From Sketch to Screen: The Storyboards of TV Commercials Director Mike Stephenson

Following a recent digital deposit to the HAT archive, join us as we explore some of the fascinating items in the Mike Stephenson Collection.

Mike Stephenson is a renowned, multi-award-winning TV Commercials Director, who has been in advertising for over 40 years. Starting out in agencies, he worked for Y&R, Kirkwoods, BMP and Lowe Howard-Spink. Agencies which saw him work alongside many industry legends such as Ridley Scott, Frank Lowe and John Webster. During his career Mike gained a reputation for his highly creative TV work, winning over a hundred major national and international awards, including nine D&AD Pencils, and rose through the ranks from Art Director, to Group Head and Creative Director. After 20 successful years in agencies working with his long-time creative partner Derek Apps, he swapped to directing, starting out at the Paul Weiland Film Company and going on to work on over 300 commercials which won many more awards, including two BAFTAs.

The Mike Stephenson Collection includes digital images of his original storyboards showcasing the creative process behind some of his best commercials. As well as two self-published books on the best TV ads of the late 20th Century, and Mike’s adventures around the world as a prolific TV Commercials Director.
Examples of some of the material from the collection are shown below, with links to the finished commercials in HAT's online catalogue:

Original storyboards 1977-2012

 Warburtons - Ice Dancer

 See the finished commercial here.

Babycham – Big Spender

See the finished commercial here.

Ford Focus – Moose

See the finished commercial here.

Audi A6 – Airport

See the finished commercial here.

Levis – Leader of the Pack

See the finished commercial here.

Publications

When the Ads Were Better Than the Programmes: A Guided Tour Through the Best TV Ads of the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s

A wonderful 500-page, illustrated, coffee-table book, depicting a comprehensive collection of the best TV ads of the late 20th and early 21st Centuries. It also follows the careers of industry greats such as John Webster, Alan Waldie, Paul Arden, Frank Lowe, Ridley and Tony Scott and Hugh Hudson. In addition, the book is a zeitgeist of the times, chronicling each year from 1969 to 2001 with brief descriptions of some of the most important events.

 



 Adland and Me: The Travels and Tribulations of a TV Commercials Director

Published in 2016 and illustrated by Mike’s own drawings and storyboards, the book is an amusing and educational account of filmmaking, TV production, creativity and adversity over trying and challenging situations. A fascinating first-hand account of the travels and tribulations of a TV Commercials Director as he works on projects around the globe, in the mad world of advertising.
The book is now available on Amazon and you can visit the dedicated website here: adlandandme.com

 

To see more of Mike Stephenson's work, you can visit his dedicated website here: msdirector.co.uk

« All News Articles