The Directors: Matthew Barnett

Matthew is a multi-award-winning director with a long history of creating rich and varied work for big and small clients. He looks to approach each new project with a distinctive perspective and aesthetic, amplifying the power of the narrative being told. He’s a multi-faceted doer and thinker with a strength for crafting meaningful, emotion based stories. In the advertising world he has directed spots for such clients as: Walmart, AT&T, Lay’s, Interac, Tim Hortons, Sport Chek, Clorox, Tetley Tea, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, MTV, Sony, Maple Leaf Foods, Nike, Reebok, Bata, Etsy to name drop a few.

Name: Matthew Barnett

Location: Toronto 

Repped by/in: Independent  

Awards:  

Telly Awards | 2023 - Bronze - Cinematography Online Ad: Wiley - Seize the Now Fortean Film Festival | 2022 Best Animated Film, Best Children’s Film: HotFoot Toronto Shorts International Film Festival | 2018 - Best Documentary: Unbreakables W3 AWARDS | 2018 - Gold - Music video: Good Lovelies - I See Gold W3 AWARDS | 2018 - Silver - Music Video: Jim Cuddy - You be the Leaver COMMUNICATOR AWARDS | 2016 - Gold - The Movement  

COMMUNICATOR AWARDS | 2016 - Gold - Documentary: Burn the Plan W3 AWARDS | 2016 - Silver - Documentary: Burn The Plan  

COMMUNICATOR AWARDS | 2015 - Gold - Music Video: In The Morning DAVEY AWARDS | 2015 - Gold - Music Video: In The Morning 

DAVEY AWARDS | 2015 - Silver - Documentary: Burn the Plan  

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

Matthew> Being a director, I get to see a lot of different scripts. Way more than I have ever been invited to shoot. There are many that are just variations on other works in the genre. You’ve seen the spot before, so it makes it easy for everyone involved to picture it in their mind. These are pretty easy sells, because there’s no leap of imagination required. The ones that excite me are the ones that have something unique about them. It might not even be a unique premise, but a unique approach to that premise.

A kernel of insight that never gets explored in the same genre. Where I get the most excited is when I see a script that is open for me to really bring something to the table. Sometimes, as a director, I’m asked to be a journeyman, but the times where I can really stretch out and bring some vision to the table is where  I’m most happy. 

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

Matthew> It all starts with the writing. Before I look at imagery or start figuring out my shots, I start by writing my POV on the project. What can I bring to this? Where do I see us having the most success, and where do I see potential pitfalls? Through this writing, I start forming the direction I want to take. I then do a very deep dive into visual treatments.

I spend hours pouring over lighting looks, camera moves, etc, trying to develop the visual language of the spot. I then break down the script and see where or if I can add anything to it. I’m not necessarily looking to make major changes, but I want to see if I can bring something more to the table. Even if it’s just a small moment. Once this has all been settled, I put a great deal of time into the treatment design. I was a graphic designer in a previous life, so a well designed document is extremely important to me. It sets the mood right from the start. I like to use large imagery and bold type. The more images, the better. If someone doesn’t read what is written, they should be able to know what you want to do by the images you use. 

The client is about to invest a bunch of money into your ideas, so you should give them something that reflects that investment. 

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?  

Matthew> I began my career on the agency side of the business, so this kind of scenario is very second nature to me. You must understand the landscape of each client you are creating work for. Ultimately, the agency's creative teams are the owners of the brand. They will determine what works and what doesn’t. That said, my goal is to gain enough of an understanding of the client and their category that I’m able to contribute informed ideas. 

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

Matthew> The producer, hands down. Let’s be clear: every person on the team has an incredibly important role. Every. Person. However, these projects can last months at a time. There are ups and downs and the occasional minefield to traverse through.

Most crew members are involved for a few very important days, but everything leading up to that and everything after that, is almost exclusively just me and the producer. There is a massive level of trust required to ensure that the project is not only successful but that everyone makes it out feeling good about what we just did. 

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?  

Matthew> This has always been a tough question. If you look at my work, you can see that it’s really, really varied. That’s by design. I like new challenges and to mix it up. I would say the things I’m most passionate about are polar opposites to one another. I get invested in emotional storytelling pieces. Something with heart and insight on what it is to be a human being on this planet. I also love really weird, absurd material.

Something that makes me laugh and that is created for a bit of a niche audience. 

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

Matthew> A big conception is that as a director, I have complete control and the final word. Film, especially in the commercial world, is about compromise. The bigger the budget, the more voices are at the table giving their opinions and demands. That’s not to say I don’t have control over certain aspects; I certainly do. Ideally, I’m being hired for my vision and am allowed to carry that vision out. It’s just not always the case.  

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

Matthew> The biggest problems on set are typically problematic clients. Now, the VAST majority of clients I work with are wonderful, thoughtful, reasonable people who you can talk to on a human level. However, every so often, there will be a client that is the opposite of that. Sometimes comically so. To the point where you feel that they’re setting you up to fail for some unknown reason.

In those situations, the best you can do is to advocate for your ideas, be patient, and be reasonable. If that doesn’t work, you speak the language they understand: Money. If their actions are making the day go long or will cause problems in post, etc, I point out that anything is doable; it’ll just cost more. Which is true. Typically, that solves most problems very quickly. Luckily, this is a very rare occurrence.  

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

Matthew> Every agency and every client is different. I try to maintain an open and positive attitude throughout the process. Truthfully, most people just want to feel that they’ve been heard. I try my best to let them know that I understand their thoughts and that I’m not dismissing them out of hand.

