Creating Work That Shifts Perspectives with Jason Bradbury
Jason Bradbury is an award-winning writer, director, and creative visionary whose journey to the vibrant heart of cinema is nothing short of remarkable. Born in Warrington and raised on the Isle of Wight, Jason felt out of place, and film became his portal to a broader, more resonant world; a world he now explores through stories of home, memory, and the search for belonging within queer communities.
In 2023, Jason’s talent was recognised when he was selected as one of five filmmakers for the prestigious BMW Filmmaking Challenge, mentored by Michaela Coel – a competition he won unanimously. His inventive project, ‘We Collide’, a split-screen romance ignited in a Queercore mosh pit, debuted at the Closing Night Gala of the 2023 London Film Festival.
As a filmmaker, Jason’s short films – viewed by over 20 million people – have been showcased at an international level. Among his notable works are ‘My Sweet Prince’ (BBC and BFI, broadcast on BBC Four), a deeply personal reflection on connection in the era of MSN Messenger set to early Placebo tracks; and ‘Isaac and The Ram’, an emotional thriller about a nightclub bouncer and former skinhead whose life is upended when he shelters a homeless gay teenager for one extraordinary night.
An artist in every aspect of his craft, Jason Bradbury is driven by an unyielding passion to tell stories that matter. He is an alumnus of BFI Flare X BAFTA Crew, Berlinale Talent Campus, Torino Film Lab Extended, and Zurich Film Academy. With each new project, he continues to push boundaries, bringing vibrant, diverse, and impactful narratives to the screen.
Jason sat down with LBB to discuss his upcoming short film ‘We Collide’, the future of advertising and directing mosh pits…
LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them?
Jason> I’m currently working on expanding my short film ‘We Collide’ to a short-form digital series. It’s about two young men from very different worlds who meet at a Queercore punk gig. At its heart, it’s about identity, chosen family, and how even in the darkest times, love can ignite the flames of change. I’m also deep in development on my debut feature film. It’s a project very dear to my heart, and I’m really excited about the direction it’s taking.
LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?
Jason> At the moment, the world of advertising feels more turbulent than ever, and the only reason to stick around is if you genuinely love it. No one really knows what’s coming next, but that’s part of the appeal for me – I want to be part of shaping that new future.
Signing with Lief was a big step in that direction. I really connected with how Margo Mars sees potential in this shift, and I am excited by her vision of where things could go.
My background in shorts and creating film trailers has always been about grabbing an audience fast and keeping their attention through character and emotion – and I think that’s exactly what brands need if they want to make an impact right now.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Jason> It always starts with what I want the audience to feel. From there, I build everything out – character, narrative, rhythm. I usually have an image in my head when I first read a brief, but I force myself to write out the story and figure out what's driving the characters before I lean into visuals.
Doing this keeps me rooted in human emotion rather than surface aesthetics. Once the story is clear, I draw on an extensive library of references – images, films, music – to shape the world of the spot and find a visual language that feels specific.
LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with, or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?
Jason> It’s one of the things I enjoy most about advertising – you’re constantly stepping into new spaces and worlds. Although there’s something to be said for a brief that feels like it’s made for you landing on your desk, I also get a lot out of diving into something unfamiliar.
There’s a freedom in coming at it as an outsider and figure out what makes that brand and its audience tick. It’s more demanding, but it often leads to work that feels surprising.
I think sometimes not being from a world gives you a clearer perspective on it, and when you can combine that distance with real empathy, the results can be more rewarding for both the brand and the audience.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Jason> It’s impossible to pick just one because the film is so collaborative. But if pushed, I’d say the producer. I’ve always sought out producers with a strong creative approach – people who challenge me, who aren’t afraid to push back, and who make sure we are striving for the best possible version of the work.
The relationship with a creative producer is something that I’ve carried over from my work in narrative shorts – often there you’re making tiny budgets stretch very far, and I try to take this approach into all work that I do to ensure that we’re really making every resource work for us – and the key to this is a passionate producer who is on the same page as you when it comes to what to compromise on.
LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about – is there a particular genre or subject matter, or style you are most drawn to?
Jason> I’m super passionate about stories about outsiders and in particular, the queer community. As the industry becomes increasingly risk-averse, it’s more important than ever to tell these stories and have nuanced representation on our screens.
I love advertising that taps into human emotion, and I’ve always said that film, television, and by extension advertising, have the capacity to increase empathy. It lets us step outside our own experience and see the world through someone else’s eyes. That's powerful and why certain campaigns stick with us – because they hit on something recognisable and human.
