Photoplay director, Stef Smith, has had a fruitful year, crammed with collaborative projects, ranging from a zombie-stoner-comedy to a psychological drama. The ABC’s “wit, warmth and mischief” Australian series, Caper Crew, for which Smith directed four episodes, has just been sold to Netflix, and is set to launch more than 190 territories. She has also just directed three commercials with Ogilvy Australia for ING, showing once again why Photoplay executive producer, Oli Lawrence says of her, “Stef’s wit hits you like a brick wall.”

Stef Smith understands people. And that understanding, infused with her innate sense of humour, connects with audiences. Human humour is one of the most valuable tools in advertising’s box of things that engage and entertain.

Stef took The Stable behind the scenes of the new ING campaign unconsciously demonstrating another inherent characteristic that bonds her to people, self-effacing humour.

The Stable: It was an ambitious shoot. Take us behind the scenes of the ING commercials

Stef Smith: Creating these spots for ING was one of those rare birds where each part was pleasant. The agency and client were really trusting, open and kind throughout this process. I genuinely had a bit of an existential spiral in post because I kept waiting to be hit by the imaginary advertising truck. I’ve had many of these experiences in my career now, but I tell you what, I still don’t trust ‘em. I will eternally be bracing for impact.

Logistically it was tricky, we were trying to shoot 1 x 30 and 2 x 15s in a two-day shoot, at three locations, but the ambition was to also create 2 x 30s and 1 x 45 out of the material in post if we could. Which we did. One of our days was entirely exterior, two different spots to shoot, a company move, and a bit of rain thrown in for fun. The actors were brilliant and generous, and the crew were legends who made it all happen.

The Stable: What did you most want to bring out (or focus on) in the two commercials? What was in your “most important” checklist?

Stef Smith: In commercial world my most important thing is the comedy. Always. The amount of times I’ve heard “comedy is no longer important, we would like to aim for a warm smile”… is more than I’d like. And I do it, that’s my job, helping to bring work to life as best as we possibly can. I don’t like to get in the way of the work. But geez Louise, it’s a kick in the guts each time I hear those two words, “warm smile”.

On this the agency and client wanted to explore the range of the comedy, so improv was built into our shoot approach. We had a page of utterly ridiculous offers to give the actors and they were very playful and responsive, so the stuff we came up with on set was much sillier and worked better than we could have planned for. Phew!

The Stable: You’ve written a TV series, It’s Fine, I’m Fine, that the SMH called “the best Australian drama, albeit with lashings of deeply felt and striking humour.” You also wrote Joy Boy, that won Best Australian Short Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay & Audience Choice Award, and Best Film & Best LGBTI Film at various festivals. How does your writing flair enhance your directing skills?

Stef Smith: There’s a reason my work doesn’t take possessive credits like “a film by”. A film, TV show, commercial, are the sum of their parts. These projects you mentioned were both massive team efforts and writing collaborations. It’s one of the elements of writing I enjoy most, working with other brains to shape something together. They’re all fabulous writers and storytellers.

I’ve written projects on my own, including a TV series I sold in the UK and a new series I’m developing, but I often come back to writing as part of a team because I genuinely enjoy it. Maxine Mellor and I adapted her stage play, Anna Robi and The House of Dogs into a delayed coming-of-age very dark comedy feature that was a quarterfinalist in the Academy Nicholls. I’m desperate to make that. And I’m currently writing a British set feature about unrequited love and longing with Arky Michael and Jeanette Cronin, who won the AWG award for her writing on It’s Fine I’m Fine.

Sometimes I’ll be attached to direct a project that is another writer’s brainchild and I help bring those into the world from development, and hopefully into production with any luck. These last few years we’ve been forming an Aussie zombie-stoner-comedy baby written by very clever Brooke Hemphill and produced by Sheila Hanahan Taylor who produces the Final Destination franchise. Bonkers! And I’m currently helping to develop up a psychological drama written by Pablo Alfierri, who I met as a runner on the Stan Original Film I directed. They told me about this insane experience they had (that even made the news) and it’s going to make a brilliant, contained indie feature. 

Being a writer ultimately helps me be a better director because my capacity to solve problems at script stage and on set is increased, and then again in the edit when I’m forced to face my glaring and multitudinal inadequacies in post. 

The Stable: What of your qualities/skills do you value the most during the directing process?

Stef Smith: If I’m answering without turning it in a joke about how I’m a huge piece of shit…I’m a great problem solver. I think quickly and creatively to turn problems into positives. I’m thoughtful and decisive. And I value clear and honest communication, so I really appreciate the absence of bullshit. I don’t do well with insincerity or ego, so I avoid those at all costs. As my Pa said, even as a kid, I always had a great bullshit radar. 

The Stable: Directing is a tough career. What have you conquered? What have you relied on to get to where you are today?

In terms of conquering – genuinely nothing. I’m resilient enough to still be doing it, but even that feels hard when you’re getting the second or third kick in the guts that week. A producer once described me as being sweet on the outside and having a little ball of steel on the inside. I liked that.

Realistically, I know I’ve achieved a lot, and I’m grateful for that, genuinely, but I still feel so far from the goal that if I think about it too much I’ll become so overwhelmed I might never leave the house again. And I already don’t like leaving the house unless it’s for work or to the movies.

I’ve wanted to do this since I was tiny, at Wagga Maccas with my Nan when she tried to convince me I’d have better chances as a lawyer than as a kid from the country trying to make movies. She wasn’t wrong. But boy do I love movies. Last year, I watched 411 movies and 113 TV pilots. I want to do this forever. It tortures me. I probably need therapy. But I love it. I want to get better each time. I want the work to get bigger and creatively more challenging and exciting. I feel very far from the end.

And speaking of movies, I’m about to go see Spider-Man: Brand New Day for the second time and my popcorn is getting cold.