Dougal Stewart Wilson (born August 1971) is an English director of commercials, music videos and films. His work includes directing several John Lewis Christmas adverts and the Grammy-nominated music video for "Life in Technicolor II" (2009) by Coldplay. He made his feature film debut with Paddington in Peru (2024), the third instalment in the Paddington franchise.
Dougal Wilson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dougal Stewart Wilson August 1971 (age 53) Heswall, Merseyside, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Durham University |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2001–present |
Early life and inspiration
editWilson was born in Heswall, Merseyside in August 1971.[1] In his youth, he played in a series of bands.[2] Inspired by Stanley Kubrick's epic science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and interested in astronomy, Wilson decided to study natural sciences at Durham University.[3] While studying, he began designing posters for university gigs and plays and making sets for some of those plays in his spare time.[2]
Wilson graduated from Durham in 1992.[4] He was inspired to become a director after hearing a BBC Radio 4 interview with Ridley Scott and Alan Parker in which they said that they got started in feature films through directing commercials.[2] The first advert Wilson directed was at the Leith advertising agency in Edinburgh, where he was working as a copywriter before moving to London.[3][5]
Career
editWilson has directed commercials for companies such as Apple, IKEA, Orange, Stella Artois, Olympus, AT&T, Safestore, Beck's Brewery, and Coca-Cola.[2] His Christmas adverts for UK department store John Lewis & Partners, including "The Long Wait" (2011), "The Journey" (2012), "Monty the Penguin" (2014), "Buster the Boxer" (2016), and "Excitable Edgar" (2019), have become a widely talked-about part of British popular culture.[2][6] In 2016, he filmed the three-minute advert We're the Superhumans, promoting Channel 4's broadcast of the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.[7]
His numerous music videos include "Satisfaction" for Benny Benassi, "Tribulations" for LCD Soundsystem, "Who Am I" for Will Young, "Take Me Back to Your House" for Basement Jaxx,[8] "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" for Jarvis Cocker, "What's a Girl to Do?" for Bat for Lashes, "Happiness" and "A&E" for Goldfrapp, and "Life in Technicolor II" for Coldplay.[9]
In 2007, he co-directed a short film called Rubbish, starring Martin Freeman, Anna Friel and James Lance. The following year, he directed a four-minute silent comedy homage for Sky Arts and the English National Opera, based on The Barber of Seville aria "Largo al factotum" and starring Mathew Baynton as Figaro.[9][10] In October 2010, a short film directed by Wilson and featuring Gillian Anderson, No Pressure, was released by the 10:10 campaign in Britain to spread awareness of climate change.[11] The four-minute film was written by Richard Curtis and showed groups of people being asked whether they are interested in participating in the project to reduce carbon emissions, and then gruesomely blown to pieces after failing to show enthusiasm for the cause.[12][13][14] The film provoked an immediate negative reaction in the media and was withdrawn from public circulation on the same day it was released.[15][16]
In June 2022, it was announced that Wilson would be set to direct his first feature film, Paddington in Peru, the third instalment in the Paddington franchise.[17][18] In a statement to Variety, he said, "As a huge fan of the first two films, I am very excited (if not a little intimidated) to be continuing the story of Paddington. It's a massive responsibility, but all my efforts will be focussed on making a third film that honours the love so many people have for this very special bear."[19] The film released in the United Kingdom on 8th November 2024 to positive reviews.[20]
Accolades
editWilson has twice won Best Director at the UK Creative and Design Awards, in 2004 and 2005,[21][22] as well as having won Gold, Silver and Bronze Lions at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival[23][24] and Design and Art Direction awards in 2006 and 2008.[25][26] He was named Director of the Year by Ad Age in 2019,[2][27] and was recognised in Adweek’s Creative 100 of professionals behind the "most innovative work" in 2018.[28] In 2020, he was nominated by the Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials.[29]
Wilson has received two Best Video nominations at the 2004 and 2007 MTV Europe Music Awards for directing The Streets music video for "Fit but You Know It" and Bat for Lashes's "What's a Girl to Do?".[30] At the 2008 UK Music Video Awards, the music video for Goldfrapp's single "Happiness" earned him nominations for both Best Director and Best Pop Video.[31] At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, he was up for Best Short Form Music Video with Coldplay's "Life in Technicolor II".[32]
