Creatively Profound

Creatively Profound

Sometimes it isn’t enough that a director is merely a director.  Sometimes being an illustrator, painter, and sculptor lends just enough ‘oomph’ to propel a director into a stratosphere all by himself. But this is only sometimes since finding someone in possession of such a skill set is virtually impossible. Well almost.  It just so happens that there is a talent out there with said abilities making headway in the commercial realm. Meet Code Film director Alex Ogus who not only appears to be moving ahead of the pack, but is.

Truly an accomplished artist, Ogus allowed his art to take him into other arenas early on.  Branching off into the field of 8mm stop-motion animation, the decision would ultimately lead him to writing and directing short films – one of which was selected for the Providence Rhode Island International Film Festival.  After starting an award-winning salad dressing business fresh out of film school, Ogus broke into commercials by writing and directing his first spot for the product.  The ad went to the airwaves and Ogus was signed for commercials.  Not long after, the young director was garnering acclaim for his commercial direction with a big win at Canada’s most prestigious broadcast award show, The Bessies.  His Fight Network spots won Best of Show Campaign, Gold Campaign, and Gold Single at this year’s show not to mention winning big at Cannes with a Gold Lion in the Publications & Media Campaign category.

It is no wonder then, that one of the most fascinating aspects about Ogus is his ability to meld his articulate and creative sides – a sort of fusing of the ‘left brain, right brain.’  His expressive and creatively profound approach to his work is one of pure artistry. “When I read the script, I see the commercial play in my mind,” says Ogus.  “Once I see it in my head, I quickly write down how it plays, summarizing the order of shots.” Ogus’ photographic memory allows him to then formulate the execution of his storyboards once the sequence of images present themselves. His visual abilities allow him to quickly connect to a script with the unwavering conviction of an alchemist.

It is obvious when listening to Ogus that the :30-second format rewards him with a heightened emotional sense of satisfaction.  “The beauty of the short format,” says Ogus, “is the challenge to evoke some very strong emotions in a very limited amount of time.”  Seeing no boundaries to the creativity of the genre, Ogus understands that it is his responsibility to capture the elements on film.  “A director has to make a thousand choices during the course of a shoot – and at the end of the day, it’s either there or it’s not. For me, that’s exciting.” 

His methodology to the work is intriguing, to say the least.  Armed with his photographic memory of the boards, it is that conceptualization of the final representation of the spot that really raises the bar on gratification.  “When I look through the camera and am met with my vision,” enthuses Ogus, “it really turns me on.  There is something to be said for taking the imaginative and making it reality.  I can’t get enough of that.  The beauty of my job is that you get that satisfaction all day long on the set.”  

It is the director’s aptitude to push the envelope and in turn capitalize on the end result that puts him in high demand.  Providing clients and audiences with a seamless product, Ogus is well aware that a good commercial – no matter how old – is still engaging to watch.  “I equate a hit commercial to a hit song.  Hard to achieve, but once there, you want to listen to it all the time.”  Ogus’ course of action is simple: make the right choices and secure the path of least resistance.  Even though a commercial may be fraught with challenges, it is unequivocally up to the director to make it look easy.  

With the evolution of advertising picking up speed to include coverage across diverse platforms, Ogus’ imagination takes flight with the infinite array of possibilities.  “It’s one thing to be confronted with opportunities for longer driven narratives, but it’s an entirely different animal to think of adding an interactive component.  All of a sudden the world expands exponentially.”

The horizon bodes well for Ogus, whether in the commercial realm or the feature arena where the ultimate ‘spy’ flick beckons to his directorial prowess.  “I never want to stop doing commercials, but I also want to dabble in the longer format where I’m pushed not only to evoke a variety of emotional responses, but to draw the audience into the possible reality of what they are watching.  There is something so satisfying, whether in short or long formats, where you’re responsible for the slightest evocation that gets people believing that it could happen.”