# Raphael Ruz — complete site text Generated 2026-10-12. Source: https://www.raphaelruz.com --- # Raphael Ruz (ラファエル・ルス) > Designing and running image-making systems at scale — Melbourne, Australia Dedicated to image-making systems that sit at the intersection of creativity and technology. Based in Melbourne, Australia. ## Disciplines - Imaging pipelines & workflow design - Content production at scale - Production technology & operations - Photographer - Director ## Enterprise - [Colgate-Palmolive — The Purple Café](https://www.raphaelruz.com/enterprise/colgate-purple-cafe) — Six live-action Korean micro-dramas for Colgate Optic White Purple were extended by using generative AI to create bespoke toolkits for influencers across Asia. Audiences suggested alternate endings, which became generated versions of the stories. - [Ubank — Money Done Better](https://www.raphaelruz.com/enterprise/ubank-money-done-better) — Ubank's Money Done Better brand platform, launched nationally in June 2026. The character-led generative campaign, a cast of original characters, was brought to life by a team of artists at WPP Production and ran across film, out-of-home, BVOD, digital and social. - [Suncorp — Haven](https://www.raphaelruz.com/enterprise/suncorp-haven) — Haven gives every Australian home a voice to explain its own extreme weather risk. Enter an address and it returns a tailored video and resilience report. It won the Dan Wieden Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2026, and a Gold APAC Effie for effectiveness. - [L’Oréal — Essie generative environments](https://www.raphaelruz.com/enterprise/essie-generative-backgrounds) — A generative background pilot for L’Oréal’s Essie brand, using generative image models to reach a new scale of output at around half the relative cost. ## Live Action - [How Safe Is Your Car?](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/how-safe-is-your-car) — Director, TAC x Melbourne Victory Football Club - [Metricon Brand](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/metricon-brand) — Producer, 2nd Unit DOP, Aerial DOP, Stills, Metricon - [So, who are we?](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/so-who-are-we) — Director, Melbourne Victory Football Club - [Podcast](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/podcast) — Producer - [SXSW](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/this-is-not-a-pipe) — Concept - [Aislamiento](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/aislamiento) — Actor - [Next Gen](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/next-gen) — Director, DOP, Melbourne Victory Football Club - [Dolci Firme](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/dolci-firme) — DOP, Dolci Firme - [Victoria Place](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/victoria-place) — Producer, Time & Place / FJMT - [King Drum](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/king-drum) — Co-Director, DOP, Adelaide Festival Centre - [Kensal Road / Magnet](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/magnet) — Co-Director, DOP, Sony Music Australia / Kate Ceberano - [Zero is Possible](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/zero-is-possible) — Writer, Director, TAC / Melbourne Victory Football Club ## Galleries - [Exhibition](https://www.raphaelruz.com/exhibition) — In the early 2000s, Raphael Ruz and Jolyon James worked together as LOCULOCU, investigating a modern, digital cubism at large scale and with exquisite precision, minting hyperfocal lenses through which to view the world. - [Moda](https://www.raphaelruz.com/moda) — A selection of images created with Jolyon James as BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER, in collaboration with Lady Petrova. - [People](https://www.raphaelruz.com/people) — A collection of portraits created with Jolyon James as BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER. - [Botánica](https://www.raphaelruz.com/botanica) — Early and unreleased experiments in generative image making. ## Contact - Email: connect@raphaelruz.com - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fr491l3 - X: https://x.com/fr491l3 --- # About — Hello **Born 28 September · Handled with care** I have dedicated my career to crafting images with technology, from cameras with emulsion through to generative image systems. The through line has been an appetite to rethink the process, or the technology underneath it, solving real business problems for clients. Most recently, my projects have expanded into generative workflows across fashion and retail, as well as broadcast and digital production. Highlights include the Dan Wieden Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2026 and a Gold APAC Effie for my contribution to Suncorp's Haven, speaking engagements at SXSW for WPP, and establishing generative production for some of Australia's biggest brands. ## Disciplines - Imaging pipelines & workflow design - Content production at scale - Production technology & operations - Photographer - Director ## Contact connect@raphaelruz.com --- # Enterprise Innovation in production and technology, from first pilots to national campaigns. - [Colgate-Palmolive — The Purple Café](/enterprise/colgate-purple-cafe.md) — Six live-action Korean micro-dramas for Colgate Optic White Purple were extended by using generative AI to create bespoke toolkits for influencers across Asia. Audiences