors: Andrew Seaton
Andrew Seaton is a diverse director, who has worked on a range of different projects - everything from comedy to drama, food, lifestyle and documentary.
Over the years, he has honed his performance comedy directorial skills. As such, he has become a sought-after director for scripts where the comedy needs to be punchy and is driven by strong casting and storytelling craft.
Andrew is one of the founding executive producers of Mint where he is also represented.
Name: Andrew Seaton
Location: Sydney
Repped by/in: Mint in Australia
Awards:
Silver - Telly Awards – Direction (2024)
Finalist - CDC Awards – Direction (2023)
Finalist - Kinsale Sharks – Direction (2020)
LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them?
Andrew> I’ve recently finished up on a job for End Food Waste Australia called The Great Unwaste. The agency, Hopeful Monsters, were incredibly collaborative and have been really great to work with. They wanted to create something that was a bit different to the normal food waste initiative spot. Something with a bit of flavour and character, so that has been great fun.
LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?
Andrew> I really love the trend of upping the energy of commercials right now. We are seeing a lot of spots that are packing the visuals with pace and energy. I also love the trend of casting diverse and unique people. I try to do this a lot in my work organically but the trend of casting people that look and feel real I think is a really amazing change that is bringing up new opportunities for a whole range of Australians to be represented in advertising. There also seems to be a changing appetite for longer form content. As a director, it is fun to sink your teeth into a story that is longer than 30 seconds so it is nice that clients are seeing the opportunity of creating beautifully crafted narrative style work that also helps promote their brand.
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Andrew> For me, it all comes down to the idea. Is there a unique/clever/interesting idea at the centre of this that we can latch onto and extrapolate? I love scripts where the idea makes you go, “Damn I wish I’d thought of that”. As a director, I love scripts that at their core have a good idea to them but that also allow room for me to put my vision onto. I love comedy and I love rich character and so scripts where I can see opportunity to add these elements is what really excites me to shoot them.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Andrew> A treatment starts with a briefing call. The opportunity to talk to the creative team and the producer really helps you understand what it is they are wanting to achieve. From there I research. I look for imagery, comparative work and references. This can be other ads, films, tv shows, photographers work, other DOPs work - anything where I think, “that’s perfect for this spot”. From there I write my treatment. I enjoy writing my own treatments as it’s a part of the process where I actually flesh out, refine and strengthen my ideas. We put that all together in a beautifully presented doc and hope it resonates with the creatives and the client.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Andrew> A director needs to have a good working relationship with the director of photography. The visuals are such an important part of our craft and that is down to the DOP, so ensuring you are both aligned on what you are trying to achieve is imperative. I’m lucky enough to have worked with DOP, Matt Samperi, for over 15 years. Our short had on set is so valuable and leads to more efficient shoots with the best possible results. Apart from this, I find having a good working relationship with the agency creatives is also really important. This comes down to trust. We often don’t get a lot of face time with creatives ahead of the shoot so ensuring you build that trust early on is crucial.
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?
Andrew> I love anything that is humour driven, maybe a bit offbeat, or has a bit of heart and charm or character to it.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Andrew> I think the biggest misconception about my work is that I only do comedy and character work. Having been directing for over 15 years now I can say I’ve directed almost everything. From sports stars, to big name talent, experienced actors to first timers, kids, animals, food, cars. So yeah, comedy and character is what I enjoy most, but if the idea is there, then I am in!
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Andrew> Luckily there hasn’t been too many problems with my productions. I do remember driving to set very early one morning and the producer calls me and says “are you sitting down?” A major set piece hadn’t turned up to set. We ended up being able to create it in post and it turned out fantastically but it did mean a big pivot on the day of the shoot.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Andrew> I believe you have to push for the ideas that you think will ultimately improve the work. Be confident and articulate about why you are pushing for something in particular. There is always a line and you have to use your judgment. Ultimately you want to collaborate with the agency and client, it’s their baby too and you always have to remember that at the end of the day we’re all on the same team.
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?
Andrew> I think in the last little while we’ve seen more diverse directors, more LGBTIQA+ directors like myself, and even more amazing female directors, all of which I think has led to more interesting, less stale work being created. Clients always want “all Australians” to resonate with work so it only makes sense for “all Australians” to be making the work, right? At Mint, we’ve always pioneered young talent. We pride ourselves on having been the first working sets that some of Australia’s now leading creative talent worked on. I know that I wouldn’t be where I am without mentorship and learning on set, so am all for it.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work (e.g. virtual production, interactive storytelling, AI/data-driven visuals etc)?
Andrew> I love the idea of virtual production. I personally haven’t used it yet, but am keen to try it out. I think it opens up a world of possibilities. I think with any new tech we need to view it as a potential tool (yes, be cautious of how it might cannibalise the industry, sure) but use it as a tool to improve our creativity. AI image creation is a great example of this. I use it for a lot of my treatments. It allows me to create imagery that is closer to what I am wanting to achieve, it allows me to communicate my vision more easily with an agency and a client.
LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why?
Andrew>
Spitting Symphony:
I think this is a good example of my humour and character. It’s a bit off beat, the visuals are compelling and the characters are diverse and interesting.
ResApp Sleepy Town:
I’ve worked with a wide variety of talent. Everyone in this spot is street cast, many of them had never stepped in front of a camera before. It was a unique challenge.
The Invisible Forest (Director's Cut):
As I mentioned, my work goes beyond just humours character driven work. Here is an example of a longer form documentary piece.
