On My Radar: Rich Orrick

What website(s) do you use most regularly?

Outside of shops?… That’s pretty much most of it. Idle window shopping while sat at a desk. The only other stuff is news sites like The Guardian, and BBC Sounds for the radio – Radio 4 and 6, coz 5 doesn’t work for the football in Spain. And Radio 3 for our dog when we pop out... he’s a fan.

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

Apart from phone, laptop, iPad, bike computer, and all that stuff, the most recent bit of tech is actually an old, refurbished stills camera, because I want to try to learn the process of how to take photographs on film. I appreciate how handy it is to be able to point your phone and snap away, but I don’t think I really have much satisfaction from looking at the finished images. Could be I’m just a terrible photographer.

What product could you not live without?

A bicycle. 

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

I’m pretty sure the best film is, ironically, one I haven’t seen yet. I missed The Zone of Interest while it was out in cinemas because of working, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I didn’t want to watch it at 30,000 feet. So, I hope to catch it soon at a cinema and appreciate the sound in the way it was meant to be heard.

What film do you think everyone should have seen? 

I don’t know if everyone should or would want to see it, but the vomiting in the second act of Triangle of Sadness was incredible. I think Ruben Östlund’s skill at amping up the human condition, and those tiny moments that say so much, is beyond compare.

What’s your preferred social media platform?

The only one I’ve ever been on is Instagram. It started off great, then became annoying with its randomising algorithm and selling you stuff, so I left it for quite a while until we moved to Mallorca. Then I got back on because a lot of the local restaurants use it for reservations. Now I quite enjoy it again to keep up with friends and watch cycling and dog videos.

What’s your favourite TV show?

There’s been plenty in recent years, all the usual series that I’m sure everyone else has watched. It’s definitely been TV’s golden era, and has shown the power of telling a story over eight or 10 hours. I remember the first series I watched that really felt to me like it fully used this storytelling power was Traffik. It was based on the heroin trade and was later made into a film that was nowhere near as rich in characters and plot. But, weirdly, I’d never really want to rewatch any of them. Not like a great film.

What’s your favourite podcast?

I don’t know why, but I get ‘the fear’ when people mention podcasts. Like being given homework. I think the only one I’ve ever listened to is The Rest Is Politics. Probably two or three episodes. I think I’m just bad at concentrating.

What have you been most inspired by recently? 

Derby County avoiding relegation.

George Richards at Gallery 1936, for 20th century British art finds.

[Author] Seicho Matsumoto, for slow-paced tension in his Japanese crime stories.

New scripts with ideas I can’t picture having seen before, and helping bring that to life. 

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

Oof. I think I’d just read a book instead. The best thing about music is mixing it all up. Randomly combining tracks is kind of like editing; it makes 1+1 = 3. Hopefully.

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

I wish it could reset to how it was a few years ago, when agencies and clients seemed to trust each other more. It was all about the work then, everyone trying to outdo each other. I wish I felt jealous of other people's work more often. I don’t think people are any worse, I just think it’s so hard right now to get great ideas through the process intact. 

Who or what has most influenced your career?

My first boss, Nicholas Wayman-Harris, was the perfect teacher. He pointed to the Avid in the next room while I was making tea for people and said, “Whenever that’s not being used, find yourself some footage and use it yourself.” He never really gave advice, just freedom to do things, which was exactly what I needed, and great chats over long lunches. He had the most amazing film knowledge.

And Ringan Ledwidge, who I met through Nicholas. It was a total joy growing up in this industry with someone like that.

What scares you the most?

Pretty much everything. From getting ill to flying off my bike, to never working again, to anything bad happening to friends and family and dog. But I guess it keeps me nervously pushing as fast as I can. I’m not saying it’s a healthy mindset…