The Directors: Sammy Rawal

Sammy Rawal is an award-winning director and digital artist, known for his hyper-stylised work. Sammy’s work has an undeniable energy, expressed through his use of rhythm, bold colour, choreography, and innovative VFX. Sammy’s approach to image-making is rooted by culturally diverse influences: his Indo-African heritage, fashion, dance, and hip-hop. Authentic representation and the creation of inclusive spaces play an important role, both in Sammy’s work and on his sets. He’s known as a kind, positive presence with a joyful and calm energy that has endeared the likes of artists like Lizzo and Elton John to his work.  

Name: Sammy Rawal 

Location: Toronto 

Repped by/in: Westside Studio in Canada / Scheme Engine in US / Believe Media in UK

Awards: Special Achievement Award at the 2022 Prism Prize, nominations at UKMVAs, nominations at Berlin Music Video Awards.

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

Sammy> If a script lands in front of me that involves elements of dance, movement, stylisation and colour…I’m all about it. I like to play in a very distinct visual world and when I come across scripts that feel like they can effortlessly live in that world, I get pretty stoked.

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

Sammy> I usually like to write and create my own treatments (without writers or visual researchers), so it does tend to be a bit of a process. I start by sourcing references and creating mood boards. I use this initial step to create a bit of a skeletal structure for the treatment. Once I have a loose assembly of groups of images / videos / GIFs, I start to write down thoughts and ideas in point form. Then I refine the references I’ve sourced, I edit them, and source even more. From there, I flush out my point form paragraphs - elaborating on important ideas and creative approaches. Finally, and possibly the most time consuming aspect of the process, I start to lay out the treatment in InDesign. This usually takes me about 12-15 hours to do. Finally, I get a couple of people to look at it with fresh eyes just for quality control.

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? 

Sammy> Familiarising myself with the brand is incredibly important. I need to know what the brand is all about, who the main demographic is and what the overall visual DNA is. It’s only from this level of understanding that I can figure out how and where I can inject my point of view / visual voice into things. Often times I’ll do a deep dive on the internet to see previous campaigns or spots from the brand to get a top line grasp of what they’re all about and what their sensibilities are.

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

Sammy> I don’t know what the right answer is here…but for me, it’s so crucial I get to vibe directly with the creative team at the agency. I need to know I’m understanding them and they’re understanding me. Getting on the same page and aligning creatively with the ECD or CD is imperative. I find I work best when people trust me creatively and that vibe just trickles down from there. Ultimately, it’s a creative partnership with a common goal: to make something cool and engaging.

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?

Sammy> What excites me most is when the work has some connection to my personal life or experience. That being said, I find myself being most passionate about jobs that incorporate distinct story telling from those who’ve historically been silenced, dance / body movement, music, stylization and fashion.

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

Sammy> I’m a director who happens to be queer and a person of colour. It’s so minimising to just be labelled as a QPOC director and nothing else. My point of view and reference points are much broader than what that label means. Coming from the underground queer subculture and the vogue / ballroom community,  it can be hard for people to see me in a different light. My visual vocabulary is always growing and evolving; and, while my self identity is super important to me, my work as a director isn’t specifically tethered to it.

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

Sammy> It can be a struggle to communicate my vision when it’s reduced to numbers, but I know they are just doing their jobs. We always find a way to work it out! 

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

Sammy> When last minute changes come up on the day, after so many rounds of collaboration and approvals, it can be a huge challenge to get everyone realigned because time is not on our side. In moments like that, I take a few meditative breaths and start to present ideas to problem solve and creatively pivot. Again, ultimately everyone on set is there with a common goal so communication is key…even when navigating on the fly changes.

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

Sammy> It’s all about compromise. Having conviction in your creative vision is so important. You need to stand behind what you believe in and push for what you know needs to happen. That being said, in my experience, it’s all about picking your battles and being collaborative to get the job done.

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?

Sammy> YES TO ALL For me, inclusivity and representation are HUGE - both in front of the camera and behind it. I  love mentoring up and coming talent, especially if they’re a POC, femme identifying or queer. It’s time for us to have seats at the table.

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)?

Sammy> Technology and innovation are everything to me. In the past, I’ve often found my ideas and creative approaches are dictated by budget constraints. I’ve started to teach myself how to use Unreal Engine to help me create these grand ideas in a digital space. I’m also really fascinated by VR, augmented reality and interactive storytelling. It’s definitely a path I want and need to explore more.

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

Sammy> 1. Equinox “Life Is a Ball” - this pride campaign for the luxury gyms was a dream come true for me. Featuring trans Icons and Legends of the NYC Ballroom scene, the campaign redefines what it means to be an athlete. I got to work alongside some of my creative heroes both in front of the camera and in production 

2. Converse x Keith Haring - I feel like this campaign really allowed me to flex my visual vocabulary. Keith Haring has always been a queer hero to me, so getting to work alongside his estate as well as a iconic heritage streetwear brand like Converse just felt serendipitous.  It allowed me re-imagine Haring’s illustrations through my own lens involving live action talent. It really showcases my experimentations with pattern, repetition and colour.

3. The Bay “A Dress For Every You” - this Spring / Summer campaign for the iconic Canadian department store, The Bay, was a perfect synthesis of my visual world translated into a very commercial format. I think what I love about this specific job was being able to bring my visual voice to a demographic that wouldn’t necessarily come across my work otherwise. It feels effortlessly cool and deceptively simple. I hope to do more work like this.

4. Kraft “Square It” - this campaign was everything. I LOVED the agency (Johannes Leonardo) and the creative team. From the jump, we all spoke the same visual language and just vibed out. I was given so much creative flexibility and was encouraged to bridge Kraft with my visual world. The whole concept of the campaign is absurd (in such a great camp way) and of course, I got to work with my dear friend, the voguing diva herself…THE “it” girl right now….Honey Balenciaga.