We catch up with Pulse’s latest new director Oliver Wurffell who is about to shoot his first music video following some strong filmic branded work.
Please tell us about your background please, and what led you to be making films and being signed to Pulse.
I first discovered filmmaking in 2000 after picking up my parents’ camcorder. After graduating from university with a BA in Sports & Science, I worked in production for a couple years before honing in on my passion for capturing moving portraits after which I began directing full-time. I really love to tell stories through my work so signing to Pulse Films felt like a natural fit – they share the same ethos when it comes to storytelling and above all else understand me as a director.
How do you come up with your treatments – do you plan everything meticulously beforehand or do you work with simply a shots list?
Generally speaking there is always a treatment and shot list I work with for every job, but how much I rely on them depends from project to project. As documentaries are slightly different in their approach I tend to stick to a rough storyline, guided by tons of questions, which I use to lean our hero in the right direction. Additionally my DP and I are always on high alert to ensure we never miss the magic, unforeseen moments that inevitably happen when making a documentary. Likewise I like to act on spontaneous ideas too – often inspired by the hero, the location or just a personal idea/feeling; I then discuss the idea with the creative crew and if we agree on it, we go for it.
Your work has focussed on having a voice over – are you interested in other formats say music videos or commercials?
Definitely. I’m actually shooting a music video at the end of June – it’s very conceptual and will be filmed in a studio. I’m really looking forward to it – it’s going to be an exciting project.
What are the key lessons you’ve learnt about film making thus far?
That’s a difficult question to answer. I learn from every single job I ever work on and have learnt so many valuable lessons over the years it would literally be impossible to single out one thing in particular. Filmmaking is all about learning and getting better with each new experience.
