Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Asja Dupanović Gavrilescu
Dušan Drakalski, Chief Creative Officer Europe, Ray, will again sit in the heated seat of the Cannes Lions jury member, after four years time. He used to go to Cannes to listen, watch and learn, then went on winning its lions, in a row, and this year again, he will evaluate for the second time and choose the best of the best in the advertising industry worldwide. That was the reason for a short conversation with him.
Media Marketing: What is the category you will be judging entries in?
Dušan Drakalski: Film Craft Lions.
Media Marketing: How did you receive the news about being invited to another Cannes Lions jury, how did you feel?
Dušan Drakalski: In addition to joy, I felt responsibility. I don’t know, these emotions are somewhat mixed. You love all of it, on one hand, and are upset, on the other. It is a big obligation, and a great effort to make. At the same time, you get to see the best work and you learn a lot.
Media Marketing: How will you approach the judging this time, given the last experience?
Dušan Drakalski: In the same way, go there and judge in a dark room for 10 days. I always try to be as objective as possible and do my best to make a good choice. I think it’s important for the awarded work to be a sort of a vision for the future of this business.
Media Marketing: What are you looking for in an entry when evaluating it, what is it that you ask from an idea in order to consider it being excellent?
Dušan Drakalski: Depends on the category. This time I will be judging craft. Craft is subdivided into different categories – you judge direction, scenario, there is also casting, music, many subcategories. I am glad to judge ideas in film.
And as far as the idea is concerned, it has always been related to craft. It is one thing to have an idea and another for that idea to see that light of the day. Craft has to do with telling the story in the right way. When someone spoils a joke, let’s say, it’s a lack of a craft.
Media Marketing: Why do you most look forward to when it comes to judging in Cannes this time?
Dušan Drakalski: Well, I’m looking forward to not looking at case studies but real ads. I have nothing against case studies, but when it’s 3000 of them, I get tired. And, more importantly, in the category of Film Craft, all the work has been broadcasted already. It’s very difficult when you’re dealing with inventions, so-called “scam ads”. In the category of Film Craft, such things usually don’t happen. It would be too big of an investment for someone to create an ad in this discipline just for the festival. This is a good circumstance for judging. A large number of ads from this category are already being broadcasted around the world, we’ve seen them.
Media Marketing: What’s the thing you look forward to most when going to Cannes Lions?
Dušan Drakalski: There is always something one can learn, I look forward to presentations, new people, new acquaintances, meeting old friends. I’ve already made a list of what I’m going to attend.
Media Marketing: What will the work of your jury look like, according to what you know by now?
Dušan Drakalski: We are not many in the jury for this category, I think there is about ten of us. The complete jury will be revealed on the website site tomorrow. Judging in Cannes is a living matter, changing every year. Improvements of the process are introduced every year, so I think I’m going to be surprised. Last time I was in a Cannes jury four years ago. I think a lot has changed since then and I expect to be surprised. Basically, it lasts for about 12 hours a day and you get really tired.
Media Marketing: Are you the only person from our region in one of the juries this year?
I don’t know if I’m the only one but I’d love there to be more of us. There should be. It is time that our region, with its local creative ideas, wins over this festival, walks into it through the big doors.