Video game advertising is increasingly resembling feature film marketing with content ‘premiering’ during programming rather than merely airing during breaks. One director to have a direct hand in furthering this trend is MJZ’s Rupert Sanders.

In 2008, his elaborately-detailed “Believe” spot for Xbox title Halo 3 and ad agency T.A.G. (now agencytwofifteen), fueled speculation the game would make the leap to the big screen. Last year, the 39-year-old Brit inched the franchise closer to feature territory with “The Life”, a gritty two-minute ad for Halo 3 ODST that placed gamers in the thick of a dust-strewn alien action sequence.

Bombastic to be sure, but Sanders also aims to bring a humanistic touch to Halo that one doesn’t immediately associate with POV shooter games. This approach has led to more action-packed ads, such as the frantic “Captivity” for Activision game Wolverine and “Stealth” for Verizon Droid, but also lighter, understated work such as ITV “The Brighter Side” and the playful Puma “Lift”.

What’s one thing that has happened in your life that has made the biggest impact on who you are today?
Professionally, I think coming to America after leaving art college and ending up on a commercial set with Tony Kaye. Firstly, it opened my eyes to a world that I knew nothing about and whose existence I was pretty unaware of. Secondly, Tony gave me the opportunity to direct and the confidence that, even if you know nothing about it, you can still do it… I owe a lot of where I am to him.

What was the most technically challenging job you shot last year?
I think probably Halo 3 ODST “The Life”. There were as many elements required as for a feature – all in two weeks. We had very little time to shoot; three days to get big action scenes in a working coal mine that was spewing coal over us all day. Also, when you shoot big action pieces with lots of air mortars and explosions and [as a team] you are speaking different languages, things get interesting.

Do you think advertising can become a personal expression for a director?
I think anything you do creatively is personal expression. Advertising allows you to work on a much larger canvas and reach more people. I wouldn’t, however, call it art.

What’s the most difficult in-camera feat you pulled off last year?
Probably Puma [“Lift”]. It was a series of 16 projections all running simultaneously. Each projection related to a prop on stage which had to move into position at a certain sync point in the choreography. We also had dancers who had to stay within a projected dance and interact with other projections on scrims.

Name a film you love that was directed by a woman.
Morvern Callar by Lynne Ramsay. The best depiction of a house party ever put to film.

You’re officially a Top Director. What do you get prima donna-ish about?
I think as soon as you start getting prima donna-ish about anything, you’ll soon become a bottom director. Q

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