The Directors: Natasha Waugh

• IFTA nomination, Best Short Film, 2017, for Terminal. 
• Writer’s Guild of Ireland, ‘Zebbie’, Best Short Film Script for Terminal 
• Boston Irish Film Festival, Director’s Choice Award for Terminal. 
• 37th London Film Critics’ Circle Awards - Nomination, Best Short Film for Terminal. Best Short Film Clones Film Festival for Mother. 
• Capital Irish Film Festival Audience Choice Award for We Don’t Choose How. Chicago Irish Film Festival Audience Choice Award for We Don’t Choose How. Audience Choice Award Capital Irish Film Festival for La Tumba.

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them? 

Natasha> I love a character-driven script where I can play around with the cast to form complex characters around simple stories or relatable themes. 

I think what sets scripts apart from one another is a script that knows its tone, has good structure, and what it is aspiring to become. What I can do as a director is to hone that and create the central takeaways from the story while putting my own voice into it at the same time. This goes for either commercial scripts or film/televisions scripts. 

Style and aesthetic is also an important part of shaping all of these things. It’s such a pleasure to get a script that easily inspires engaging visual style and language based on tone or content. 

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a commercial? 

Natasha> The bottom line is that treatments have to be fun and interesting to read. It’s about making something as eye-catching as possible from the get-go and maintaining people’s focus and attention. You really want creatives and clients to know you’re going to work hard for the commercial, that you know what it is, and that you are planning some great, eye-catching cinematography. A solid treatment and pitch is a good start. 

Images and tone are a big priority for me when I’m doing a treatment. I use some text too of course, but first and foremost I want a distinct look-book that stands out. I love putting visual treatments and bibles together to make sure that producers, clients and creative know what approach I’m going to take to make this commercial work and stand out. When I can make something a little cinematic, Shotdeck is my go to.

Tone is also important - if your ad is going to be funny, then a treatment needs to show or explain why and how are we going to achieve that. If it needs to make a profound statement then I want to outline how I’m going to make this come through. 

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? 

Natasha> It’s hugely important! I want to know what they’re all about, when the company started, and what their manifesto is so that I’m going to make something that is in line with their values and approaches. I start with the basics of research on their website, and then watch a lot of their previous commercials to see what they like, or have done previously. It’s always good to get a feel of that as it usually dictates how they want their brand to stand out in the world and who their customer base is. 

Likewise, with the We Consent commercial and the BelongTo ad, I wanted to know their previous campaigns, and the goals and intentions of the campaign we were doing the ad for so that I could get to know them, and what was important to them. 

LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why? 

Natasha> It’s three fold for me: the producer, assistant director, and the director of photography are the most important. 

Producers, they are the hull of the ship that is a shoot. Fostering a good relationship, where there is mutual respect and open communication so that you can work together is pretty important to me. 

I have so much respect for assistant directors. They are the ones that will help you stay on track, and help you make time if you need it so long as you’re working together. I’m always grateful to have one on my side and to help me figure out some of the strategic difficulties that can come up when you’re shooting. Shoots can sometimes become about a plan-b if things aren’t working, and ADs will help facilitate that, whether that’s a shooting strategy, cast cues, or a scene re-order etc. 

The director of photography is ultimately helping you shape the language of your work, and they want to put their own mark on it too in a way. I find it so exciting to work with a DP who can bring some of their own ideas to the table to make memorable images, as well as functional ones. It’s it is important to me to work closely with DPs to ensure that you’re both getting the result you want, by making some shortlists, or image systems, or camera movements.

You need clear communication so the DP knows what's in your head. It all has to flow and cut together, so start with your cinematography. 

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? 

Natasha> Again, I love character driven work and I love working closely with actors. I like comedy, and the more absurd the better. I also love making relatable, meaningful work. That could be something family oriented, or just a well-told story. Having a strong message behind it is really special. I’ve done a bit of that, from bodily autonomy, to consent, to grief, to homelessness. I loved doing the We Consent commercials for example; we created something relatable, but that made a statement, and served an important cause. 

I’ve done some highly styled work, so it’s nice to get something sent to you where you can show off. There are a few things I’d love to do; noir and horror are two genres I love. As for commercials, more brands that are women, or queer focused as that’s relatable to me.

LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong? 

Natasha> I’m not sure exactly how to answer this, because my work has been so varied over the years. Sometimes I wonder if people automatically pigeon hole me into comedy (that I’ve done a fair bit of recently and love!). But I really enjoy doing drama pieces, and I try to bring pathos into the films I make, comedy included. It’s especially good if I get the opportunity to make something that has a meaningful message behind it, like the consent commercial I did. 

LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been? 

Natasha> I haven’t ever worked with one! Everyday is a school day and I’m still learning a lot about processes and experiences such as working with cost consultants and their impact on shoots. 

LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it? 

Natasha> Oh gosh, I’m not sure how much I can divulge here, but it had a solution that I least expected. We were casting young children, and the client didn’t want the kids to be toothless. Young kids obviously lose baby teeth all the time so it’s pretty common to have young kids auditioning with missing front teeth. So…we figured out that we were able to put them back in during post production through VFX! Job done! It gave me a laugh, and I was delighted to be able to cast our favourites. 

LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea? 