suggested alternate endings, which became generated versions of the stories. - [Ubank — Money Done Better](/enterprise/ubank-money-done-better.md) — Ubank's Money Done Better brand platform, launched nationally in June 2026. The character-led generative campaign, a cast of original characters, was brought to life by a team of artists at WPP Production and ran across film, out-of-home, BVOD, digital and social. - [Suncorp — Haven](/enterprise/suncorp-haven.md) — Haven gives every Australian home a voice to explain its own extreme weather risk. Enter an address and it returns a tailored video and resilience report. It won the Dan Wieden Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2026, and a Gold APAC Effie for effectiveness. - [L’Oréal — Essie generative environments](/enterprise/essie-generative-backgrounds.md) — A generative background pilot for L’Oréal’s Essie brand, using generative image models to reach a new scale of output at around half the relative cost. --- # The Purple Café Six live-action Korean micro-dramas for Colgate Optic White Purple were extended by using generative AI to create bespoke toolkits for influencers across Asia. Audiences suggested alternate endings, which became generated versions of the stories. ## Client Colgate-Palmolive ## Agency - Ogilvy ANZ (creative) - WPP Production (generative AI production) ## Client - EVP Marketing, Asia Pacific — Samir Singh - Sr. Director, Marketing APAC — Wen Zhu - Director, Marketing APAC — Anaswar Rajagopal - Senior Brand Manager APAC — Liz Yang - Head Content Lab, APAC — Kenny Choo - Content Production Manager, APAC — Jacinta Francis - Senior Digital Art Director, APAC — Katelyn Chen - Shopper Design Manager, APAC — Audrey Lee ## Creative & Media - Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy Group Hong Kong — Sarah-Leith Izzard - Senior Art Director APAC, WPPCP — Ken Kaneko - Copywriter, WPPCP — Oliver Samuelson - Executive Director APAC, WPPCP — Daniel Cullen - Business Director, APAC, WPPCP — Kunal Rasania - Associate Account Director, WPPCP — Mark Tan - Associate Strategy Director, WPPCP — Ines Rubio - President – Client Solutions, WPP Media — Vidhyadhar Kale - APAC Strategy Partner, WPP Media — Pranay Shah Singh - APAC Regional Strategy Director, WPP Media — Rana Mughees Nawaz - Senior Regional Manager, Strategy & Planning, WPP Media Singapore — Benjamin Lee - Director, Social and Influence Strategy, Ogilvy PR ANZ — Brenda Ho - Head of Consumer Health, Ogilvy PR ANZ — Ben Hickey - Senior Social Specialist, Ogilvy PR ANZ — Andrea Rutgers - Business Director, Ogilvy Korea — Siyoung Sung - Account Executive, Ogilvy Korea — Minchae Kwak ## Production - Head of Moving Image, WPP Production Singapore — Jacinta Loo - Integrated Producer, WPP Production Singapore — Renee Lim - Head of Office, WPP Production Singapore — Shu Pin Lee - Head of Production, WPP Production Australia — Zivy Johnson - Head of Product & Innovation, WPP Production Australia — Raphael Ruz - Senior Content Producer, WPP Production Australia — Ben Wallace - Craft Lead, WPP Production Australia — Sam Martin - Gen AI Creative Director, WPP Production Chennai — Sudarshan Raghunathan - Production House — Whynot Media Co., Ltd - Director — Gyubin Lee - DOP — Sado Choi - Screenwriter — Surin Song - Head of Production — Sohee Cho - Executive Producer — Minseok Lee - Project Manager — Songhee Ko (Grace) ## Role Generative production strategy ## Period 2026 ## The challenge The campaign needed a modular generative system that could produce a wide range of scenarios on short timelines, while the underlying video models kept evolving. It was a fun and challenging design, built in close collaboration with several teams across Asia Pacific. ## Outcomes - 6 episodes — A six-part live-action series distributed through Colgate’s TikTok channels across APAC. - 50+ modular endings — One generative system produced more than 50 alternate endings from audience suggestions. ## Images - The Purple Café campaign artwork, combining Colgate Optic White Purple products with a collage of characters from the series and its AI activation. - A lead from The Purple Café series smiles at the purple café table, in a lilac blazer, with the Colgate and Purple Café marks in frame. ## Campaign stories - [Generated alternate ending: making time. Excerpt from the campaign film.](https://bsdoyra4a0mfa87v.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/media/studio/colgate-story-a-1080.mp4) - [Part 2: the winning comeback from the comments, acted out.](https://bsdoyra4a0mfa87v.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/media/studio/colgate-shaun-part2-1080.mp4) --- # Money Done Better Ubank's Money Done Better brand platform, launched nationally in June 2026. The character-led generative campaign, a cast of original characters, was brought to life by a team of artists at WPP Production and ran across film, out-of-home, BVOD, digital and social. ## Client Ubank ## Agency - Supersolid (creative) - WPP Media (media) - WPP Production (production) ## Client - Chief Marketing Officer — Sascha Hunt - Director, GTM & Creative Studio — Katie Chandler - Senior Producer, GTM & Creative Studio — Rosie Parker ## Creative - Creative Directors — Jonathon Shannon, Alex Newman - Director — Simon Robson - Integrated Project Manager — Gigi Butterworth - Brand Strategy — Houston ## Production - WPP Production Managing