Louis Sutherland’s international renown, and many of his impressive collection of awards, come from his skill as a performance director. His ability to portray the relatability of family dynamics is evident in recent campaigns such as “Push Play” for Sport NZ and “The Table” for Oceania. His range is remarkable built on a foundation of documentary and short narrative films. These films have been awarded at Cannes and Sundance, with his first feature, “Shopping”, premiering at Sundance and winning the Grand Prix at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Sutherland was recently entrusted with developing the idea that Weet-Bix kids exist come in all ages for Australian heritage brand, Sanitarium. The Stable asked him to describe what makes Louis Sutherland one of Photoplay’s great assets. Here is what he said:
The Stable: You are known for your ability to tease out great performances. What do you think that takes?
Louis Sutherland: Be really demanding about finding great talent. Sometimes getting the right cast means rewriting rules… For a lot of work, I find my way into schools and create theatre games for heaps of kids to play so I’m casting from hundreds. Last year, I finished a commercial in which the large cast of kids was 80% street cast. I like doing a lot of my own casting so I am hands on, aware where we are looking and what stones we are turning, always finding better and fresher talent.
Once I’ve found the right cast, I do a lot with process. It’s challenging with commercials, but I’m always pushing for a workshop to rehearse with actors. I don’t mind if it’s a shared lunch during wardrobe, it’s about getting time together so I and they get to know one another. It builds a sense of connection with cast members and helps grow the story within them so they can play it out on set.
I also leave room on set to explore, whether that’s dropping in new dialogue, shifting blocking, or finding a fresh way into a scene. I’m constantly asking, “What makes this more alive? More truthful? More energised or endearing?” I aim to stay curious, keep pushing, and never settle for just ‘good enough’. The best performances always come from that sense of discovery.
The Stable: What for you are the foundations of a great commercial?
Louis Sutherland: Great commercials begin with great ideas – the genius that is on the page – and then whatever connection you as a director add to the idea and the thoughts it has inspired in you. It’s all about bringing your best creativity back to the project. It’s not just about executing the script, it’s about taking it further, finding and building layers of detailing, and making it sing through all the noise.
Working closely with the agency, sharing ideas back and forth, and letting their insights fire new directions is key. It’s really simple maths, four brains are better than one, period.
The Stable: Your cultural background is fascinating – Samoan-Celtic Kiwi is a heady mix. What from your culture, personal history and career experience colours your approach to directing most?
Louis Sutherland: I grew up in a bicultural home, situated in a pretty tough but culturally enriched neighbourhood, where huge differences were part of daily life. I was raised within a family navigating language barriers, contrasting social perspectives, comparing traditions and vastly different ideas.
That often chaotic upbringing shaped the way I approach directing a lot. It gave me a deep respect for the noise of collaboration and an understanding that there’s always more than one way to find the truth in something. The best idea can come from anywhere and anyone, and I know I am stronger with a team of equally talented people who are constantly feeding into this idea.
Direction is about bringing and holding people together, and when you create an environment where every voice matters, the story is always stronger, and production more efficient for it.
The Stable: If you were asked to choose three pieces of work that are quintessentially “Louis Sutherland”, what would they be and why did you choose them?
Louis Sutherland:
Ikea Best Toy Ever (This is about learning to bring raw emotion to directing as a craft)
This was my first genuine collaboration with a great agency (The Monkeys), and it came at a pivotal moment in my life. The timing was really rough. My daughter was born the morning I had to fly out so we didn’t lose the schedule, and budget constraints meant we had to be incredibly resourceful. Despite these challenges, maybe because of these challenges, I dug deep into the heart of the childish world and captured something pure and joyful.
Looking back now, I realise I was channelling my own feelings into the film. As a father, I was missing my place beside my new baby girl, while filming a story about kids wanting to be with their parents.
The Six Dollar Fifty Man (This is about a kid teaching me about direction and the challenge making me rethink/build better process.)
Choosing a film might be cheating, but it showed me that one incredible cast member can completely elevate an idea into an award-winning film.
I cast Oscar Vandy-Connor while I was still writing the script. His mum was producing with me, and one day in the office, I overheard him swear when someone asked him a question. The room went deadly quiet. He was just eight years old, but in that moment, he held a room full of adults in the palm of his hand and he didn’t spare any of them. Most people would have just seen a troublesome child needing reprimanding, but I felt that Oscar had something to say.
Next morning, he begrudgingly gave one of the best improvised auditions I’ve ever seen, regardless of age or experience. He had this enormous heart, a sharp mind, and a shit-ton of talent. On set I had to manage him or he would literally tell all of us boring adults where to go. A week of shooting this feisty genius little kid nearly broke me, but that raw experience changed my entire approach to casting and process. It taught me that when you truly see an actor, when you listen to who they are, you can build something around them that’s greater than anything you originally imagined. The same could be said for when I found gorgeous actor, Julian Dennison, in a local school hall a few years later. The magic happens when you create the space for performers to bring their raw truth to the screen. That’s when a story really comes alive.
Wellington NZ You Would in Wellington
I really loved making this visual and physical ode to Wellington where we got to be a bit odd and funny. It has that perfect blend of striking imagery and unexpected humour. It was one of those rare shoots where everything just clicked – the team, the playful energy, even the weather. When our seasoned grip told me it was the best weather day he’d ever filmed in the city, I felt incredibly lucky. You probably need to be a ‘four seasons in one day’ Wellingtonian to truly appreciate how rare it is to get that much sun pouring into the lens. It felt like the city was giving us a gift, and we made the most of it. Then it turned out that our client wanted to air the spot as a winter campaign and they were worried we’d made the city look TOO good… True story.
The Stable: What is the greatest challenge you’ve faced in your career? What has been its greatest moment so far?
Louis Sutherland: Here’s an odd moment. A serendipitous moment in my career was when I found myself on stage at the awards ceremony at the Cannes film festival a few years ago. I was starstruck, 1,200 people clapping madly, all these A-list people standing beside me, and then I hear the French host (who only spoke French, of course) shouting at me to move aside to make way for someone. Finally understanding what was being asked of me, I stepped aside and Willem Dafoe slipped past me to the applause and adoration of the crowd. I think I started clapping for him too. As we walked off, I apologised profusely to Willem as I felt like an absolute dork, but he just grinned at me and said, “There’s a time to be in front and a time to be behind.” Willem’s little gem of advice has stuck with me ever since.
The Stable: Tell me about working with Photoplay.
Louis Sutherland: Working with Photoplay is a joy because they’re genuinely great people, which isn’t always a given in our industry. Having a team you can kick your shoes off with makes all the difference.
A big part of my process is working closely with my producer-wife. Breigh and I bring a lot of transparency and open communication to the way we work, and that dynamic fits perfectly with Photoplay’s no balls pedigree. They’re super supportive, feeling like a family more than a business, they are empowering, and they make it easy to create in an environment where everyone’s ideas are valued. When you have that level of trust and human alignment, the work is better.
