Next in our Meet Our Team series of interviews, we get to know Todd Gyamfi. A friendly member of our Film and Post team, Todd edits and creates motion graphics to help produce video content for commercials and social media campaigns.
How did you get into the advertising industry?
While studying at university in Bristol, I would help my local church with Sunday services and other events. I wanted to help do more in terms of online engagement, so I decided to research how to create promotional adverts from scratch, not using any templates. I would help create commercials for services and upcoming events. From there I learned how to use the exact software that industry leaders use.
I built up a portfolio and then got a job at a sports agency that created perimeter ads for Premiership and La Liga football clubs. After building my experience there, I joined LEAP, and I’ve been in the ad industry for five years now.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love getting to see my work on TV, billboards in Westfields Stratford, tube stations and all over Instagram!
Describe your creative space.
Due to lockdown, it’s been in my room with a small desk and my PC using Adobe Creative Cloud, but I really like large spaces as I tend to write a lot of notes.
How do you boost your creativity?
I go for walks, watch and study how things are done by breaking things down in my head and writing a lot of notes. I find that prayer is my usual go-to to help boost my creativity. Sometimes, I can look at other creative pieces and see how I can use elements of them to help make something creative.
What’s the project you’re most proud of?
I’m most proud of the brand film we shot and edited for The Mansion, Marylebone by Clivedale London with agency GT&I. The film was aimed at high-end luxury clients and we wanted to take the audience on a journey to help them feel what it is like to live at The Mansion.
Capturing different times of day, from the gym to swimming, running errands in London to getting ready for a dinner party, the entire team was focused on the detail of every shot to make sure that we captured it beautifully. I felt that the way I edited the film really brought out the elegance of the project.
Working with the directors and getting to see them in their element was fun as well. Also, being on location at the luxury apartment was really cool. It felt like I was super rich for two days!
What’s your favourite ad and why?
My favourite ad is Nike – Nothing Beats a Londoner
The commercial expressed almost everything it is to be a Londoner, from the culture, sports, language, and locations to the small details that only real Londoners would know about. The vast number of famous faces (who are all Londoners), to the different types of people really showed London’s diversity in this commercial. From the funny jokes, really quick story changes, awesome VFX throughout the advert to every Londoner trying to out do each other to prove that they are the toughest athlete, but even more so, a Londoner!
What’s your biggest motivation?
Seeing my work impact and help people to be better and do better in life.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in this field?
Start small, but be intentional with what you do. Know that your work matters regardless of the weight or value of the task. Do everything you do with excellence.