A wonderful story. Palpable drama, human humour and a flourish of tiny details that bring it out of filmmaking and into real life. Then there’s the last smile – it’s a commercial for Kiwi Plates. The commercial’s director, 3&7’s Jane Shearer, has told Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand’s tale with the kind of finesse that gives advertising a good name.
Maybe it’s because Shearer is an ex-advertising creative? Maybe it’s because she has an innate understand of where the heart is? Or perhaps it IS that thing called passion. “Film is a combo of all my interests, I love to create the ideas, to make them physically happen and each step of film making is diverse, which keeps me mega engaged,” she states.
If Shearer’s work stands out for its difference (and it does), it’s built into her character.
The story behind Shearer’s difference:
She studied Contemporary Maori Design at Wellington Polytechnic. “We were pioneers, and it was quite a radical thing,” she notes. She was also a creative at Colenso BBDO. “I was part of the first all-female creative team to work there.” At Colenso, Shearer won numerous awards at D&AD and One Show as well as best new talent at the Axis awards. Then she flew across the world to Amsterdam, working at KesselsKramer on Nike and the infamous Hans Brinker hotel.
Here her determination to direct to hold. “While in Amsterdam, I caught the film bug at the same time as my boss, Johan Kramer. He left his company to pursue film making, and I left advertising to attend The Binger institute in Amsterdam which was a filmmakers dream to attend.”
At an artist’s residency at Chateau de la Napoule in the south of France, Shearer completed her first major work, her first with Steve Ayson, and her first acknowledgement as an emerging director to note. She wrote a short film called Nature’s Way with Ayson and directed it in West Auckland with funding from the NZ film commission. “Nature’s Way got into the Cannes competition in 2006. Only 10 films out of 4000 are invited, so it took off after Cannes and showed at many festivals, winning awards,” she recalls.
Shearer started 3&7 with Steve Ayson in 2018 and has been working behind the scenes on all of 3&7’s commercials while raising a family and writing TV and film, sometimes directing second unit on Ayson’s commercials. She is currently writing a TV show with Ayson and Kristin Wiig of SNL fame.
The story behind Lovely Nite’s appeal:
“Last year, I completed another NZ film commission short. It’s been great being back in the director’s seat and shooting Lovely Nite for Kiwi Plates was a brilliant idea that I couldn’t refuse,” she says.
“Saatchi & Saatchi CCO, Steve Cochran, was at Colenso when I was a creative there, so it’s a full circle moment. Having had an agency life before directing is a bonus as I know how much work has been done before the idea gets to me. I felt a real sense of ‘team’ on Lovely Nite, having agency knowledge helps with understanding the needs of the communication while creating an entertaining spot,” Shearer adds.
“Getting the balance of drama and humour for Lovely Nite, I focused on finding skilled actors, who were not super recognisable. I knew if I got actors that stayed in a dramatic space and deliver, they’d be way funnier than if they were ‘comedy’ actors hamming it up. It was quite a process, took some digging, but my casting agent came through.
Shearer has also co-directed a commercial with Steve [Ayson] in the Outer Hebrides, for Guinness and AMV BBDO, where Shearer worked in her agency days. “Another full circle moment,” Shearer notes.
“3&7 is so small, I don’t think you’d call it even boutique, so it’s a breeze to run and we make great work, which is what 3&7 stands for. I work on all of Steve’s work, he works on all of mine, and we look for scripts that we love and want to make, which makes work fun.”
