Rob Malpage Interview(s)

I am a commercials and music video director / D.O.P.

I started running around with a camera as a small kid, I just loved the viewfinder. This then led to film school as an obvious career choice! My first year out of film school I got the opportunity to shoot a TV Drama as the DP which was baptism of fire, the show was called Yizo Yizo. That show was groundbreaking and it was the catalyst that propelled my career. I love creating powerful imagery and getting great performances so that naturally lead to directing TV commercials.

What is challenging about being a Director DP is wearing two hats as you split yourself over two very demanding job titles. I love stress and pressure as it makes me think faster and more lucidly, I also have a very dedicated and loyal camera team that I have worked with over the years, we make a great team and this synergy makes the work all that less challenging.

The most rewarding aspect o this career is when you create that special moment where the performance, the light, the framing and all those other little things that go into creating a shot come together to create magic.

I am also a parent of twins so that also throws a whole other dynamic into the work week. I wake at 4 am and will use that time to do any thinking work, writing treatments, proposals basically my time to work productively without distraction. If I don't have to write I'll go to gym, then help get the kids off to school. After that the day is for putting into action all that I have thought about in the morning. If I am shooting then thats what I'm doing.

To get a shoot to run smoothly it's all about the prep, you have to think of everything, then think about it again and go over the job with a fine tooth comb. Prep, scout, prep and do it again.

One of my best jobs I did was for MTN called Stickies, it was when the brand moved to a new agency that just wanted to blow everybody's socks off with creative work, so it didn't get that ham strung by client, there was a small degree of hamstringing! it was a really fun creative process I collaborated with a great 3D artist so we all got to really indulge our best sides.

If you want to be a director, you must really want to be a director as it takes a very particular personality type to succeed. It can be soul destroying it can give you great elation, it's more a lifestyle than a career choice.

I would Post MTN Stickies as it represents my more punk cinematic self.

Being a director, is being the silent voyeur of life, it is about studying the behaviour of all things so you can recreate it as a story or a beautiful image. Its the love of the emotional response of an audience.