AdNews Australia recently featured Bart Wilkinson, Associate Producer, Film & Broadcast at Opus Agency, in its ongoing Young Guns series — a spotlight on rising talent across the Australian media, marketing, and advertising sector.

From Infomercials to Animation on the Southern Hemisphere's Largest LED Screens

With nearly a decade in the industry, Bart cut his teeth on morning TV infomercials before moving agency-side to pursue strategic brand content.

"I've always wanted to produce branded content, find ways to help brands strengthen their voice, and create engagement by thinking outside the box."

That instinct has taken him far. On-location interviews across Asia-Pacific, six-figure camera equipment packages, 3D and CGI animation projects — and, in one particularly memorable moment, a film shoot from a boat somewhere off the western islands of Fiji for an animation that now plays on some of the largest LED screens in the Southern Hemisphere.

"I still have to pinch myself about that one sometimes."

Staying Ahead in an AI-Accelerating World

When asked about the biggest challenge facing the industry, Bart didn't shy away from the conversation that's on every creative's mind.

"AI is an ever-encroaching consideration, especially in an agency dealing predominantly with large software and data tech clients. But the challenge to me isn't AI-generated content … It's finding new ways to leverage the technology. Primarily, in our production management workflows, to allow us the time to find new ways to keep our content striking, engaging, and (hopefully) ahead of/on trend."

That perspective is exactly how Opus Agency thinks about innovation. Not as a threat to creativity, but as a tool to protect the time and space where great creative work happens.

Finding Inspiration

For Bart, inspiration isn't found in trend reports or algorithms. 

"Usually, [I find inspiration in] the archives. Local, state, and national archives from libraries, museums, even online hobbyist archivers. They all have an incredible wealth of historical knowledge. From 1950s advertising campaigns and early nitrate photography to indigenous artwork and foundational cartography. I find all of it an excellent stimulant to think about new ways to harness textures, composition, subject matter, and general presentation."

And his favorite ad of all time? A local McDonald's spot that makes him cry every time.

"Cravings about a mum and her adult daughter — it's an emotional bear trap of an ad. By the time you realise who's selling to you, you're fully committed to the arc of these two women, and the payoff is so delicately simple I can't help but be brimming with tears, no matter how many times I see it. And the integration is perfect; that gentle reminder of how accessible and available the brand can be through all these different life moments."

What's Next

When asked where he sees himself in five years, Bart's answer is characteristically grounded and optimistic.

"As long as I'm still learning and challenging myself at every opportunity, tackling each project with a sparkle in my eye and a spring in my step… I'll be pretty malleable and open-minded to wherever I end up and whatever those projects look like. It's led me to some pretty incredible experiences thus far."

Read the full Young Guns feature on AdNews.

Stay tuned to Happenings for more perspectives from the leaders fueling the future of brand movements.