On My Radar: Fa and Fon

What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?

Fa: There are soooo many amazing works right now. Off the top of my head I really liked the Zalando x Nike DN8 Av. I thought it was edgy and new, and I loved the visual effects. 

Fon: I really enjoyed Deutsche Telekom’s campaign with DJ VTSS, by Shadrinsky and INGO Stockholm. Super-cool ad, so stylised and unique! 

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

Fa: We’re Pinterest girlies, just because life is just more interesting through the lens of Pinterest.

Fon: I love behance. It’s great to source artists or get inspired.  

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought?

Fa: I got a new smoke alarm.

Fon: A Go-Pro, it’s nice having a big hefty camera and all but you never know when you need to leave something up to shoot and a Go-Pro straps onto your belt loop so it’s always handy to have.

What product could you not live without?

Fa: Probably Vicks VapoRub.

Fon: I would say something cool like my little DV camera that I take to set always… and my travel Gaviscon tablets.

What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?

Fa: I watched Eddington and was so blown away at how good it was. I was very anxious the whole time, but was on the edge of my seat.

Fon: Sinners was amazing. I saw that in the cinema. And Nosferatu; again, I saw that in cinema. So striking! I guess I like vampire movies.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Fa: The Parent Trap, because Lindsay Lohan was so convincing as twins that I fully believed it.

Legends of the Fall [below], partly because, yes, young Brad Pitt. But also because every time I watch it, I feel as though I’ve lived in that world before. It’s hard to explain, it feels like a past life. The setting and time period carry a strange familiarity: wholesome, cozy, almost spiritual. My whole being seems to recognise the trees. I can almost feel the grass, the cold, the wind. But maybe that’s just a sign of truly great filmmaking.

Camp Rock is a cultural milestone for so many of us.

Spirited Away; timeless.

Edward Scissorhands; hauntingly beautiful.

And, of course, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the greatest film ever made. They’re so epic and moving that I still mourn the fact we’ll likely never experience another fantasy adventure of that magnitude again. I just want to be an elf!

Fon: For pure entertainment, I’d say Crows Zero, Oldboy, Helter Skelter, The Love Witch, The Craft, Predators, Killers of Killers, Paprika, The Neverending Story,  How to Marry a Millionaire, and Calamity Jane. A strange mix, I know, but every single one is amazing.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

Fa: Instagram. I like that it’s mostly just photos. It feels a bit easier.

Fon: Instagram. Mainly because that was our first social platform where we posted our work. It’s the OG.

What’s your favourite TV show?

Fa: Sex and the City, but the earlier versions [which] really made me into the woman I am today. Although I started watching it when I was, like, 11, which might have been too young. I was also really obsessed with Trueblood at one point. I was just obsessed with hot vampires. Actually, the BBC’s North and South was amazing. Our family watched that together and my uncle had us play the soundtrack at his funeral. It gets us every time. Honestly, there isn’t one favourite. I can give you a top 10’s list if you want...

Fon: This one’s a bit of a throwback, but Pushing Daisies was absolutely stunning. I loved how it balanced a dark, bittersweet tone with whimsical storytelling, paired with bright, almost storybook cinematography. Every episode felt wild and unpredictable. 

And, more current, The Studio! Funniest show and the best cast!

What’s your favourite podcast?

Fa: Honestly, I’m not much of a podcast person. I need a visual element in front of me otherwise I get anxious and restless. I love reading, and I love film, but podcasts feel like they sit in this in-between space, and I’d rather fully commit to one or the other. I don’t mind true crime podcasts, but even then I end up getting bored because I want to see the evidence, crime scene photos, reconstructions or visual reenactments of the killer’s path. Without that, my attention drifts pretty quickly.

Fon: The Haunted Objects podcast, and Everything is Alive, which is an unscripted interview show in which all the subjects are inanimate objects. In each episode, a different thing tells us its life. 

What have you been most inspired by recently?

Fa: I’ve always been fascinated by the journey of social media as a whole, its little trends, subcultures and ecosystems. When you think about it, everything has developed in such a short span of time, yet we’ve already seen thousands of trends and subjects come and go. It feels like watching evolution happen inside a bottle.

Fon: A lot! Recently, I was inspired by the anime Dan Dan Dan. Not only is it amazing, but some of the shots are super-stylised and warped. There are no rules to how it's drawn. It leans towards the bizarre, obscure framing which I would love to incorporate more into my work.  

If you could only listen to one music artist from now on, who would it be?

Fa: Lana del Rey. Just because I’m always melancholy and I need something soothing I can daydream about... but I’ll probably change my mind in the next minute or two.

Fon: I’m kind of into country music at the moment, so Luke Combs or Morgan Wallen.

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

Fa: So many campaigns, especially from big brands, feel stuck in a look they established a decade ago, and they refuse to evolve. I don’t think brands need to chase every trend (that would mean changing at the speed of light), but it is refreshing to try something new every once in a while. Another thing I’ve noticed is this lack of trust in directors from some agencies and clients. Even after bringing a director onto a project, there always seems to be a middleman relaying messages that get lost in translation. Honestly, why can’t we just start a WhatsApp group and talk it out directly?

Fon: I’d love to see better social media ads. So many of them recycle the same script, look and feel. Social platforms are massive, and ads don’t have to be boring or blatantly salesy. You can still make them cinematic, relevant and authentic. Audiences aren’t stupid; they know when something feels forced or performative. And we need more platforms to help introduce newcomers to the industry.

Who or what has most influenced your career? 

Fa: Every person that enters my life has shaped how I see things in some way or another, whether it’s good or bad or super-boring or exciting, and I’m sure it’s inspired an aspect in our work, or how we work somehow in that moment.

Fon: From early on, our uncle Mike influenced us. He introduced us into the arts [and] his passion for the visual arts was infectious. But we have been super-fortunate to have met so many passionate people who helped guide us towards our path. 

What scares you the most? 

Fa: Aside from the big, obvious fears of civilisation collapsing, the inevitability of death, or sea life suddenly realising the cruelty of humanity and rising up to drag us into the ocean’s darkest depths, if I narrow it down to work, then honestly, missing a shot is what really stresses me out. 

Fon: Not being able to bring my dream ideas to life [and] having them shelved. That’s every director’s greatest fear… and snakes.