REGIELOUNGE Celebrates 10 Years in Düsseldorf

Outside Dusseldorf's spacious Nachtresidenz nightclub venue last Thursday (18 September), Steffen Gentis took time out to reflect on his latest REGIELOUNGE session, a director showcase that celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

On the bill for the evening were directors including CFP-E/shots YDA-winner Kibwe Tavares, from Nexus Productions London, who was awarded a camera from the European film commission for his amazing short film Jonah (below) on the night, plus segments from talent such as Johnny Hardstaff, Zoran Bihac and Thomas Krygier.

Photography nightlife blogger, founder of LastNightsParty, Merlin Bronques joined the fold and had his work showcased at the session, attended by around 1,800 of Germany’s ad community.

• Judy Hill (EP, Nexus Productions), Merlin Bronques, Steffen Gentis, Kibwe Tavares, Carmen de Witt (production assistant, Nexus Productions) arrive at last night's event
  

Saatchi & Saatchi London publicist Lee Sharrock also appeared to present a Q&A with Partizan director A Nice Idea Every Day and the agency’s Andy Gulliman, curator of the Saatchi & Saatchi New Director Showcase, was in attendance to speak about the programme.

• As a reminder of the anniversary special each guest received a copy with his own photo on the cover

Musical entertainment on the night came from The Supermen Lovers who kicked things off with their famous hit, Starlight, much to the joy of the gathered crowds and Spaceflex ended a brilliant night in the German city.

The event - also known as the Director's Lounge - has grown and evolved year on year over the past decade to become one of the most respected events on the German ad calendar. Below, Gentis, head of TV at BBDO Germany, tells us how it feels to reach the milestone with 10 years on from when it began in a meeting room at the agency.

• RSA Films' Damiano Vukotic (head of sales) and director Johnny Hardstaff with Gentis
  

How does it feel to have reached the big 10-year mark?

It’s the 48th show, the 10th year, and an unbelievable moment because when we started 10 years ago, it was asking a couple of directors to come round and drink a beer with the creatives and look at their work together. And out of that it’s become a big screen, big sound and lots of people.

Well 10 years ago we never thought we were going to be here but the Director’s Lounge has grown in increments, everything we do started off small and each time we add another element onto it. We try something else out or we add something. It’s grown naturally.

The last two days I’ve been doing something completely different. I’ve been organising a conference for our network here in Germany. I’ve just been touching base with my team in the morning and at lunchtime, asking questions and they’ve been reassuring me that we’re on track.

It’s kind of something that we do because we love film, we’re passionate about it and this event is fun to do; it’s as simple as that.

• Hardstaff holds the attention
  

What role were you in when you started the event?

I was head of TV for BBDO in Dusseldorf. When I joined I had the feeling that this was a really fabulous agency doing a lot of films and it had tremendous potential to do the films they were doing a lot better. But the question was, “how do we get them to be better?” and one of the things that makes a film really good is the director. The relationship between the agency and director was very formal, and I really created the first Director’s Lounge to destroy that formality.

When you’ve spent the evening with the director whose work you’re admiring and shared a few jokes over beers, when the going gets tough when you’re doing a film, you have this communication that you can build on, its very human and adds value. Every good film is based on trust.

• Moritz Merkel (Partizan), Fabian Rötter (A Nice Every Day), Lee Sharrock (Director of Global Creative PR Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide)

Can you tell us about any success stories from the events through the years?

Offroad Smart won two gold Lions in Cannes. This is a director (Daniel Warwick) that came out of film school and had a couple of music videos on his reel, we showed him at a director’s lounge, the chemistry between him and the creatives was perfect, we shot 18 films for a financial institute for a campaign and it launched his career.

He’s been working with the same production company for the past eight or nine years. We found this guy and showcased him because we liked him. He was not only doing great work but he had the right energy and the culmination of this process is that at the end of the day, we shot a really fabulous film for Smart. He not only did a good job for the brand, he brought awards in for us and pushed his career forward. So that’s just one example of many.