Natasha> Yeah this is sort of the old chestnut of commercial work; the juggling act to get what the client or brand wants and needs, whilst also making a sound idea and good work. Communication, and confidence in your vision and being up front with the agency and client is really key so that they are reassured and are in safe hands. Everything needs a strategy and a takeaway that needs to land. 

This was particularly important for the We Consent campaign commercial - it had to make a big impact and put forth the message of consent that was relatable, and in line with the goals of the Dublin Rape Crises.

There was a lot at stake for them if we’d gotten it totally wrong. We had a confident approach, and making sure they knew how we would tackle this with a lot of respect and insight, but also creativity, was crucial. It was all about communication, and vision. During prep, I don’t like making promises I can’t keep either so you need to be a little realistic too and know the boundaries which could be budget related for example. 

Collaboration is really important to me. I’m all for taking on other ideas and seeing about making them work because at the end of the day, they know their brand best. But your job as the director is to make a brilliant commercial for that brand and the idea. I’ll figure out a creative solution that could be as simple as including a particular shot, or making a different cut in the edit. 

If I’m not sure it’s possible, or if it’s going to lead the commercial in the wrong direction, I’ll pitch a particular plan or strategy, and explain the beauty of it. Either way, hopefully we can go from there to build on it. 

I’ll always appreciate a good note that is constructive. I’ll try everything if I can, even if I don’t initially agree, it might surprise you and make it better, particularly in the edit. Or I can come back and explain that we gave it a go, but it didn’t quite work. 

Finally, you do have to let it go a bit. Making sure clients and agencies are happy is the most important thing alongside having work you can stand by, so if mixing things up a bit is going to achieve that, then I’m happy to do it. 

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? 

Natasha> I would absolutely love to mentor or have a shadow on set. I’ve learnt so much from having mentors and from shadowing directors like Chris Cottam, and Dearbhla Walsh - I believe it's such a vital part of learning and everyone should have the opportunity to do it. 

I think diversity is the way forward. You have to be open and welcoming of everyone. Representation and visibility truly matters; seeing what you can become, and knowing that there is space for you is crucial. There are lesser heard voices and perspectives and they need to be getting opportunities. These perspectives are only going to make for a richer environment and more interesting creativity for everyone. 

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)? 

Natasha> You really have to keep in touch with how people are going to see your commercial as much as where. That is always going to impact how you shoot things and the aesthetic function of say, your aspect ratio (as ever!) and whatever else is coming up.

Most recently I came up against a TikTok format. I don’t have TikTok so I took for granted how much of the image was going to be covered up by text on screen, for example ‘like’ buttons, comment boxes etc. It was most of the screen! It’s something I really need to keep an eye on next time. 

I’m sure it goes without saying that 9:16 is always the key concern when ads are going up on social media. They have to fit, people need to see it all, and at the end of the day, you don’t want your work to be distorted so you need it all to function. It’s tricky to do at times, but it is do-able. Is it always possible to do so? It depends on the pitch, and on the ad and what you decide to create. If you want to go big, it may not be possible, especially if you’re thinking along the lines of something cinematic and TVC primarily. 

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)? 

Natasha> I like to keep an eye on what cameras and new sensors are doing, particularly for resolution for example. I’d love to try interactive storytelling which is new to me. 

I’m a little resistant to AI or at least relying on it, but admittedly I only used it for the very first time recently in a commercial, and it definitely has its practical uses. It allowed us to easily extend ceilings when we were shooting 9:16 in a limited space, and that was extremely helpful. It was great to have that worry taken care of before we even went to shoot. I didn’t even think how it could have had a place like this in my work so it was a great learning curve. 

I need to learn more about AI, but I’d hate to think that in the future it could be abused and replace creative spaces, or people, or even plagiarise work! I’m hopeful that won’t happen. 

LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why? 

Natasha> Dublin Rape Crises We Consent 

I co-wrote and co-directed this with my close friend and mentor Chris Cottam; an amazing commercial’s director who has taught me so much. It meant a lot to us both to make something relatable. We wanted each vignette that showed a sexual relationship to feel like it was going somewhere and that sex wasn’t something to fear, but that communication was vital for clear consent - which is the core message of Dublin Rape Crises’ and their campaign. We worked closely with an intimacy co-ordinator who was great at helping to shape something that felt real and gave confidence to the cast. Overall it had a big impact when people saw it and it was a privilege to be part of. 

Terminal - Short Film: 

This was a short I made before the 8th Amendment was repealed, and is a snapshot moment of two women waiting to board a plane to Manchester to seek safe and legal abortion. An issue close to my heart as a woman in Ireland, I felt compelled to put a face to stories of women going over, and make something that could show the reality of the trauma of crisis pregnancy, and the toll that the 8th Amendment was taking on people’s lives. 

It was also hugely successful: not only did it really resonate with people, which is what I wanted at the end of the day, but it also got some awards and nominations that opened some doors for me at the time. 

Mother - Short Film: 

This is a bonkers, absurd short that I hold very dear. It was written by the inimitable Jonathan Hughes. It is about a woman whose family replaced her with a refrigerator. Part absurdist comedy, part commentary on the unending work of housewives that are taken for granted. I tried to play it straight for the comedy to land, and because I wanted people to believe the lead. It was a real joy to put together with a really fun shoot.