Bart Wilkinson.
In this series, AdNews spotlights young talent in the Australian media, marketing and advertising sector. This time it's Opus Agency's associate producer, film and broadcast, Bart Wilkinson.
Time in current role/time at the company:
3 & a bit years.
How long have you been in the industry?
7-ish years.
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
Once you pick the life path of being creative, you’ve got to find a way to apply your craft to practical problems, if you want longevity. I’ve always wanted to produce branded content, find ways to help brands strengthen their voice and create engagement by thinking outside the box. I started by making infomercials on morning TV, cutting my teeth making 5-10 ads a week. I’ve always been a go-where-the-wind-takes-me type, and when this opportunity came up to move agency-side, I jumped on it.
Who is your right hand person/who guides you day to day?
My #1 motivation to move to the agency side was to sit under the learning tree of our Head of Film & Broadcast, Greer Bolomey. Her reputation absolutely precedes her and I knew if I wanted to level up, I’d be a fool to pass up the opportunity. She’s a wealth of knowledge; from maintaining client relationships and being their trusted advisor, to end-to-end production from creative inception, to technical execution and fiscal management.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
Discovering your own versatility! If I told myself three years ago all the types of film projects I would have done, I wouldn’t have believed it. Notably: on-location interviews around Asia-Pacific, six-figure camera equipment packages on multi-week customer campaign film shoots, and of all things; expanding my abilities around post-production in 3D & CGI animation projects. At one point, I found myself in a boat, somewhere off the greater western islands of Fiji and managing the film shoot from a local village, for an animation project that now plays multiple times a week on some of the largest LED screens in the Southern Hemisphere.
I still have to pinch myself about that one sometimes.
And the biggest challenge?
AI is an ever-encroaching consideration, especially in an agency dealing predominantly with large software & data tech clients.
But the challenge to me isn’t AI generated content, even though it’s inevitably becoming part of our post-production output on occasion - it’s finding new ways to leverage the technology. Primarily, in our production management workflows, to allow us the time to find new ways to keep our content striking, engaging and (hopefully) ahead of/on trend. Because the more AI speeds up the rate of information around us, the more we need to be nimble and stay competitive in getting projects over the line. Luckily we’re discussing this all the time internally to try to stay ahead of the curve.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
Not his job specifically but maybe in an adjacent role, Jesse James Mcelroy.
There’s no other name that springs to mind right now. I admire how outrageously creative his ideas are and how sharp the technical execution is. His ability to think so outside the box, and turn those ideas into an easily communicable package, is off the chain and I’m always in awe of the stuff he’s putting out.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Usually, the archives. Local, state & national archives from libraries, museums, even online hobbyist archivers. They all have an incredible wealth of historical knowledge. From 1950s advertising campaigns, early nitrate photography to indigenous artwork & foundational cartography.
I find all of it an excellent stimulant to think about new ways to harness textures, composition, subject matter and general presentation.
My favourite advert is (and why):
Oh god, this might sound nuts but there’s one local McDonalds ad that makes me cry like clockwork every time I watch it.
Cravings about a mum and her adult daughter - It’s an emotional bear trap of an ad. By the time you realise who’s selling to you, you’re fully committed to the arc of these two women and the payoff is so delicately simple I can’t help but be brimming with tears, no matter how many times I see it.
And the integration is perfect; that gentle reminder of how accessible and available the brand can be through all these different life moments.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I think I’ve let slip once or twice over drinks but - my first job was as a flying trapeze artist and coach. Nobody believes me, until I pull up the pictures of me flying through the air in a pair of candy-stripe tights.
In five years' time I'll be:
A little older, a little wiser, and covered in a few more tattoos.
Seriously though, as long as I’m still learning and challenging myself at every opportunity, tackling each project with a sparkle in my eye and a spring in my step… I’ll be pretty malleable and open-minded to wherever I end up and whatever those projects look like. It’s led me to some pretty incredible experiences thus far.
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