Meet the Jury:
2025 Awards Presidents

What does exceptional craft look like today?

Pip Smart (Jury President: Production) – Great film craft can be instantly recognisable and audacious, yet it can also be nuanced and more difficult to define; a series of carefully considered decisions, that once combined make something not only beautiful and original, but effective. It is having an eye on the smallest details, as well as holding focus on the success of the whole that leads to craft that is not only original, but successful in the realisation of the idea. 

Jules de Chateleux (Jury President: Music Video) – It’s about more than just visual polish or technical excellence—it’s about purpose. To me, great craft without a strong idea behind it is nothing. A high concept is the foundation; craft is the means by which that concept is fully realized. 

In music videos especially, where imagination meets execution, the most memorable work always combines originality, emotional depth, and precise, thoughtful craftsmanship. 

Rachel Hough (Jury President: Sound & Music) – In sound and music it’s about delivering the right emotion and enhancing the storytelling. How do I feel? Is it purposeful? Am I immersed in the narrative? If it’s really special it goes beyond supporting the content, it totally elevates it.

Brent Anderson (Jury President: Ideas & Innovation) – Craft always comes down to care and attention. In an industry starved of time, where we’re constantly being asked to do more and more with less and less, we all feel the pressure to just keep things moving—to settle and make compromises. And we all have to make decisions about our work that differ from what we’d like or was planned at the outset.

But craft comes down to drawing lines and making the decisions that best protect the emotional and conceptual core of an idea. It’s about holding ourselves to a standard that is often neither the easiest, nor the most comfortable.

Lauren Hertzberg (Jury President: Post Production & Animation) – Great craft has a point of view. It stops you in your tracks and makes you want to watch it again and again. Great craft makes you wish you made it.

What positive changes will arise from the challenges the industry currently faces?

Pip – There’s never been a more important time to connect people through beautifully crafted, original storytelling. As it becomes increasingly difficult to discern what is real and what is imitation, good craft alone is often the defining quality that ensures one piece of work stands out over others.

Adversity breeds imagination, and only through original thinking and beautifully crafted human story-telling will the best work rise to the top.

Brent – The challenges the industry is facing now put more pressure than ever on the ideas themselves being really clear and really strong from the start. As the playing field levels in ways we’ve never experienced before, decision-making, critical thinking, strong instincts, and impeccable taste become more important than ever.

Lauren – With so many conversations focusing on AI, I think our industry will have a renewed focus on craft and the importance of bringing humanity into our work.

Rachel – It’s a content-rich world, but also a time-poor one. One current challenge lies in balancing our appetite for instant gratification with a genuine appreciation for thoughtful storytelling, emotional connection, and meaningful presence. Whilst instant content remains a powerful force, it’s encouraging that there is a shift back towards stories that resonate on a deeper level. It’s a reminder that meaningful stories still matter.

Jules – The challenges we’ve faced have sparked important shifts—encouraging greater diversity, resourcefulness, and a fresh wave of creative experimentation. There’s more openness now to unconventional formats, cross-genre influences, and previously underrepresented voices. Ultimately, I think we’re becoming a more inclusive, thoughtful, and inventive industry.

What kind of work would you like to see in this year’s CICLOPE Awards?

Pip – I always respond to a unique voice. The best work is not only original and beautifully made, but in service of the idea. Spectacle alone is not enough. Repeating and referencing previous work just washes over an audience and will never make a meaningful impact. 

Jules – I’m looking forward to seeing work that is bold, idea-driven, and deeply intentional. Whether it’s raw and intimate or technically complex, what matters most is that the concept is strong—and that every craft decision supports and enhances that central idea. The best entries are always those that feel both fresh and deeply considered, with a point of view that sticks with you long after the video ends.

Lauren – I want to see work that hasn’t been submitted to other award shows – small shops, new directors, and underrepresented voices.

Brent – I’ll put this very simply and very succinctly: the work I would like to see awarded at CICLOPE this year is real work that is really great and that made a real impact in real ways for the clients, customers, and companies it serves. We cannot be distracted. And we need to do our best not to be fooled. The work we award must have created impact from a cultural, business, and customer perspective. Let’s start there—and cut out all the rest.