Give it up for Sam Cadman, who joins us this time around for Quick Fire 15!

Sam is a director over at Another Film Company - and co-creator of the cult Channel 4 series, Trigger Happy TV which has sold to over 50 countries, shifted a million DVDs and was awarded a Bronze Rose-D’Or at Montreux.

His UK commercials have won Gold & Silver at Cannes, BTAAS and Creative Circle and he's had the particular satisfaction of shooting Virgin Mobile’s most complained about ads.

In America he is represented by Hey Wonderful and has shot for the likes of American Express, Amazon and almost every fast food chain in the country, including McDonalds, Burger King, Carl’s Jr and Hardee’s, whose “A-Holes v B-Holes” spot was voted TBS Channel’s funniest ad.

He's shot for Gillette, Virgin Atlantic and Febreze – respectively, Silver, Silver and Gold winners at Cannes. “Text & Drive” for Safe Roads Alliance won Silver at LIA and was awarded PSA of the year at ACIP, and “12hr Drive Thru” for Popeyes picked up a Merit at the One Show, was Shortlisted at D&AD, won a Bronze Lion at Cannes and Gold Clio 2019. 

Phew! On that note - let's dive into the questions... 

1. What bands or artists are you listening to most right now?
I’ve been working on a comedy series called 'LA LOCURA: The Madness' that has an entirely Chilean soundtrack, discovered lots of incredible musicians like Ana Tijoux, Nina Tormenta, Rubio.

2. What was the first record you bought?
The 1982 smash hit, 'Chalk Dust (The Umpire Strikes Back)' by The Brat. It’s kind of like Paul Hardcastle’s iconic ’19’ but about John McEnroe. The video is well worth a watch too, it has a wonderful ‘Falling Down’ twist at the end. 

3. What was the last gig you saw?
A U2 tribute band, Bullet The Blue Sky, in Charlotte, North Carolina - it was in the thick of the pandemic, but my producer and I couldn't resist. There was probably 50 or so of us in the crowd all going crazy, like junkies after a group fix. I should add, tribute bands fascinate me: you’re a super-talented musician, you’ve a room full of fans going berserk in front of you, but if you stopped and played just one of your own tunes everyone would leave… that must really mess with your head.

4. Favourite album cover?
Led Zeppelin 1 or 2, both tick all the boxes for a thirteen year-old boy who’s given up trying to break dance to ‘Candy Girl’.

5. Favourite music video?
Ashes to Ashes, Once in a Lifetime, Sabotage, Bad Girls, WAP… every few years it gets replaced.

6. What song gets you dancing in your living room?
I don’t think I’ve ever danced in my living room, but I do go all out at weddings and birthday parties, like 200%! I like all the classics - INXS, Jackson Five (before the problem), Nena, in both English and German.

7. Favourite movie and soundtrack
Spinal Tap and Spinal Tap, obviously - how do you make something so perfect, it must drive all of them mad.

8.If you could direct a music video for any artist/band, who would it be?
Nilufer Yanya - I found her via 'Baby Luv', which I adore. It’s amazing what music does to us and hopefully lockdown has reminded everyone that the arts aren’t some sort of indulgence, they're a necessity, more often than not made by people for the sheer beauty.

9. Film director idol?
I grew up on John Hughes and John Landis, but really it’s Werner Herzog - I love the sense of ‘odyssey' he wants in the actual task of film-making. There’s a great book of his, a diary kept during the making of Fitzcarraldo that makes Apocalypse Now look like a walk in the park.

10. What are you reading at the moment?
Flea’s ‘Acid for the Children’ - I used to have a band circa their ‘Mother’s Milk’ release, we were called Big Squeezy Lemon, a Led Zep/Chili mash-up. I wanted to be Jimmy Page, but dressed like Flea! 

11. What are you watching at the moment?
Barry, again and again. I love Bill Hader, a lot - to be that funny, seemingly doing so little, is the most distilled version of comedy I’ve seen in a very long time, since Napoleon Dynamite or American Movie, perhaps.

12. Brand you would most like to work with?
I’ve never had a script that begins, “Open on a collection of the greatest musicians of the last half century”, if there’s a brand that wants to get that made, and it’s funny, that”s the brand I‘d most like to work with.

13. Your favourite use of music in a commercial?
Off the top of my head, Snoop Dogg’s rap for Just Eat: “Tacos to the Chateau”, perfect!

14. What band/artist is your guilty pleasure?
I get excited by any music that feels urgent and sincere, that said, my Desert Island Discs would probably include a lot of guitar-based rock from 1968-72.

15) Is there anything else you want to tell us about?
Please follow me on insta, I want to be an influencer @mrcodlaa

https://www.anotherfilmcompany...