He was also pictured on the front cover of the March 2009 edition of Creativity magazine wearing a jet pack and seemingly hovering a few feet above the ground in front of a car park. Inside, he led the edition's main article, "Directing 101", in which "15 top directors" dispensed advices learned on the job.[33]
Filmography
editShort film
- Rubbish (2007) (Co-directed with Ed Roe)
- Largo al factotum (2009)
- No Pressure (2010)
Feature film
- Paddington in Peru (2024)
Music video
References
edit- ^ Knight, David (20 October 2015). "Dougal Wilson on Morris dancing with Stealing Sheep: "I was trying to say 'Isn't this cool?" | Features". Promonewstv. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Arnold, Lewis (25 July 2020). "Dougal Wilson". Directors Now. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ a b Fulleylove, Rebecca (4 August 2015). ""Success breeds success... but you've got to make sure you don't cock it up next time"". www.itsnicethat.com. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Class Notes". Durham University. Durham University. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
- ^ "Dougal Wilson on His Best Spots, As Chosen By shots". shots. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "AdAge Features Dougal Wilson in Top 10 U.K. Christmas Ads of the Decade - News - Furlined". furlined.com. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Dougal Wilson Helms Channel 4's 'We're The Superhumans' for Rio Paralympics | LBBOnline". www.lbbonline.com. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ Sawyer, Miranda (17 September 2006). "Internet spared the video star". London: The Observer. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
- ^ a b Higgins, Charlotte (26 January 2009). "ENO hires unlikely trio to make TV opera films". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
- ^ Promonews. "BUG 11: Largo Al Factotum by Dougal Wilson | News". Promonewstv. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "There will be blood – watch exclusive of 10:10 campaign's 'No Pressure' film". TheGuardian.com. 30 September 2010.
- ^ "Richard Curtis and an explosion of publicity".
- ^ "Climate Change Denial » 10:10 No Pressure Splatter Ad- so how could it have been better?".
- ^ "A 'Pretty Edgy' Climate Campaign". 4 October 2010.
- ^ "Backlash over Richard Curtis's 10:10 climate film". TheGuardian.com. 2 October 2010.
- ^ Singh, Anita (2 October 2010). "Richard Curtis and an explosion of publicity". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ Galuppo, Mia; Kit, Borys (13 June 2022). "'Paddington 3' Finds Its Director and Title (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "A few of Dougal Wilson's top spots ahead of Paddington 3". creative.salon. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Yossman, K. J. (13 June 2022). "Paddington Bear Set for New Film, Director Following Windsor Castle Appearance". Variety. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Paddington in Peru (2024) ⭐ 7.0 | Adventure, Comedy, Family. Retrieved 10 November 2024 – via m.imdb.com.
- ^ "The Winners CADS '04 Music Vision Awards". Music Week. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ "Wilson Triumphs at Cads 05". Music Week. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ "Film Lions 2007". Cannes Lions Archive. Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ "Dougal Wilson". Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ "2006 D&AD Broadcast Yellow Pencil Winners". AdLand's Commercial Archive. 29 May 2006. Archived from the original on 6 September 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ "D&AD Awards 2008 TV & Cinema Crafts". D&AD Awards. Archived from the original on 2 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ "Creativity Award 2019 Director of the Year: Dougal Wilson, Furlined". Ad Age. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Adweek's Creative 100: Meet the Multitalented Masters Behind Today's Most Innovative Work". Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Meet the Nominees: Commercials - 72nd Annual DGA Awards". www.dga.org. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Levine, Nick (1 November 2007). "In full: MTV Europe Music Awards winners". Digital Spy. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Knight, David (29 September 2008). "UK Music Video Awards 2008 – the Best Video nominations in full". promonews.tv. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- ^ "52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards | 2009". GRAMMY.com. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Directing 101: The 2009 Directors Special Report". Retrieved 20 April 2009.