shots Unsigned: Zachary Lynch-Woodlock

Director Zachary Lynch-Woodlock is an Australian film industry professional with over 20 years of experience.

Known for his versatile approach as both a Director and Editor, Lynch-Woodlock focuses on creating visually captivating and emotionally impactful work. He enjoys crafting stories that provoke thought and leave a lasting impression.

His creative music video's Two of Us and Superglue for the band Birds of Tokyo showcase his talents, and we took the chance to ask him about his filmmaking journey below.

Can you tell us a little about your background and your route into directing?

I took a fairly winding road into directing. I started out making short films for high school art projects, which did surprisingly well, my Year 12 HSC short film was selected for ARTEXPRESS in NSW, and got me hooked on filmmaking. 

After school, I moved into production, working on commercials and creating a few spec spots along the way. Later, I joined Ogilvy Sydney, where I directed internal and client projects and built up my commercial experience. 

After leaving the agency, I started freelancing and soon collaborated with Birds of Tokyo on a series of music videos. Since then, I’ve been working across the commercial scene and looking to expand my network internationally.

Did you study filmmaking? How did you learn your craft?

I didn’t go to film school, but I did a few short courses over the years, one of which was the 12 week course at Award school in Sydney. Most of what I learned though, came from being on set and working across different departments in production.

That experience gave me a strong sense of how each role contributes to the bigger picture and how to communicate with a crew. From there, I started developing my own projects, directing and editing to refine my craft through hands-on experience.

I didn’t go to film school, but I did a few short courses over the years

ABOVE: The music video for Two of Us.

Would you say you have a directing style? How did you arrive at it?

I’m drawn to strong performances and stories with personality. I like finding natural, human moments and shaping them within a cinematic world. People often say I have a knack for drawing subtle performances from actors, and I like to build a distinct look and rhythm around that. My approach has evolved over time by staying curious, experimenting, and learning from every shoot.

My approach has evolved over time by staying curious, experimenting, and learning from every shoot.

What was the inspiration behind your music videos?

I directed two videos for Birds of Tokyo. The first, The Two of Us, came just before COVID hit. The band wanted to make a one-shot video inspired by U2’s Sweetest Thing, where Bono sings to camera as chaos unfolds behind him. I pitched a Spike Lee style dolly shot with Birds of Tokyo lead-singer Kenny singing directly to camera while the background action played off the lyrics. We filled the scene with friends, props, and small absurd moments to make it feel spontaneous and alive. It ended up being one of their favourite clips to make and has since passed a million views.

For the second video, Superglue featuring Kenny and Bonnie Fraser, from Stand Atlantic, in a duo, we had a slightly bigger budget but were dealing with travel restrictions. The two artists couldn’t perform together, so I came up with a way to visually connect them through a wall of old photographs. The song is about memory and connection, so the idea of using old photos felt natural. 

During research, I came across the work of French artist and photographer Brno Del Zou, who creates fascinating photo collages by reconstructing faces from multiple images. That became the spark for the concept. I wanted to see if we could bring that technique to life with moving images, having the singers perform within those fragments. Achieving that look really helped elevate the idea beyond a simple memory motif. It was a complex shoot, but I’m proud of how personal and emotional it feels.

ABOVE: The music video for Superglue.

What other directors' work do you admire, and why?

When I was younger, I loved filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch, and the Coen Brothers, directors who mix tone, humour, and style in interesting ways. 

Working in production, I was lucky to be around companies like Revolver and see directors such as Justin Kurzel and Steve Rogers at work. Watching how they handled tone, detail, and performance had a big influence on me. These days I’m inspired by anything that feels bold or finds a fresh way to tell a story, whether it’s a commercial, film, or music video.

Where do you find the motivation for your projects?

I’ve always been visually driven. Early on, I’d spend hours flipping through design and photography books, just getting lost in images. Now most of that inspiration comes from online platforms. 

Early on, I’d spend hours flipping through design and photography books, just getting lost in images. Now most of that inspiration comes from online platforms. 

When I get a new brief, I’ll dive into sites like Frame Set and explore references, films, and music videos. It’s less about copying ideas and more about getting into a creative rhythm. Seeing how others approach similar challenges often sparks my own ideas.

ABOVE: A behind the scenes look at the Two of Us music video.

What were some of the difficulties you faced in pulling these projects together?

With music videos, budget is always the biggest challenge. On The Two of Us, we had to coordinate a one-shot sequence with a large cast and a lot of timing cues, all on limited time and money. I included some of the crew in the background action, which helped with coordination and added a fun, behind-the-scenes energy to the shot.

For Superglue, the main challenge was shooting during COVID. Our two performers were in different cities, so we had to film Kenny remotely in Perth via Zoom and then Bonnie in Sydney. Coordinating those performances and matching energy across distance was tricky, but it came together beautifully in the end.

ABOVE: A behind the scenes look at the Superglue music video.

How long were the shoots and what was the most challenging aspect of the projects?

For The Two of Us, we had about six hours to shoot, with four rehearsals and four takes due to location and cast limitations.

Superglue took two separate shoot days, one for each performer. The hardest part was working with the robot arm to capture precise camera movements. Normally you’d spend a day pre-programming, but we had to build moves as we shot, then adjust timing in post to align the compositions. It was a learning curve, but it paid off.