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Camera Obscura: Classically Cinematic Visuals with Michael J Ferns

11/05/2023
Reps
London, UK
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Johnny Foreigner director on a truly classical look, following your gut and how taste and style develops over time

Michael J Ferns is a young Scottish director who has been shooting, directing and editing films obsessively since he was 12 years old. Winning a Scottish BAFTA at 16, Michael then studied film production at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before moving down to London where he has directed content and commercials for brands like Boots, Toni & Guy, Arla, The Body Shop and RBS to name a few.

As well as his commercial work, Michael has ventured into broadcast, co-creating and directed the first series of the BAFTA nominated CBBC Official Chart Show as well as directing and editing a mini series for Cartoon Network.


LBB> What is your niche craft obsession?

Michael> Perhaps it’s not ‘niche’ in the strictest sense but it is an aesthetic obsession that informs how I approach my work and therefore my close collaborations with key HoDs. I love a truly classical look. Deep, rich colours and contrast, precise camera moves motivated by character, and, of course, an anamorphic ratio! My idiosyncratic taste informs all of my decisions. As a director, I am asked a hundred questions a minute and I have to be able respond intuitively to each of them, immediately, in the moment, aligning them to my vision. There isn’t time to return to first principles or to theorise, I have to know both implicitly and explicitly where I’m going. As a director, I’m captaining the ship: I’d surely sink without my crew, but it’s my job to set the destination. 


LBB> Where/ when/ how did you first come across this thing? 

Michael> Taste and style develops over time. I didn’t discover it in a single wave of inspiration, or at least I didn’t discover any sustainable style in that manner. I also didn’t cynically curate an aesthetic for branding reasons. Instead, it was more of a retrospective realisation, not any single piece of work per se, but recognising an unconscious visual and tonal continuity over time. That’s how I know it’s really ‘me’. 


LBB> What are the most interesting debates or conversations you are having around this obsession?

Michael> It’s an internal debate as much as an external one. But I guess there are pros and cons to developing a style that people recognise. Does it box you in more than it makes you uniquely exciting? That’s the pertinent question. I’m lucky enough that 'classically cinematic visuals' are hardly mine to claim alone. But I still believe it sets me apart from more fashionable aesthetics and hope it has a little more staying power.


LBB> How widespread do you think this obsession is with your peers?

Michael> Very few people don’t want their work to be cinematic right? 


LBB> Can you share any examples of work where that obsession really came to the fore and elevated the final production? Can you tell us about it and share links if possible?

Michael> I’d probably return to an early piece of work I directed quite a few years ago, for the Caledonian Sleeper train. We achieved a lot for a very modest budget and it’s the one piece I’ve made that I think most exemplifies how taking a cinematic approach can add real visual value to a challenging production. As self-evident as this statement is, it’s worth repeating: collaboration with creatives you trust, who share your taste, is vital. 


LBB> For anyone just getting into your field, what advice would you share to help them get their head around this particular thing?

Michael> I wouldn’t recommend anyone pursue any particular look and feel explicitly. Instead, follow your gut, shoot how you want to shoot, light how you want to light. Your style, over time, will reveal itself to you, and it will actually be yours. 

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