Director AUNZ — Dan Robathan - Head of Production Operations — Hayley Cascun - Head of Product & Innovation — Raphael Ruz - Head of Production — Zivy Johnson - Account Management — Shay Wienert, Logan Ayers - Production & Post Production — Nancy-Maree Every, Lisa Hammerton - Generative Artists — Maddison Biddle, Dani Asensio, Raoni Lima, Bob Connelly, Jodie Heenan - Craft Lead, Edit & Motion — Sam Martin - Retouching, Compositing & Editing — Chealse Vo, Kate Wickenden, Jon Holmes, Tim Gill ## Role Generative production strategy ## Period 2026 ## The challenge Ubank wanted straightforward money tools to feel worth watching, with a cast of characters people could follow across every channel, built with generative AI instead of traditional VFX or stop motion. ## Outcomes - Over 30% quicker — Compared with a traditional VFX workflow. ## Images - A yellow duck with a towel wrapped around her head checks a phone in a bath, with ducklings beside her and turquoise Ubank lettering. - An ostrich in beachwear holds a phone on a sandy beach, with other ostriches behind and turquoise Ubank lettering. - A dog in sportswear holds a phone and drink on grass, with other dogs behind and turquoise Ubank lettering. - A puffer fish character in Ubank’s Money Done Better campaign. Film — A film from Ubank’s Money Done Better campaign. ## Spots - [Duck, 15-second spot from the Money Done Better launch.](https://bsdoyra4a0mfa87v.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/media/studio/ubank-spot-duck-1080.mp4) - [Ostrich, 15-second spot from the Money Done Better launch.](https://bsdoyra4a0mfa87v.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/media/studio/ubank-spot-ostrich-1080.mp4) - [Dog, 15-second spot from the Money Done Better launch.](https://bsdoyra4a0mfa87v.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/media/studio/ubank-spot-dog-1080.mp4) - [Puffer, 15-second spot from the Money Done Better launch.](https://bsdoyra4a0mfa87v.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/media/studio/ubank-spot-puffer-1080.mp4) --- # Haven Haven gives every Australian home a voice to explain its own extreme weather risk. Enter an address and it returns a tailored video and resilience report. It won the Dan Wieden Titanium Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2026, and a Gold APAC Effie for effectiveness. ## Client Suncorp ## Agency - Leo Burnett (creative) - Le Polish Bureau (development) - UNIT9 (development) - PXP (digital production) - WPP Production (audio and data production, as Hogarth) ## Role Creative Innovation Lead, data and voice production ## Period 2025 ## Awards - Cannes Lions 2026: Grand Prix, Dan Wieden Titanium Lions - Cannes Lions 2026: Silver, Creative Data - Cannes Lions 2026: Silver, Brand Experience & Activation - Cannes Lions 2026: Bronze, Direct - APAC Effie 2026: Gold, Branded Utility - Effie Australia 2026: Silver, Data-Driven - Spikes Asia 2026: Grand Prix, Digital Craft - The One Show 2026: 2 Gold Pencils, Creative Use of Data and Creative Use of Technology - The One Show 2026: Bronze Pencil, Creative Use of Data · Merit, Green Pencil - D&AD 2026: Wood Pencil, Use of Data - Spikes Asia 2026: Gold, Brand Experience & Activation · Silver, Brand Experience & Activation · Bronze, Direct - ADFEST 2026: 5 Gold Lotus across Digital Craft, Brand Experience, Direct and Sustainable - Clio Awards 2026: Silver, Creative Strategy - AWARD 2026: 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze - LIA 2025: 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze - B&T Awards 2025: Best Tech & AI Campaign ## The challenge Suncorp has long helped people through severe weather. Haven turns the problem around: instead of asking homeowners to understand their risk, it gives the home itself a voice. Enter an address and the home talks through its estimated bushfire, flood, cyclone and storm risk, then hands back a tailored resilience report. ## Responsibilities 1. AI voice cloning, with performance and pronunciation integration across five Australian cast. 2. Data sourcing and testing, drawing on Suncorp, Google, Cotality (formerly CoreLogic), Geoscape and WillyWeather. ## Outcomes - 323,186 visits — 223% above target, with users staying close to three minutes. - 74% ready to act — Of people who used Haven, 74% said they were likely to make their home more resilient. - 2.7m addresses — Australian addresses at high risk of at least one extreme weather peril, the scale of the problem Haven addresses. ## Images - Haven’s opening screen: a “Provide your address” search field in front of the Earth, centred on Australia. - A home highlighted in Haven’s aerial property view, with the surrounding streets and houses. - Haven presents a high-risk storm assessment over an aerial view of a residential neighbourhood. - Haven’s illustrated home resilience advice highlights securing loose items around a property. Film — Introducing Suncorp Haven — the personalised home resilience experience. --- # Essie generative environments A generative background pilot for L’Oréal’s Essie brand, using generative image models to reach a new scale of output at around half the relative cost. ## Client L’Oréal ## Agency WPP Production (production) ## Role Creative Lead / Generative Artist ## Period 2023 ## The challenge Essie needed a distinct, on-brand background for every tone, dozens of shades that would each have needed its own