The Directors: Kirill Sokolov

Kirill is a half Russian – half Ukrainian director and writer.

He started to make short films in 2009. The hobby turned into a passion and as a result, he directed two feature films Why Don’t You Just Die (2019) and No Looking Back (2021). After festival and critical success, Kirill garnered his reputation as Russia’s young Tarantino. When the war broke out in February 2022, Kirill made public statements criticising the government (see this NY Times article) after which he had to flee his homeland. Since then Kirill has been based in LA where he was welcomed by agents and industry friends.

Name: Kirill Sokolov

Location: Los Angeles, CA, US

Repped by/in: Minted in LA/Johnny Foreigner in UK

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

Kirill> Since I come from the movie world, I respond to the story and characters first and foremost. Even in thirty seconds you can tell a compelling story with a twist inside. And if you spice it all up with irony and action, it's a dream come true!  

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

Kirill> The main thing is always the intention! Once you understand it accurately, you can look for the right tone, scale, visual style.

LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?

Kirill> The first step you must take is to research the brand. I can't imagine any other approach. What are its products? If you have the opportunity, try it out for yourself. It is absolutely necessary to understand what the brand's values are. Its history and future plans. How did it represent itself before and how does it represent itself now? Without a clear sense of these things, you are unlikely to be successful in your job.

LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?

Kirill> I think a director's job is partly to get along with everyone. It's a huge responsibility because you are the last frontier before an idea becomes a reality. My main task is to clearly realise the vision and expectations of a group of people - creatives, artists and clients. You can’t just pick up one person. It's all about collective agreement.  

LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about - is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?

Kirill> I'm always drawn to humour. In any form. I also love action and physical comedy. It's a universal language that is understood in every corner of the world. And of course, I love projects where you can take a creative approach to editing. It's so fun when the audience asks themselves: "Damn, how was that done?".

LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?

Kirill> Some people are distrustful of everything Russian. And that's easy to understand. I will be happy to convince you that there are some pretty good guys among us.

LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?

Kirill> It’s not a linear producer, right? 

LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?

Kirill> I've made two feature-length action-packed movies for a mere penny. The whole production was one big problem. But you can check out the result - it came out pretty good.

LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?

Kirill> Communication is the key to a healthy process. If you have a great idea and you need to defend it - find the right arguments. This is the only way to work constructively. If you can't convincingly defend your point of view, maybe it’s not so great and it is worth listening to what is being said to you.

LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?

Kirill> Yes, yes, and yes! I fully support it!

LBB> How do you feel the pandemic is going to influence the way you work into the longer term? Have you picked up new habits that you feel will stick around for a long time? 

Kirill> People are used to communicating by ZOOM. This is admirable because now distance is not an issue when it comes to real talent. It's like the world has gotten a little smaller in a good way. 

LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats – to what extent do you keep each in mind while you’re working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)? 

Kirill> I’m mostly a movie director at this point. But I hope that I will have much more commercials in the future. Then I will tell you the difference. 

LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work (e.g. virtual production, interactive storytelling, AI/data-driven visuals etc)?

Kirill> Using a new technology shouldn’t be the main point. But if it works for your idea and makes the outcome better – I am fully open to it!