NEWS

I’ll Be Bach: An interview with last year’s Jury Prize winner

As entries pour in for the YDA 2010, we decided to catch up with last year’s Special Jury Prize winner Aleksander Bach to find out how things have changed since cleaning up at Cannes. Bach, a former student at the illustrious Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg impressed the jury with his cinematic spec spot Stars. Since last year Bach has gone on to work with the likes of Chevrolet and Mercedes Benz – and he has some very helpful advice for young dierctors hoping to break into commercials.

Aleksander Bach

So what have you been up to since winning the YDA Special jury Prize last year?

Well, directly after the YDA I spent four weeks in Los Angeles taking part in a „Hollywood-Workshop“ sponsored by the film academy Ludwigsburg. This was a very good experience, because we met a lot of interesting and great people in the feature film business.
After that I started to work in commercials and shot some interesting projects in the last few month, amongst others two commercials for Chevrolet and I just finished a cinema commercial for Marlboro. That was an amazing project we shot in Chile. Between the projects I graduated at the film academy Ludwigsburg and now I am preparing a new commercial for the new Mercedes CLS with Jung von Matt / Hamburg.

YouTube Preview Image What are your memories of Cannes last year?
To be honest: I have great memories. After winning the YDA already in 2008 it was so unexpected for me to win again in 2009 and additionally to receive the Special Jury Price for STARS! It was really amazing for me and a great honour!

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How have things changed for you since winning the YDA?
A lot of production companies and agencies were curious and interested in my work already after the YDA in 2008. But I was still inexperienced on the market. The agencies trust in you more, when you shot some “real” films with “real” clients and have a bit more experience. But things do not change after the success immediately. After a few months I became inpatient and I wanted to shoot the “big” and “cool” stuff. But you have to be patient and keep on working!

One day after the success in 2008 a wise person said to me: “You are just 27 years old and no agency and no client in the world will give an inexperienced 27 years old student from film school a project with a budget of a few hundred thousand Euros, just because he won his first big award! Be patient!” That made sense to me! I had to learn this!

So after the YDA 2009 I changed my management and I started to work with Esther Kurle Management in Berlin. The work is very fruitful.

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With such a busy year, what do you do to relax and unwind?
I try to shoot not too many projects a year! I love my job, but projects are often very stressful! I want to create quality in my films. I take my time to prepare a project very well and after that I try to make some days off to breath again and get some new creative power.

What gets you excited? And what gets you mad?
A lot of scripts are interesting and OK but REALLY good scripts with a GREAT idea are rare. I love to get a great script and when I have the chance to jump in and to create all the ideas in my head how I would like to realize it – that’s great!

It is very difficult to reach the same creative level as at film school where there are no agencies and no clients behind the project. You also have all the time you need to prepare a film. But suddenly – in real business – there are a lot of people who have different interests in a film and everything has to be very fast. Of course! It is advertising! I had to learn that the business is ONE BIG STRATEGIC GAME. It is all about HOW to get what you need for your film and HOW you can reach want YOU want!

What advice would you give anyone hoping to get into commercials?
What I learned in the last few years:

1. Check out, if you are really talented
2. If yes, believe in your work and…
3. Make films from your HEART!!!!
4. Work harder, than the others do
5. Fight for your ideas
6. Learn how to pitch and sell your ideas
7. If you want to shoot good stuff, be patient and
8. Choose the right scripts
9. Listen to your creative departments
10. EVERY decision you make in a project is important
11. Be a role model for you team

Outside of commercials, have you got any other projects on the go?
Of course, but they are still secret…

Find out more about Aleksander Bach and his work at www.aleksanderbach.com

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