shoot and set build to photograph the traditional way. It was the first project of its kind for both L’Oréal and WPP Production in Australia. ## Outcomes - 3,217 — Images generated - 40 — Final outputs - 50.8% — Reduction in relative costs ## Images - A teal Essie bottle set in a field of small blue flowers, a butterfly resting nearby. - Three Essie bottles in olive, teal and green standing on green moss among small red-capped mushrooms, a soft forest behind. - Three sheer nude and pink Essie bottles lying across pale pink silk ribbons. - Red Essie nail polish bottles among cherries on a pink surface. --- # Exhibition **LOCULOCU** In the early 2000s, Raphael Ruz and Jolyon James worked together as LOCULOCU, investigating a modern, digital cubism at large scale and with exquisite precision, minting hyperfocal lenses through which to view the world. Collaborators: Jolyon James (together as LOCULOCU) ## Infant Self (2002) Infant Series challenges the unattainable and fetishised image of children in popular culture. It borrows from the hyper-styled baby portrait, where children become unwitting props in strange, plush parental fantasies, and identity and sex become void. - Self-portrait as an infant in a butterfly costume, dark ground. - Self-portrait as an infant with flower motif, dark ground. - Self-portrait as an infant curled in a white padded suit over a bed of turquoise glowing coins. - Self-portrait as an infant in a brown ruffled dress with a high halo of ruffled fabric, before a rusted textured wall. - Self-portrait as an infant in a rust-red ruffled costume, framed by an orange collar of terracotta pot fragments. - Self-portrait as an infant on the back of a huge snail on a giant fingertip, antennae on the head. ## 6:15 (2004) This series was the first made at multi-focal scale. At three metres wide, each work was crafted from individual elements, remixed and procedurally expanded into hundreds of micro variations to fill the scene at a 2.5:1 aspect ratio, so the picture holds its detail as the viewer steps closer. - A woman cross-legged before a dense hedge of pruned rose bushes, a white ute parked behind, against a grey background. - A lone figure sitting amid a cityscape of giant, colourful Rubik’s cubes, against a grey background. ## GreyNation (2005) GreyNation examines spirituality through the lens of quantum physics. The large works open a window onto the intangible landscape of cyberspace, a world fraught with paradox and disembodied mythology, and question the myth of a rural Australian identity in one of the most urbanised countries in the world. Finally, the series celebrates the digital realm, recognising that to reflect the boundless dimensions of a digital age, we need to look beyond traditional photography. - A figure in black standing before a large street-art mural made of beads, depicting a lakeside scene with boats, trees and buildings. - A cityscape of tall buildings built from colourful Rubik’s cubes, under a dark and stormy sky. - Two parrots with human eyes and beaks and green flowing feathers, on the ground before a barren tree under a cloudy sky, with smaller green birds flying near the tree. - Stylised birds with human eyes and hands flying above a large nest of toothpicks and red sticks, against a grey background. - A chain-link fence coated in turquoise plastic, against a solid grey background. - A figure in a colourful racing suit lying on the ground after a crash, a black helmet nearby, beside a yellow barrier and a track wall painted with a map of the earth. - A child running behind a chain-link fence in front of a graffitied brick wall, with a large dark winged creature flying in the sky above. - Pink birds with long tails flying over a city street, with a graffitied wall and a train behind them. --- # Moda **BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER** A selection of images created with Jolyon James as BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER, in collaboration with Lady Petrova. Collaborators: Jolyon James, Lady Petrova ## Works - A woman with long brown hair, a fringe, wearing pearl and silver jewellery, poses with her left arm raised and her hand resting on her head, against a plain grey background. - Fashion editorial: a woman with blonde hair, wearing a yellow dress and a yellow flower crown, sitting in a rusty bathtub with purple and yellow flowers surrounding her. - A woman with short, styled dark hair and green eyes, wearing bright red lipstick, a star tattoo near her right eye, a checkered shirt with a blue collar and white bow tie, and a large floral headpiece. - Young woman with long wavy red hair, wearing pastel-coloured clothing with floral patterns, standing in a garden with lush greenery and purple flowers. - A woman with pastel-coloured hair and a purple satin bowtie, standing against a dreamy pink and purple background with sparkles. - Young man sitting on a carved wooden throne with tribal statues, in front of blue patterned curtains and a grass floor. - A woman wearing a pink satin dress with a large bow at the waist, standing in an ornately decorated room with vintage furniture and floral arrangements. - A young woman with long wavy red hair and blue eyes standing indoors near a window, wearing a loose sleeveless lavender dress, surrounded by pastel flowers. - Young woman with platinum blonde hair and colourful makeup in a futuristic outfit with