That’s when work stops being a tool that's selling you a product and becomes something people actually carry with them. That's the gold standard for me – if a piece of work can shift perspective, even just for a moment, then it’s done its job.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Jason> I think sometimes people find it hard to reconcile my work as a director and my work in film marketing and trailers; however, to me, they draw on the same creative muscle: distilling something down to its purest emotional core in a short timeframe. That discipline has shaped how I approach all my directing – it’s about clarity, rhythm, and knowing what will stay with an audience.
I also feel that my work in queer film can sometimes pigeonhole me; however, my background in trailers means that I’ve always worked across a wide spectrum of genres and tones. In the end, it’s never about one subject – it’s about whether the story has heart.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Jason> Recreating a wall of death mosh pit on a very limited budget for ‘We Collide’ was super tough! I knew I wanted it to feel authentic, so I found a brilliant crowd AD (Emily Jane Sheppard) who came from the scene, knew mosh pits inside out and knew exactly how to get the most out of our extras.
The scene has a highly technical split-screen shot inspired by the iconic hallway meeting shot from ‘The Rules of Attraction’, where two split screens rotate to join together. However, they had a high budget and a motion control rig – we certainly did not! My cinematographer Ben Cotgrove meticulously calculated how to achieve the shot through timing and manual grip equipment, and we pulled it off – almost flawlessly. It was high stakes on set, but I’m super proud of what we achieved.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Jason> My trailer and marketing background help – studio campaigns can go through twenty-plus rounds of notes from many stakeholders. Early on, I learned not to see that as an attack on my vision, but as part of the process.
The skill is being able to strip all that feedback back to what’s actually useful and what it’s really pointing toward. There’s usually a common thread if you look for it, but it means never losing sight of my north star: how we want the audience to feel. It’s about staying open enough to adapt, but firm enough to protect the emotional spine of the work.
LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?
Jason> I’ve benefited hugely from mentoring – first through BAFTA x BFI Flare where Oliver Hermanus mentored me, and later Michaela Coel through the BFI x BMW project. Those relationships were formative, and I’ve tried to offer the same in return. I’m particularly committed to supporting people from the LGBTIQA+ community and from working-class backgrounds, both of which remain underrepresented in advertising.
LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats – to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working?
Jason> I love working across formats – it’s one of my strengths. Having grown up on an island, far away from the creative industry, I had to carve out my own path and find out where I belonged. That meant my route to directing wasn’t straightforward. I moved through different corners of the industry – trailers, short, distribution, advertising – and each turn taught me something new. I’ve come to see that as an advantage rather than a detour.
When I direct now, I’m always pulling from those different experiences. It lets me combine approaches in a way that feels less predictable. Audiences are savvy, and they’ve seen it all.
One of the biggest tools we have is surprise. If you can create something truly unexpected, it cuts through the noise. Working across different formats also gives me a constantly expanding pool of reference and inspiration.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?
Jason> I’ve always been tech-forward and excited by what new tools make possible – particularly when it comes to democratising who gets to tell stories. That said, this past year has been complicated with the rapid rise of AI. The quality of AI-generated imagery and video is increasing at an alarming pace, and the way models are trained and whose IP they use is a serious concern.
I’ve experimented with AI imagery in treatments and pitches, but I usually end up reverting to stills or images from other fields, such as paintings or photography. What I’m looking for isn’t a perfect visual match, but a feeling – and that’s still something only humans can bring. I sometimes use AI in my personal practice to brainstorm, but the final creative output is always something that I’m creating on my own.
My interest in technology was one of the reasons I was so excited to work on the BMW brief. We had to deliver the film in 32x9 aspect ratio for the 31.3-inch rear passenger screen of the BMW i7. With such a wide screen (double the width of normal widescreen), we really had to consider the framing. I then had re-recording mixer Jules Woods mix the film in Dolby Atmos to make the most of the 4D audio capabilities of the car, and we created a binaural mix for the most immersive experience through headphones.
Putting it out there, as an avid gamer, I’d love to direct something interactive one day, but the right brief hasn’t landed yet.
LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why?
Jason> BMW ‘We Collide’ - A split-screen romance set at a queercore punk show. It won the BFI x BMW Filmmaking Challenge and drew praise from Ncuti Gatwa, Asif Kapadia, and Terri White.
‘My Sweet Prince’ - Fragments of my own teenage video diaries collide with the fictional story of 15-year-old Tommy in this short film about a boy’s search for connection in the advent of the internet age. It’s one of the most personal things I’ve made.
‘La Haine’ trailer - 30th anniversary screenings and new 4K UHD Blu-ray in April 2025 | BFI. The trailer that I’m most proud of - not only is it one of my favourite films, but it also pushed me to find new ways of bringing a classic film to a younger audience, using ambitious integrated graphics and bold sound design.
