Fresh-thinking. An Australian-born Brit. Very talented. And now Kim Gehrig is ours again…well, she may still not call Australia home but she is back here and on loan to her homeland’s creatives through Revolver. “I am a director of adverts, music videos and have also dabbled in longer form documentaries. I love making work. It gets me up in the morning and keeps me up late at night. I revel in the actual process, how an idea evolves and grows. That’s the bit I like, being in the middle of it all.”
Cadbury – Unwrap Joy from Kim Gehrig on Vimeo.
The Stable: Why do you think that creative work is being done, more and more, by creatives sourced internationally?
Kim Gehrig: Great ideas can come from anywhere, so why not take them from wherever they come from. The world is so interconnected these days. The free flow of ideas and creativity is inspiring. We are lucky to live in such an exciting, creative, time.
Nokia
TS: What are the challenges when doing work for a different culture…or does it not matter?
KG: It is all about cultural nuance when working in different countries. Sometimes not being embedded in a culture means that you can look at it with fresh eyes, other times it can get you in trouble…
TS: Do you have ‘a style’ or traits that you want to be known for?
Nowness – Margot Henderson’s Burning Bush from Kim Gehrig on Vimeo.
KG: I’d like to be known for having humanity in my work. Hopefully combined with cleverness and often a gentle wit. Visually that can take any guise, depending on the subject matter. I love great ideas and stories so I like to start from there and let the concept inform the visual style.
Nokia
TS: What do you think makes your work remarkable?
KG: I can’t answer that one… ask someone else!
TS: Ok, Michael?
Asics
Michael Ritchie, executive producer, Revolver: Kim and I met about 5 years ago and from then on we were keen to see what we can do. When you represent a director in this business, you need to know it is REAL. There needs to be a likemindedness and belief from both sides and finally there needs to be a genuine desire to come over to Australia to work. Kim and I talked a lot, she developed her body of work to where it is, and she actively has made a priority to spend time here…suddenly it felt like it was the perfect time. We honestly could not be happier about this.
Anchor
TS: How much/in what ways does great work depend on a great brief? what else matters…?
KG: I think with a great brief you are much more likely to make something remarkable but it is no guarantee. Great work needs alchemy. All the stars need to align along the way.
Tesco Finest – Grissini from Kim Gehrig on Vimeo.
TS: What makes a job harder and what do you do to triumph anyway?
TS: All jobs are a different kind of hard. I think positivity goes a long way.
Cadbury