a large pink shoulder bow, lime green high-neck top, floral A-line skirt and pink tights. - A woman dressed in a flowing white gown with lace details, standing among leafless white branches against a blue background. - A woman with long dark hair and a blunt fringe wearing gold and pearl jewellery, sitting with her arm resting on a light surface, against a plain light grey background. - A young woman with dark hair in a floral dress sitting on the floor surrounded by objects, holding a boar-headed puppet and reading a magazine in a cluttered attic-like room. - A woman with dark short hair and red lipstick standing outdoors against a blue sky with white clouds, wearing a bright pink cape and blue outfit. - A young woman with colourful braided hair in shades of pink, blue and brown, wearing a teal jacket and red top, against pastel pink and white striped walls. - A woman with brown hair and a fringe wearing a bright blue cape with a large bow and yellow buttons, in front of a colourful abstract patterned background. - A young woman in a brightly coloured swirling-patterned outfit in front of a pink whimsical playground with castle-like structures and unicorn sculptures. - A young woman with wavy blonde hair in front of a snowy mountain landscape with a castle, wearing a light blue patterned sleeveless dress with side cutouts. - A young woman with platinum blonde hair stands with hands on hips, wearing a colourful floral dress with short sleeves and black gloves, against a plain light background. --- # People **BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER** A collection of portraits created with Jolyon James as BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER. Collaborators: Jolyon James ## Works - A baby sitting among a lush array of green and yellow foliage, branches and flowers in a natural woodland setting. - Two women at a celebration, one kissing the other's cheek with confetti falling around them, background featuring multiple images of elderly faces. - A person with dreadlocks has a bird's head replacing their own face, with autumn leaves flowing from the dreadlocks. - A man in a grey suit leaning on a kitchen counter surrounded by fallen autumn leaves, with a smoking toaster, a vase with lilies and a refrigerator behind. - Portrait of Lady Petrova with curly red hair wearing a silver crown and a colourful patterned sleeveless dress, against a light blue background. - Carlton United Brewing key visual: a man with a beard and brown hair standing in front of a weathered wooden wall, wearing a light denim jacket, with clothespins attached to his beard. - Portrait of Eddie Perfect sitting on a bathtub in a bathroom with black and white mosaic tiles, looking at his reflection in a small round mirror. - Portrait of Eddie Perfect in a suit cleaning a swimming pool with a net, surrounded by fish, in a backyard at night with a lit house behind. - DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist performing on stage with large digital screens behind them displaying swirling colourful abstract patterns. - A man in a suit and black shirt standing behind a large arrangement of colourful flowers against a dark background. - Kate Ceberano with dark hair, elaborate dark jewellery and a headpiece of dark purple flowers, posing before a mirror-like reflection in a forest scene. --- # Botánica **Generative gallery** Early and unreleased experiments in generative image making. ## Works - An arrangement of soft-coloured flowers, including white, peach and cream, set against a light blue background. - A bouquet of pink, yellow and red flowers with eucalyptus leaves in a clear glass vase on a flat surface against a dark background. - A digital illustration of a pastel-coloured floral arrangement with large peach, cream and coral flowers and green leaves against a soft turquoise background. - Colourful coral reef with pink, yellow, white and green coral formations on a dark background. - Close-up of a pink and white peony flower against a solid light blue background. - Colourful wildflowers in a field against a clear blue sky. - A collection of pink, yellow, white, orange and blue flowers on a light blue background. - Colourful wildflowers against a bright blue sky. - Close-up of colourful coral reef with various pink and blue corals under water. - Large iceberg floating in calm, foggy ocean water. - A field of colourful wildflowers under a clear blue sky. - Close-up of a colourful coral with white, blue, pink and yellow ruffled coral polyps against a black background. - Colourful wildflowers blooming under a blue sky, featuring a prominent pink flower in the centre. - A large iceberg floating in calm ocean water, with soft pink and blue hues reflecting on its surface, under a clear sky. - Softly lit pastel-coloured flowers floating in water with ripples and reflections. --- # Live Action Short films and commercial work across sport, property, music and brand. - [How Safe Is Your Car?](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/how-safe-is-your-car) — Director - [Metricon Brand](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/metricon-brand) — Producer, 2nd Unit DOP, Aerial DOP, Stills - [So, who are we?](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/so-who-are-we) — Director - [Podcast](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/podcast) — Producer - [SXSW](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/this-is-not-a-pipe) — Concept - [Aislamiento](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/aislamiento) — Actor - [Next Gen](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/next-gen) — Director, DOP - [Dolci Firme](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/dolci-firme) — DOP - [Victoria Place](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/victoria-place) — Producer - [King Drum](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/king-drum) — Co-Director, DOP - [Kensal Road / Magnet](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/magnet) — Co-Director, DOP - [Zero is Possible](https://www.raphaelruz.com/live-action/zero-is-possible) — Writer, Director --- # How Safe Is Your Car? A road safety film for the TAC's How Safe Is Your Car program, made with Melbourne Victory. It carries the club's on-field logic about protection onto the road, encouraging members and fans to check a car's safety rating before they buy. ## Details - Format: Broadcast - Client: TAC x Melbourne Victory Football Club - Agency: About Bob - Role: Director - Year: 2024 ## Client - Partnership Advisor — Sarah Henderson - Multimedia Producer — Christopher Gospel - Partnership Manager — Melissa Missalidis ## Production - Executive Producer — Jules Tahan - Director — Raphael Ruz - DOP — Jules Tahan - 1st AC — Ben Bryan - 2nd AC — Thomas Formosa-Doyle - Grip / Gaffer — Richard Turton - Grip Assistant — Andrew Jepsen - Hair & Make-Up — Natalie Burley - Production Coordinator — Erin Meyers - Production Assistant — Robbie Connell - Creative — Jolyon James - Offline — Chris Reynolds - Post Production — Retrobox ## Images - A Melbourne Victory player in a navy training top, lit from behind through smoke, catching his breath - A player standing alone in a dim weights room, the racks running away behind him - A Melbourne Victory player drives through a push-up over a medicine ball in a dark gym. - Close on a player in the club's navy kit, crouched and focused under hard gym light. - Two players silhouetted, running laps past the tall windows of a training gym. - A player looks down, lit by a lens flare between the gym's steel racks. --- # Metricon Brand Brand films for Metricon, Australia's largest home builder, shot across Victoria and Queensland. ## Details - Format: Brand film - Client: Metricon - Agency: Magnum Opus Partners / About Bob - Role: Producer, 2nd Unit DOP, Aerial DOP, Stills ## Client - Marketing Manager — Domenic Varese - Marketing & Creative Manager — Danielle Towill ## Agency - ECD, Magnum Opus Partners — Mike Allen ## Production - EP — Jules Tahan - Director — Matt Wilson - DOP — Jules Tahan - Producer — Antony Ashmore - Producer / Stills — Raphael Ruz - 1st AC — Ben Bryan - Grip / Gaffer VIC — Richard Turton, Dan Carr, Birrin King - Grip / Gaffer QLD — Simon Ranginui - Art Director — Natalie James - Stylist QLD — Vanessa Cribb / Jill Loof - Casting — Jill Loof - Hair & Make-Up — Margo Orsatti - Production Assistants — Luke Donegan, Brett O'Mara, Matty Barker, Hunter Tait, Ennis Rowland-Wood, Thomas Ruz - Offline — Donald Baldie - Post Production — Retrobox - Sound Mix — Paul McCosh ## Images - A two-storey house at dusk, lit from inside, palms and a clipped lawn across the front - Shot from above, a woman walking a line of pale stepping stones through dense tropical planting - Through open doors from a lounge into a dining room, a woman arranging flowers on the table - A family kitchen in a Metricon home, a mother at the island bench while two children run across the polished floor. --- # So, who are we? A brand film marking Melbourne Victory's first 16 years, narrated by club legend Carl Valeri and told through the players, staff and supporters who shaped it. It opened the 2021/22 membership campaign. ## Details - Format: Brand film - Client: Melbourne Victory Football Club - Agency: About Bob - Role: Director - Year: 2021 ## Client - GM – Marketing, Engagement & Corporate Affairs — Brooke Boger - Multimedia Producer — Christopher Gospel - Brand & Digital Designer — Vittoria Anzelmi - Membership Supervisor — Laura D'Aloia ## Production - Executive Producer — Jules Tahan - Director — Raphael Ruz - DOP / Stills — Jules Tahan - 1st AC — Aiden Heller - Lighting — Marcus Thomson - Production Manager — Anna Carmody - Stills Assistant — Ashley Ludkin - Stills Assistant — Nura Sheidaee - Production Assistant — Mat Moore - Production Assistant — Thomas Ruz - Offline — Christopher Gospel - Colourist — Chris Reynolds - Post Production — Retrobox ## Cast - Carl Valeri - Tony Popovic - Jeff Hopkins - Leigh Broxham - Marco Rojas - Melina Ayres - Gulcan Koca - Roddy Vargas - Gary Cole - Tony Hoeber - Tarni Tsimeris - Simon Reus - Rebecca Tarquini - Mebrak Tesfay - Alex Palleschi - Nicholas Palleschi - Anthony Ghabrial - Dante J Tait - Ryan Schafer - Stephanie Cowell - James Danos - Thomas Ruz ## Images - Portrait of Tony Popovic for Melbourne Victory Football Club - Portrait of Leigh Broxham for Melbourne Victory Football Club - Portrait of Tarni Tsimeris for Melbourne Victory Football Club - A Melbourne Victory supporter wearing a club scarf looks towards the camera. --- # Podcast A short film by Leigh Miller. Evelyn, an online podcast reporter desperate for a story, discovers her loveable, senile old grandfather has a hidden secret that could be the break she's after, but at what cost? ## Details - Format: Short film - Agency: BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER - Role: Producer - Year: 2021 ## Crew - Writer / Director — Leigh Miller - Producer — Raphael Ruz - DOP — Josh Stafield - 1st AC — Lewis Rodan - Key Grip — Sean Stebbings - Production Designer — Josie Wagstaff - PD Assistant — Sam Malone - Hair & Make-Up — Erin Harding - Boom Operator — Chris Murray - Production Assistant — Chelsea McGovern ## Cast - Evelyn Capiland — Eva Seymour - Grandfather — Rod Mullinar - Cat — Birdie ## Images - Evelyn in close-up, headphones on, speaking into a large studio microphone with warm bokeh lights behind her - Evelyn's grandfather in a blue shirt, seated in his armchair, both hands raised mid-story - Evelyn in profile with headphones on, listening intently, the microphone soft in the foreground - Evelyn at the podcast desk with laptop, microphone and an ON AIR sign, glancing aside --- # SXSW This piece was created for, and featured in, the WPP Production keynote at SXSW Sydney 2023. A snapshot in time. Generative video was still embryonic, and this offered an early glimpse of the capability, using a suite of emerging image and video models. ## Details - Format: Generative short - Agency: WPP Production - Role: Concept - Year: 2023 ## Credits - Director, AI Artist, Post / VFX — Leigh Miller - Concept — Raphael Ruz ## Images - After Magritte — a man in a green suit and bowler hat standing in a green field, his face replaced by cloud, a pipe held at his side - A pipe drawn as a thin chrome outline, lying on a wooden desk in a shaft of light - An elderly man sitting alone in a room whose walls are covered edge to edge with framed portraits - A surreal generated landscape: a giant red pipe on a desert floor, billowing dark smoke into a blue sky. --- # Aislamiento Made by the incomparable Leigh Miller for the Classic Cinemas Isolation Film Festival in 2020, Aislamiento is a brief look at one person's denial of reality in the middle of a pandemic. ## Details - Format: Short film - Role: Actor - Year: 2020 ## Production - Writer / Director — Leigh Miller - DOP — Jules Tahan - Editor, Colour, Sound Mix, VFX — Leigh Miller - Additional VFX — Thao Ly - Production Assistant — Thomas Ruz ## Cast - Raphael Ruz - Laura Porta ## Images - A green screen rigged in the corner of an office, two light stands and a wooden chair in front of it, and one man in a suit setting the camera up himself - Two computer monitors on an office desk, one showing a spreadsheet and the other a news report and pandemic statistics. - An emptied open-plan office, rows of desktop computers still switched on and every chair pushed back - A small solar-powered Queen figurine waves beside a tissue box and a computer monitor on an office desk. --- # Next Gen Brand film for Melbourne Victory's Next Gen membership campaign. ## Details - Format: Campaign film - Client: Melbourne Victory Football Club - Agency: About Bob - Role: Director, DOP ## Client - GM – Marketing, Engagement & Corporate Affairs — Brooke Boger - Brand & Digital Designer — Vittoria Anzelmi - Membership Supervisor — Laura D'Aloia ## Production - Multimedia Producer — Christopher Gospel - Executive Producer — Jules Tahan - Director / DOP — Raphael Ruz - Stills — Mat Moore - 1st AC — Aiden Heller - Lighting — Marcus Thomson - Production Manager — Anna Carmody - Stills Assistants — Ashley Ludkin & Nura Sheidaee - Production Assistant — Thomas Ruz - Offline — Christopher Gospel - Colourist — Chris Reynolds - Post Production — Pancho ## Images - Four Melbourne Victory players standing across a tunnel set, one holding a ball, neon strips running down the walls behind them - A player looking straight down the lens with ΝΕΑ ΓΕΝΙΑ, next generation in Greek, repeated across the frame - Two players from the women's squad mirrored nose to nose, both looking up into the light - A Melbourne Victory player stares down the camera while a teammate leaps against a lit city tower, traced in a white scribble. --- # Dolci Firme An Italian luxury campaign for the Melbourne footwear boutique, built around the craft of the tanneries behind each piece. Delivered as a hero film, a social cut and a stills set. ## Details - Format: Fashion film - Client: Dolci Firme - Agency: About Bob - Role: DOP ## Client - Managing Director Dolci Firme — Bianca Buccheri ## Production - Photographer — Jules Tahan - DOP — Raphael Ruz - Stills Assistant — Nura Sheidaee - Production Assistant — Cam Cooke - Hair & Make-Up — Natalie Burley - Model — Caroline Olivia - Editor — Thomas Ruz - Colourist — Zam Taranto ## Images - A model in a leather jacket and tan heeled boots, sitting back in a low armchair beside a large potted plant, daylight through the curtains behind her - A model in a lilac cardigan crouched against a concrete wall, a purple handbag set down beside her feet - A lilac top-handle handbag held up at knee height between two models in black leather boots - A pair of pale yellow heeled sandals stepping across a sunlit floor beside sheer curtains. --- # Victoria Place Brand film for Victoria Place, a 25,000-square-metre East Melbourne workplace by developer Time & Place and architects FJMT. Visualised by Binyan. ## Details - Format: Promotional film - Client: Time & Place / FJMT - Agency: Binyan / About Bob - Role: Producer ## Production - Creative Director — Paul Gannon - EP — Keith Reid - Director / DOP — Matt Wilson - Producer / Stills — Jules Tahan - Producer — Raphael Ruz - 1st AC — Ben Bryan - Stylist — Petrova Hammond - Stylist Assistant — Andrea Smit - Hair & Make-Up — Natalie Burley - Stills Assistant — Luke Donegan - Driver — James Miles - Offline — Donald Baldie - Grade / Online — Chris Reynolds - 3D — Binyan Studios ## Cast - Emily Nash - Rohan Maclaren ## Images - The building as it would be — curved timber-lined balconies stepping over a glazed ground floor, people crossing the forecourt at dusk - A shopfront on an East Melbourne street at dusk, warm light inside, a cyclist passing the window - A woman laughing with a man in a suit across a bar, spirit bottles lit behind them - Binyan's render of Victoria Place: curved glass and timber-lined floors rising against a bright sky. --- # King Drum Campaign film for Adelaide Festival Centre's 2013 Cabaret Festival. ## Details - Format: Broadcast / Brand platform - Client: Adelaide Festival Centre - Agency: BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER - Role: Co-Director, DOP - Year: 2013 ## Client - Renato Capoccia - Torben Brookman ## Production - Artistic Director — Kate Ceberano - Directors / Photography — Raphael Ruz - Directors / Photography — Jolyon James - Video Producer — Eleanor Winkler - Stills Producer — Trisha Halsall - Assistant Director — Indira Carmichael - High Speed Photography — Phiroze Dalal - Gaffer — Trevor Ripper - Data Wrangler / Editor — Chris Gospel - 1st Assistant Stills — Sarah Anderson - 2nd Assistant Director — Andrew Gibbs - 3rd Assistant Director — Elisenda Russell - Make-Up — Sarah Holmes - Stylist — Petrova Hammond ## Cast - King Drum — Mojo Juju - Tin Drum — Golden Carmichael - Dancing Man — Tommy B - Le violon d’ingres — Tanneth ## Images - A shirtless performer in white face paint, one arm raised, as confetti falls through a wood-panelled hall - Two performers on a bed beneath a painted crown, one in a military jacket, the other in a top hat and a puppet mask - A woman seen from behind, her bare back strung vertically with cello strings like a human instrument, a blue headwrap and striped cloth, seated on a carved wooden settee against dark panelling - Wooden letter tiles scattered across the skin of an old drum, mid-way between words. --- # Kensal Road / Magnet BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER was commissioned to art direct and produce the album art for Kensal Road, Kate Ceberano's first album of original songs in a decade, and the music video for its lead single, Magnet. ## Details - Format: Music video / Album art - Client: Sony Music Australia / Kate Ceberano - Agency: BILLIEJEANISNOTMYLOVER - Role: Co-Director, DOP - Year: 2013 ## Production - Director / DOP — Raphael Ruz - Director — Jolyon James - Producer — Eleanor Winkler - Camera Operator — Mike Wylam - 2nd AC — Dawit Fesseha - Gaffer — Trevor Ripper - Wardrobe Stylist — Petrova Hammond - Assistant Stylist — Ivan Difuntorum - Makeup Artist — Trudy Joyce - Editor — Chris Gospel - Stills Assistant — Lindsey Fisette - Data Wrangler — Tim Smith - Colourist — Shane Burrell - Post-Production — Final Post ## Artwork - The Kensal Road album cover: Kate Ceberano in a crown of dark red flowers, hands raised, framed by mirrored driftwood and gold-lit clouds. ## Images - The Melbourne skyline mirrored along the waterline at sunset, a single car suspended at the centre of the frame - Kate Ceberano laughing with her arms crossed at her chest, flowers in her hair, mirrored gum trees standing either side of her - Office towers mirrored and inverted against a pink evening sky - Kate Ceberano in close-up, wearing a crown of purple flowers against a soft pastel sky, mid-song. --- # Zero is Possible A Towards Zero road-safety film for the TAC and Melbourne Victory, made in the tenth year of their partnership. ## Details - Format: Broadcast - Client: TAC / Melbourne Victory Football Club - Agency: About Bob - Role: Writer, Director ## Client - Partnership Advisor — Sarah Henderson - Partnership Manager — Stephanie Condello ## Production - Multimedia Producer — Christopher Gospel - Merchandise Coordinator — Anita Milas - Producers — Jules Tahan & Matt Wilson - Director — Raphael Ruz - DOP — Jules Tahan & Matt Wilson - 1st AD — Jason Faulkner - 2nd AD — Andrew Pante - Production Manager — Janine Kaiser - Production Assistants — Bina Pallot, Jake Pinskier, Anna Carmody - Runner — Isobelle Caterer - Unit — Robbie Simons - 1st AC — Kitty Allwood - 2nd AC — Aidan Heller - 2nd Unit AC — Lisa Cushing - Drone Operator — Chris Lansell - Drone Pilot — Sean Kane - Stills — Marcus Thompson - Stills Assistant — Luke Donegan - Key Grip — Richard Turton - Grip Assistant — Jem Towsey - Light Assistant — Kabi Singh - Production Design — Lauren Stephens - Art Assistant — Petrova Hammond - Hair & Make-Up — Lin Parups - Offline — Chris Reynolds - Post Production — Retrobox - Sound Design — Carl Polke ## Images - Shot from above, players and supporters standing shoulder to shoulder in a single ring on the pitch, forming a zero around one person at its centre - Three young supporters in Victory scarves and jerseys, blue face paint under their eyes, watching something off-camera - A player walking away in silhouette toward the lit roof of an empty stadium - A young Melbourne Victory supporter with braided hair and a club scarf stands among fans with painted faces, looking ahead under stadium lights.