The Directors: Tom Gorst

Tom Gorst's cinematic journey defines his versatile body of work spanning documentary, lifestyle, fashion, and a new found partnership with Jack Whitehall. Known for intimate character portraits and distinct narratives, he directs for major labels and brands like Vivienne Westwood, Dyson, Dove, Samsung, Unilever, Red Bull.

Name: Tom Gorst

Location: London 

Repped by/in: Park Village

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

Tom> I’m excited by scripts that allow the room to flip expectations and land an idea in an exciting way. 

I think a good script almost works structurally like a good joke. It should be surprising and yet inevitable and have a great payoff. I then see it as my job to help work out how to tell that joke best. 

So if an ad is structurally like a joke, then the punchline is the end line and great end lines really excite me because the world of the idea can hang off it. It really helps focus the idea whilst also sparking endless possibilities, whether comedic or dramatic. 

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

Tom> I start by finding references and experimenting—pushing the idea in different directions, listening to music to shape the tone and pacing. Often, I’ll make a Spotify playlist to map out the beats and the way I want the audience to feel. Sometimes I’ll then cut that song to a DIY animatic made up of found references and self shot materials.

I also gather lots of images, write freely and then refine. I’ll play out competing directions in my head and test the idea by explaining it to people in the pub. Their reaction tells me a lot and speaking it aloud, constantly refining it helps to make it clear so that it works for both the tourist and the purist.

LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar or don’t have a big affinity with, or a market that 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?

Tom> I think you have to know the journey the brand has been on in order to understand why it is wanting to go where it is. So I look at past campaigns, try to understand the audience and the competitors and try to keep informed with the wider cultural landscape.

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

Tom> I think the most important relationship depends on the project’s ambitions. 

On one project it might be the producer in order to create a creative environment that works for the particular demands of the shoot. When working with celebrity talent, its often about building trust because the celebrity has their own brand to protect as well as the product. Equally, being really open with the agency creative team keeps you focused on the core idea and gives you a sounding board. Close collaboration with your DP and production designer goes without saying!

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?

Tom> I’m drawn to work where performance, stylised documentary, and music collide, and you have an opportunity to create a visceral experience for the viewer. Performance driven intrinsically by the music, and dynamic action are some of the most rewarding and energised sequences to shoot.

Also, in today’s world, I believe storytelling should be fun and look positively towards the future. I’m most passionate about work that pushes boundaries, surprises the audience, and blends authenticity with bold storytelling techniques.

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

Tom> While I’m all about really high energy projects, I also love crafting more intimate, nuanced narratives. When I am between projects I can be found picking up my camera to make character driven documentary style pieces with strong emotional truths. 

Bouncing between very different kinds of projects keeps me engaged.

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

Tom> Collaboration is a core part of the process - it’s about creating a shared vision rather than protecting an idea in isolation. Once you all agree on the message then it’s all about being truthful to that and not letting things dilute it. I think across all areas of production, it’s about knowing which battles to pick and always offering solutions.

That knowledge of when to push and when to compromise with an agency team is one of the many benefits of working alongside experienced producers and having the support of a respected production company like Park Village.

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?

Tom> It’s absolutely essential to diversify the talent pool in production. It’s not just about fairness, it’s about perspective. Fresh voices bring fresh ideas, which elevate the work. I’m always actively encouraging producers to offer opportunities to under represented voices on my sets.

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)? 

Tom> I think you have to get to the punchline quicker when your project is being viewed on a phone. It’s almost like those YouTubers who quickly show you what they’re going to show you before they show you it. So it’s a shift in the way you present the story, or organising the structure of the joke (to revisit that analogy I am quite liking) to make it work for different kinds of eyeballs.

LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?

Tom> I’m very obsessed with AI and all of the new technologies available in production. Looking back is fatal, you have to look forward. AI is often a first sounding board for ideas and with systems like DALL-E, I can create highly detailed AI reference images that guide all sorts of ideas, from initial concept, to specific action in scenes, set, cinematography, costume, production design and everything in between - it is now a creative collaborator.

Virtual production has been a game-changer for creating expansive worlds while maintaining control over the environment. I had great fun building backgrounds for my recent project with Stormzy for Dyson. It was daunting going into it but once you start to understand the parameters  there are just so many possibilities which is very exciting. 

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

Tom> I think my most recent work is some of my most dynamic, it’s so rewarding working with musicians, athletes and top tier talent. That’s what really inspires the creative, the personalities in front of the camera.

STORMZY X DYSON - 55 Hours in the Mind of a Rockstar

BED HEAD - Your Vibe, Our Tribe

PARALYPMICS - The Power is in Your Hands

SOFA FT BILL BAILEY - We Are Undefeatable