Film Labs
Film Labs
Getting a break as a young director is tough. You need experience to land representation, but how do you get valuable experience if you're not represented? Here's a start. We're looking for hungry, talented and energetic directors looking to cut their teeth on some of the world's most famous brands during a three month paid internship. You'll be working alongside some of industry's sharpest creative brains, on cutting edge projects. You'll get to direct your own branded content film for one of our clients, and learn how creative agencies pitch and develop projects. At the same time we get fresh thinking and enthusiasm - it's a win-win situation.
The successful applicant
You will work as part of the Cheil UK creative department across all applicable briefs. As well as receiving mentoring from some of advertising and the film industry's top creative minds, you will attend talks from industry leaders. Previous speakers include:
Acclaimed British Director - Ben Wheatley
Managing Partner, Blink Ink - Bart Yates
Producer, BBC VR Hub - Dinah Lammiman
Senior Motion Graphics Designer, Territory Studio - Nick Lyons
Founder, Great Guns - Laura Gregory
You'll be working as part of the creative department so be prepared to lend a hand at concept creation, writing, directing, and post production. Good luck!
How to apply
Submit a film that you've made which best demonstrates your skillset as a filmmaker. The film should be independently funded and under a minute long - or a short excerpt. We accept music videos, social media clips, documentaries - anything that shows off your flair for filmmaking. We are most interested in your voice as a director, so don't worry if the film isn't highly polished. Please list all your production skills including offline and online editing - the more strings to your bow the better.
Application for entries are now live. You can now submit your film through the form that will appear when you click 'enter here' below. When you upload your film to YouTube or Vimeo please include #filmlabstalent and then send us the url through the form. Entry closes at midnight on 9th August. We'll then be in touch with all applicants by 23rd August to let you know if you've been successful, and we'll be holding interviews during the week commencing 29th August so we can have a chat, get to know you a bit better, and talk through your work. Start date for the successful applicant will be September 2019. Entrants must be over 18.
Meet the judges
Russell Schaller
Executive Creative Director - Cheil UKRussell joined Cheil from Havas Worldwide during which time he created and wrote the award-winning short films for Chivas Regal, 'Here's to Big Bear' and 'Here's to Twinkle'.
Schaller's short film 'One of The Gang' for CLIC Sargent's ’The Joke Appeal’ campaign won several international awards, including Gold in Film Craft at the Kinsale Shark Awards and First Prize at the New York Festival of International Advertising.
Earlier in his career Russell worked at a host of creative shops including 4Creative, Mother and Endemol Shine Group's Princess Productions where he wrote on the award-winning Friday Night Project.
Sam Shepherd
Creative Director Craft - Cheil UKSam is an award-winning Creative whose career has seen him working within digital, traditional, social and experiential channels at agencies including Glue London, Publicis & Havas Worldwide to name a few. Sam’s passionate about craft and has art directed and written big TV campaigns for brands like Betway, Santander and Citroën.
Lisa Morgenthau
Senior Art Director - Cheil UKPrevious to Cheil, Lisa worked at Havas, BETC, DLKW Lowe, and Brothers and Sisters, creating work for clients including Diet Coke, Peugeot, Chivas, Yakult and many more. Lisa took a sabbatical from advertising for two years to shoot an award-winning feature-length documentary in Israel. She returned to advertising with a renewed passion for film and storytelling. In her spare time, she continues to make documentary films. Having first hand experience of the challenges facing young directors who are trying to make a break in the commercial world, she is determined to nurture young Film Labs talent with the specific aim of helping them build their portfolios as they embark upon their commercial careers.
Mark Jenkinson
Director – RogueA child actor of no particular talent, Mark nonetheless almost became Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace. Pod-Racing’s loss was film making’s gain, as those days have given him a great affinity with actors and ability to infuse his work with a warmth and emotion that most directors would take years to acquire.
Mark quickly developed his craft - not just as a gifted director - but as a master of the technical. He started off as a performance director but has always had a thing about engines. In 2013, he proved it by taking the back off a V10 Audi R8 and getting the driver to take it up to 200mph and back down again as quickly as possible which went from a small thing for the internet into a very big thing on TV and Cinema -and awards shows. The brand still regards it as their benchmark film in the performance category and overnight, it made him the go-to guy for cars. And that was before he even got his own driving licence.
He’s since shot award-winning films in amazing locations for Mercedes, Lexus, AMG, Renault, Nissan, BMW and Porsche.
Current talent
Pier Tommaso Chirico
I was born and raised on the Isle of Capri, Italy and started making films when I was 14 for local businesses and weddings (obviously). I moved to the UK in 2017 to study Film at Ravensbourne University and that’s when things started taking off.
I have had experience in the field working as a freelancer, meeting interesting individuals and practising the one thing that I have the greatest passion for. Everything I do is in direct relation to filmmaking. I always imagine creating a video with my eyes. Film is something I really believe in, and I put everything into it, devoting myself wholeheartedly.
I initially applied to Film Labs to further my understanding of the craft. From ideation and planning to the final touches of post-production. Telling interesting stories through films is something I love doing and at Cheil I have found the perfect place to do so. I am enjoying every aspect of this experience, working with industry professionals and creatives.
Pier’s Winning Entry Film
