The Directors: Tanya Babic and Jason Sukadana
VERSUS is a director duo comprising Tanya Babic and Jason Sukadana. Meeting at art school, the two bonded over a shared creative approach of combining contemporary art theory with commercial aesthetics.
Now known for striking imagery and a commitment to authentic storytelling, VERSUS craft compelling work that combines high octane visual ambition with a trademark elegant sensibility.
Name: VERSUS - Tanya Babic and Jason Sukadana
Location: Sydney, Australia
Repped by/in: Collider in AU/NZ
Awards: Their work has received recognition at some of the most prestigious award shows around the world such as WARC, One Show, D&AD, MADC and Shorty Awards. They are the recipients of a Vimeo Staff Pick along with various Webby and One Point Four Honours. Their films have featured in multiple film festivals including Sydney Festival, Brooklyn Film Festival, Aesthetica, and Raindance. Their work has digitally premiered on some of the world’s biggest platforms like Nowness, Director’s Library, and Booooom.
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Versus> For us, the scripts that set themselves apart from the rest are the ones that present a clever and original insight. Nothing gets us going like crystallised intention. If it also contains some really artful visual ideas and excellent locations, then you will have us drooling.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Versus> First thing we do is freak out. Just joking, we love doing treatments. We like to completely unpick an idea before we start building on it during the treatment phase. So we take the concept away and figure out all the best things about it, the things that could be improved upon and if there are things that might not make sense visually. Once we have a good handle on its strengths and weaknesses, we start building on the idea to ensure it feels tight and solid all the way through.
We always do a crap tonne of research and more often than not, write way too much. But we find treatments are just as important for us as they are for creatives and clients because we need to properly interrogate the idea and understand how best to bring it to life well before we have to make the thing. Without a thorough treatment, you’re kinda just making it up as you go. Which is not fun for anyone.
We also always like to add a little VERSUS flourish or two. That’s an extra, original element that helps to make it feel unique to our taste and artistic sensibilities.
Then, we simply send it off and crumble into a heap because treatments are so hard, everyone.
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?
Versus> The strategic and contextual side of the ad is extremely important. As we said, we love a clever insight and getting a firm grasp on it right away is key to making something properly in sync with the creatives. And yes, we want to have a good understanding of the client and their needs too. But everything is built around this creative and strategic insight and it’s our job as commercial directors to ensure we contribute to it with every tool we have in our kit. We’re hyper aware of never putting forward an inauthentic voice within any of our work. And we hate not having a full breadth of knowledge about any subject matter that we work with. So we never stop researching, right through the entire pre and production phase.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Versus> Well as far as we’re concerned, every single relationship is as important as the next. Filmmaking is a collaborative art form and the sum of its parts. It’s a delicate and turbulent ecosystem of relationships that need to be nurtured to make the best work possible.
Because if every single member of the team and crew feels valued in the role that they are doing and a part of the vision, then they are going to do their best work. It’s also going to make for the best vibes on set. And who wants bad vibes at work ever?
But if you’re out of step with the client, creatives, agency producer and heck- God forbid your own producer, then you’re in trouble. You’re probably trying to make different things for different reasons and that is a gross mess we do not care for.
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?
Versus> We’re passionate about making work that presents new voices and perspectives in some way shape or form. Whether on screen or behind the lens. However this happens, whether via an artful and highly visual expression, or doco or even comedy- heck we don’t care. But sharing different ideas from maginalised or under resourced parts of the community is what makes us tick.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Versus> Given our background in the arts and how dark and serious lots of our work is, people often assume we are quite serious. But we are actually idiots. Like, we are so far from serious it’s a serious problem.
