Chromista’s Gavin Bellour on Making the Mildly Impossible Happen

“Gavin Bellour is a filmmaker known for his spot-on approach to humour and his ability to elicit great performances from actors, celebrities, and non-actors alike. A serendipitous mix-up landed him his first job behind the camera, leading him to cut his teeth as a director with branded content for Phillip Lim, Swarovski, Dior, Armani, and Casio. In 2012, Gavin joined Mustache Agency, a creative content studio based in Brooklyn, where he became partner, executive producer, and in-house director.

Gavin has helmed projects for Chevrolet, DoorDash, Keurig Dr. Pepper, Netflix, Red Bull, Tito’s, and Vogue and worked as creative director for projects with Google Creative Works, Progressive, Staples, and Neutrogena.

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Gavin> The first thing I respond to is usually how the talent is being used. I’m always drawn to opportunities for the actors to really shine and create a connection with the viewers through their performance.

Secondly, I’m a sucker for a clever concept. Sure, sometimes a simple punch line is enough to get our messaging across, but the fun and games for me is when we really get to visualise and play with our messaging right on screen through action. That’s the best, and the bigger the swing, the better, in my opinion.

There is always an ‘x-factor’ involved in how something reads, or a unique creative challenge can inspire me as well.

In the end, it’s all about how I feel after reading through it a few times. If my head is spinning with a few ideas, or I’m seeing a cool frame in my head, or I laugh out loud, I’m in.”

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