Dennis Liu

As technology changes, so the art of directing has shifted, with a new wave of do-it-all auteurs attuned to the vagaries and rhythms of the Internet. The taste-making Saatchi & Saatchi New Director Showcase at Cannes this year was stacked with web-only work, including 25-year-old, Saskatchewan-born Dennis Liu’s “Again and Again” for The Birds and the Bees.

‘Filmed’ entirely within a Mac desktop, it’s a smart metaphor for the new face of production and content propagation from the former assistant agency producer, who signed to @radical.media this year. Playing with interactive video in a fun way, his mosaic YouTube video meanwhile tiles random, clickable links from the video giant into a pleasing pattern. But it’s not all tech trickery; he’s recently completed a slick, live-action web spoof of Hollywood action-thrillers for Microsoft Office.

On what subject could you be called upon to speak as an expert for a documentary film?
I think I’m pretty well qualified to talk about branded viral videos. People have studied it and I’ve humbly been able to get a few million hits on different videos without any banners, media buys, or fake generated hits. When you have people literally doing your media buy for you with their Gmail and Facebook accounts, you’ve got a serious piece of work. It’s really the most satisfying and exhilarating experience – going viral and watching the hits rack up.

What impact has the recession had on your creativity as a director?
This is a very relevant question for me. I just finished writing this huge viral video I can’t afford. But I think it’s made me remember that ultimately what matters is a clear story and original idea that resonates with a massive audience. With the viral videos I make, I’m always thinking about the people outside the US: how can I use filmmaking to talk to Japan, Spain, and the UK simultaneously?

You have a certain fixation with digital...
We really are in a new wave of cinema. TV replaced the radio. Color replaced black and white. Talkies replaced the silent movies. Digital is replacing film. I grew up with digital cameras, special effects, video games and the Internet. Luckily, I was trained on 16mm reversal film, cutting it by hand with splicing tape and a razor blade, but I’m comfortable with all this technology. It’s just how I grew up, not so much a conscious decision. Q

www.radicalmedia.com

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