Jason Evans brings yet another new dimension to Exit Films. The Australian director, who cut his teeth in New York, studied graphic design before developing his visually stunning style. He then worked in an agency as a creative director, on campaigns with some of the world’s most prominent fashion brands, acquiring a background that gave him an in-depth understanding of the advertising process from initial creative development through to post-production.
Evans’ directorial style features eye-catching cinematography and sensory-driven details. He has directed campaigns for Apple, Mercedes-Benz, Oakley, Dior, Shiseido, MoMA, Allianz, and Miele, and his short films have screened at international film festivals and museums, most notably MoMA’s Doc Fortnight, in New York, and Cinéma du Réel at the Centre Pompidou, in Paris.
Evans explains what makes him tick:
Give me more details about your background as a creative director
Jason Evans: I studied graphic design in Melbourne and went on to start a creative studio called Studio Anybody straight out of uni with a few friends. At first, we were doing a lot of work in the arts, but soon became more involved in the fashion world. I moved to New York in 2006 and ended up as a creative director at Lloyd&Co., an agency known for their campaigns for luxury fashion houses – Jil Sander, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent. It was an interesting time. I got to work with everyone from Raf Simons to Justin Timberlake, while often collaborating with photography-based artists on some of their first commercial gigs, people like Ryan McGinley and Collier Schorr.
What do you think this background (and especially your background in fashion) adds to your approach as a director?
Jason Evans: Coming from a creative director background gives you the ability to work closely with agencies and other creative partners, from the initial concept right through to post. This collaborative process is something I’ve always loved. It’s important to acknowledge everyone is part of the process. Even now I like a very chill set, with no distinct power dynamics. As for fashion, I would say I’m interested in the way it brings looking to the forefront. It’s first and foremost about form. Fashion image-making revolves around ideas of beauty, style, desire, etc, so as a creative in that world you develop a very nuanced visual storytelling. While as a director I have a broader grasp of narrative now, I still obsess over visual details—whether that’s gesture, colour, light, framing, etc. A lot of my work seems to have the same underlying sensibility, which you can see in my spots for Connoisseur and Miele.
How and why did you move into directing?
Jason Evans: I always wanted to be a filmmaker. My high school photography teacher worked on films like Metal Skin and Romper Stomper, and he would encourage us to pick up any kind of camera we could get our hands on. Even while studying graphic design at uni I was off exploring film, photography, 3D animation, etc. When I moved to New York, everything was shifting from film to digital. Suddenly, all the fashion brands, who had traditionally put everything towards photographers and magazine ads, now needed video content. Out of necessity it fell on the art director to put these small fashion films together. I’d find a DP, capture what we could between the stills shots, cut it together, find a mate with a band or a small record label, and just get it done.
When I left agency life to move into directing full-time, I had to prove myself again. I shot b-roll footage for Christine Vachon’s Killer Films, I helped mates with their film projects, all the while jamming on my own short docs, like the piece I made in response to the 2016 US election:
…and narrative music vids, like those for Psychic Ills. I was lucky to have the support of friends who were doing street-casting at the time, and have since gone on to help cast productions like Euphoria, Uncut Gems, etc. Working with non-actors was really how I learned to tell stories—by listening to people, building on their experiences, thinking about the way they move, how they dress, etc, just trying to create worlds that felt authentic and honest. The right person can really expand on things in a very human way, bringing something new to a story that you may not have expected. That was how I approached both of my Mercedes-Benz spots, Chosen Family and Together. There’s also an importance placed on creating a safe environment on set. If you have people opening up, you want to make sure they can trust you.
New York is tough. Challenges you’ve conquered (or haven’t), what has helped you to succeed?
Jason Evans: I was visiting New York on and off for about eight years, before I finally made the move here. I had friends who were artists, musicians, etc, who lived in New York, and I was really taken by their world and the way everything co-existed. I reckon Australians have a pretty good rep as hard workers, so I don’t doubt that opened a few doors for me at first. I was lucky. I got a job within a week of landing in the city. Which is not to say it hasn’t been tough at times. If you can find your people though, support each other, share ideas, grow and learn, I reckon that’s half the challenge.
Tell me about This Long Century and your online film series within Ecstatic Static
Jason Evans: I’ve published online arts archive, This Long Century, since 2008. Every few months or so we invite a handful of artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians, etc, to each send a reflection on something of personal meaning. We’re up to almost 500 contributions, from people like Vivienne Westwood, Kelly Reichardt, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Kara Walker, AG Rojas, Ari Marcopoulos, Will Oldham and Keith Malloy, to name a few. We’ve also expanded things to include in person and online screenings, exhibitions, artist collaborations, mutual aid fundraisers, etc. Ecstatic Static is our sister project, which was launched in 2020 and is focused more specifically on film. I wanted to create shared resources for people to access for free; practical things like cinematographer, Ari Wegner’s list of Camera Choices, PDFs of out-of-print film books I scanned from my own collection, and the many free online film programs we streamed during the pandemic. Over the past four years we’ve also worked directly with film-based artists on moving image pieces for shows at museums like MoMA and the Whitney.
What does it mean to you to join Exit. What drew you to the company?
Jason Evans: I first worked with Exit back in 2019 on a project for Shiseido, in Aotearoa. I had such a great time. We got stranded during a heavy week-long storm that hit the South Island, but ended up bonding over mini-golf, dancing, meals, and in the end shot a beautiful commercial.
I’ve been a fan of Exit for many years, they’re so well regarded the world over, but to work with the team and find they’re also genuine, caring, creative people – that really left a lasting impression on me. I’m stoked to join the roster, which is full of filmmaking legends like Bonnie Moir, Mark Molloy, Stefan Hunt and Ben Fitzgerald. Hopefully it’s a chance to work more in Australia, which is still my home, even if I’ve been away for so long.