Also, we’re both really tall so that’s also a thing. People never expect us both to be over 6ft.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Versus> There are multiple crazy problems you’ve got to solve in the course of every production! Sometimes, it feels like half our job is just solving problems. But with a little creativity problems can easily become assets to every production. It might be because we’re masochists, but we thrive on the drama of production. And if it was all too easy we might feel like it’s a little unearned. Yes, we’re unhinged.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Versus> How we do it is unique to the relationship we have with each agency and client. But attaining this balance on every commercial project is so important. As far as we’re concerned, we’re all in charge of protecting the idea. Each of us are just coming from different angles with a different set of skills to do so. Sometimes you have to fight for directorial ideas you know will enhance the project, even if others can’t quite see it. Other times, you have to relent for one reason or another that we’re all familiar with. Sure, it sucks when that happens but it’s part of the process. One team, one dream.
As a duo, our creative approach is inherently collaborative in nature. We’re actually total opposites as individuals, but we always share a very distinct vision. Even though we often come at it from different angles. And we feel like our dynamic and working relationship is an example of how we’re able to do our best work with a whole team. Trust that if everyone is aligned on the end goal, you will get there.
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?
Versus> As far as we’re concerned, investing in our industry by making it more accessible to diverse voices who historically have not had clear career pathways into it, is as important as what we put on screen. It is not our job to be the gatekeepers of our craft or access to the industry. It’s our job to do what we can to enrich the industry with diverse perspectives. This benefits everyone! New talent, the industry and audiences alike. We do this by supporting and mentoring underrepresented talent and getting them to work on productions whenever possible. And we feel like our work is so much stronger for it.
LBB> How do you feel the pandemic has influenced the way you work now? Have you picked up new habits that you feel will stick around?
Versus> During the pandemic, we were working as an independent director duo. We only recently joined a roster for the first time in our career. And we’re stoked to be repped by Collider in Australia and New Zealand now.
We were really fortunate during Covid times to have enough work to sustain us. We ticked along with some commercial post-production projects and direct work with a few cultural institutions in Sydney. Nothing really changed in the way we worked because we didn’t do any shoots at the height of Covid. We were overall just less prolific than we usually are.
The shift for us was probably more emotional than practical. It made us more appreciative of the work we are fortunate enough to do and the people we do it with. It gave us an understanding of how the process is as valuable as the output because we spend our lives making this work. So we’re really invested in the experience of making things now. Which has enriched our lives immeasurably.
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)?
Versus> We’re not gonna lie, it’s always a little heartbreaking to see your 16:9 masterpiece hacked into a 9:16 frame. But we’re very respectful of how different audiences need to be reached on different platforms. So we like to be able to suggest inventive ways of reframing work for different platforms whenever possible. Sometimes, we can offer alternative creative options to a reframe. And when we can’t, we definitely want to be keeping all of the formats in mind. Sure, it’s bloody fantastic when you get to make 1 x 60” 16:9, but that’s not the reality of the job most of the time.
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)?
Versus> Our approach to new technology has always been to keep up to date, but never overzealous with it. We’re not traditionalists by any means, but we never want to use shiny new things for the sake of it. All tools are good tools though, and we’re always trying to educate ourselves and experiment with new tech and ideas so we’ve consistently got complete knowledge of our capabilities as filmmakers. It means that when an idea does call for it, it’s not a foreign concept to us.
LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why?
Versus> The Australian Ballet ‘Beyond Words’ because it’s a beautiful mashup of highly composed vignettes, archival imagery and candid emotion. And we had to learn to make and film a working zoopraxiscope to create this film which was way harder than we thought it would be.
Our most recent spot for Nike featuring a handful of the next generation of female athletes because they absolutely own it and blew our minds with their talent and fortitude. And because it feels like pure joy.
A film we created for Powerhouse in collaboration with Western Sydney artists titled ‘Window’. The larger project is titled Latitudes. It was an idea of ours that was commissioned by Powerhouse Museum. Latitudes presents 3 short films featuring some of Western Sydney’s most compelling artists. It’s a project very close to our heart.
Genesis Owusu ‘The Fall’ live at Phoenix Central Park. Because any collaboration with Genesis Owusu is going to encourage you to create something boundary pushing and memorable.