I’ve heard about directors leaving the Lounge here at 6am with five scripts in their pocket. I think most of the director’s we’ve worked with have been featured at the Lounge.

• Tavares and gentis share a smile
  

Tell us a bit more about the format of the sessions?

It’s different to other events; it’s very informal and casual. The CCO of our agency and the trainee are standing at the same bar and they have the chance to meet and speak to really fabulous directors. How many trainees at an ad agency get the chance to go up to Johnny Hardstaff and tell him they like his work?

And why do you think directors of Johnny Hardstaff’s calibre interested in the Lounge?

There’re a number of reasons. I think the primary reason is that this is one of the best showcases to get the attention of the German market and there’s about €100 million worth of commissions in that room. So there’s a very interesting economic incentive but once you’re there, there are different directors and you’re meeting different people, it’s very stimulating and inspirational.

• Dirk Popp (CEO Ketchum Pleon), Sonja Klaasen (Head of Communications Johnson & Johnson), Babette Kemper (Managing Partner Ketchum Pleon) und Steffen Gentis

What about the selection process? As the years have gone on has it got harder to choose the work you host and do you get approached by people wanting to be a part of it?

It’s a mixture. Tonight was half people coming to me and asking whether they can show their work and half me approaching them offering the opportunity.

What are your hopes for the future of the Lounge?

It’s all about where are we going to be in five years time and who are the people that are going to help us get there? So that’s what I’m looking at. Tonight we showed a really wide scale of talent and each one of those people has certain inspirational qualities.

And what's changed since you started the showcase?

At the first Lounge we were showing typical TVCs but tonight we’ve had one TVCs, a short film, a music video and we’ve had a photographer showing where photography, lifestyle, blogging and film can be. There are very few people out there like Merlin Bronques and Casey Neistat, documentary filmmakers 3.0 with millions of people following them all over the world. These people are changing the game.

• Bronques and Gentis in conversation
  

Has the agency supported you all the way?

Tonight my CCO from BBDO Germany surprised me with a bottle of something to thank me for doing this in my spare time.

And do you personally get to enjoy the event as much as the rest of the guests?

I do it because I love film and am passionate about what I do. It’s an interesting personal experience when you have a vision and you share it and people clap their hands and come back next time. That gives you the feeling that you must be on the right track. An ad agency should be right out in front there with its finger on the pulse of what is cool, interesting and exciting before it becomes a trend and that’s what the Directors Lounge should be.

• The nightlife blogger makes a point

We don’t brand it heavily as a BBDO event, but every agency in Dusseldorf is here tonight and it’s really fantastic to have Lee Sharrock and Andy from Saatchi & Saatchi London to curate a slot because what they’re doing with their New Director Showcase in Cannes for me is one of the most interesting and relevant shows in our business. I would never compare myself to what they’re doing and it’s a tremendous privilege to give them a slot and ask them what inspires them.

• Steffen Gentis, Lee Sharrock (Director of Global Creative PR Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide), Andy Gulliman (Worldwide Direcor Film and Content Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide)

And you’ve taken the show on the road?

I’ve taken it to Berlin a couple of times; I’ve done Amsterdam once, New York once. They’re usually small pop-up showcases of around 100 people so it’s been very nice. But we don’t want it to get bigger, we want to protect it.

Finally, what are your feelings about the German market at the moment?

The German economy is one of the healthiest in the European Union. It’s very powerful and people who have a lot also have a lot to lose so it’s quite a conservative market. It’s an interesting and lucrative market for a director but you have to be very good and very eloquent and sure of what you’re doing if you are going to convince a brand about everything you can bring to a script.

A script given to a director isn’t a final film. It’s what the director asks of it that makes the film. And if the script has been tested and they don’t want to change anything, there’s a paradox. They want a really great director to do what has tested well. And what’s been tested well is not a finished film. If you know your craft really well there’s a tremendous potential for you. If you can convince people to turn a good script into a great film it’s a great market for you.

• Director Zoran Bihac talks about his work