If I want people to be open to my ideas, I need to be open to theirs as well. There needs to be a give-and-take. Sometimes, a client will have a request or a small idea that I don’t feel is right, but I’ll do it so they feel they’ve been heard. Will it end up in the final edit? Maybe? But sometimes, being cooperative in those situations will make them more open to other ideas you want to try out. That said, I also feel you’re not done selling until the spot is out in the wild. 

From the first pitch to the edit to the colour correction, you always try to convince and cajole a client to do what you think is best for the project. 

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? 

Matthew> Of course, I fully support things being opened up. Who wouldn’t want that? Gatekeeping helps no one, not even the gatekeepers. I have been a mentor to a number of people over the years. As my career is maturing, I find more and more people reaching out to ask for advice, look for opportunities, etc. I’m always happy to help where and when I can.

I know what it’s like to be on the other side. It can feel daunting and scary. If I can help make the production world a more positive and accepting place, then I’m happy to do so.  

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? 

Matthew> It’s made me even more patient and dedicated to kindness. My sets were always friendly and relaxed. I want people to do their job at the top level, but I also want to have fun. When you talk to people outside the business, they always say, “It must be so much fun”. Sure, we have challenges, but who doesn’t? But my goal is to try and make it as fun as someone who doesn’t work in the business assumes it is. 

I try to go out of my way to interact with all the crew on my sets and thank every person on the way out the door at night. This sounds simple enough, but every production brings some familiar faces but also many, many new faces. So learning who everyone is and what they bring to the table isn’t always easy. Ultimately, I don’t think the pandemic has changed the work I’m creating, but I think it’s helped improve the way I create it.  

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)? 

Matthew> I’ve been doing this for a long time, and the reason I got into it is that I love film. As a lover of film, I always think in a widescreen format. It’s how I compose my images. Working with vertical formats like stories and TikTok is the antithesis of my natural way of thinking. You can’t create a spot formatted for a 16x9 TV commercial that works equally well as a 9x16. At least nothing dynamic. Compromises need to be made. What works best for me is always to keep both in mind. Sometimes you need to shoot something in two different ways to satisfy each format. Think of it like this: A pick-up truck won’t fit into a compact parking space. You can try to force it, but you’ll always look like a jerk. 

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)?  

Matthew> I think it’s important to stay on top of new technology. I have worked with virtual production and AI. For me, they’re just new tools. If I see a space for them in a production that makes sense, then I’ll use them. If not, then I won’t. But at least I am making an informed decision. Colour film was a wild and new piece of technology at one time. So was the sound! I’ve been doing this long enough that I was there when we switched from using film to digital cameras. I saw how the DSLR revolution of the late-aughts and early 2010s democratized who could make cinematic images. Changes will always happen; you risk being left behind if you don’t learn how to use new technology.  

LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why?

Client: THE COLLEGE OF FAMILY PHYSICIANS CANADA  

Title: Your Care Specialist  

These are the kinds of stories I like to tell. Real moments, real emotion. There wasn’t a product to sell in this spot, which allowed me to focus on visual storytelling. There is a nice push/pull of dynamic, energetic shots, and more placid compositions. Each shot was carefully planned to help underline the emotions inherent in the scene.  

Client: Canada Protection Plan  

Title: Plates

This is a spot for getting life insurance through Canada Protection Plan. It’s a subject that can be both uncomfortable and not particularly visually engaging. To help combat that, I introduce the protagonists framed against a never ending wall of souvenir plates… their pride and joy. It was important to me to create a really visually compelling introduction to this spot to help engage the viewer, while also providing a bit of levity. It also gives us further opportunities to explain the available coverage details by integrating the copy onto the literal plates hanging on the wall. With so much information to convey, I needed to be efficient with the camera moves, only allowing for a single crash zoom, and lateral dollying. By doing so, we had more freedom in post to adjust shot length, without being hampered by complicated moves. There’s a warmth and levity to this piece which you don’t often see in this category, which I like.  

Client: Sponge Towels  

Title: Biggest Mess Ever

This is one of a series of commercials I directed for Sponge Towels. In them we engaged influencers to relay their real life stories about their “Biggest Mess Ever”. For Chef Roger Mooking, it was when a pot of curry fell on the floor. These were 15s spots, which can sometimes feel restricting. In this instance though, the brevity of the runtime added energy to the overall piece. It was fast and chaotic. It was important to me to balance the beauty of a controlled, well appointed professional kitchen, with the chaos of the saucy mess hitting the floor. I wanted the viewer to really feel the horror of that splat. As well as the relief of the clean-up with the Sponge Towels. We didn’t try to make a “pretty” art directed mess. We leaned into reality and simply let the chunks fall where they may. How better to show the efficacy of the product? 

Client: Thrillist  

Title: Wine & Cheeseburger

This was a web series I directed starring Harley Morenstein (of Epic Meal Time Fame). The conceit of the show was that Harley and a sommelier would pair wine with famous fast food offerings. We shot eight episodes over two days, all of which had very, VERY loose scripts. What ended up happening was a great deal of improvisation between the performers and myself. It was one of the most fun sets I’ve ever experienced. I wanted a dated, true '80s kind of aesthetic (less about neon, more about brown), to give it a less polished vibe. We weren’t there to hype the food, we were there to see what kind of entertainment could come out of trying to elevate fast food, with good wine. It’s a series full of weird and silly ideas, where I was working with great collaborators who would indulge the strangest ideas and suggestions. It’s an outlier in my work, but one that is dear to my heart.