‘Never underestimate the power of hard work, it’s what separates a lot of people. I’ve got much clearer vision now but a vision is nothing without a solid foundation.’
Tell us a little about yourself, where you're from/what you do
My names Christopher Gribbin I’m from Bradford… this kinda feels like Take Me Out now.
I’m an all round creative these days as I don’t just do one thing but primarily I focus on directing, film photography, editing and art direction.
What are you drawn to in photography/directing and why are you persuing this path within photography and not a different one?
I’m an idea person so when I can take an idea and make it a reality then we are winning. Whether that’s through photography or video, either one I’m happy.
Manchester seems to be a great hub of young & talented creatives, could you tell us why this is and how the community helps drive others?
The community is sick. I’ve met a lot of great people in Manchester who I’ve become good friends with and work very closely with. Creatives get behind each other up here, it’s a sick thing when people can support rather than spectate. There’s enough bread out there for everyone after all.
You are a founder of Class By Nature, a creative collective. Could you give us an insight into what that means, what projects you've been working on and how you've found it to continue being creative in lockdown?
It’s means everything. We are a baby right now as far as I’m concerned. The vision for CBN is huge, massive even. We’ll be so much more than a production company, I want CBN to be known by all and with that I want to be able to benefit people whether that comes from being able to help people out with advice on being successful with their craft or giving people a laugh through our content… there’s so many avenues we can go down but we’re just taking our time with the process and letting it develop when the times right. If all goes correctly I want to be able to take CBN far and beyond the UK.
Through lockdown we created and sold out our first magazine which was a huge step for us. Again it goes to show the things you can do as a collective of people. It wouldn’t have been possible without Jacks nerdy skills, my crazy ideas and in this case Alyssa’s amazing self portrait skills. Build the relationships around you and keep the good ones in your circle. It’s all about who you know.
Was the collective created with the end goal being to work professionally like you are now?
It was created originally with the intention of me and Jack just smashing our heads together and seeing what we can do together, a lot of the reality we have now was done through hard work and people we have met on the way. Never underestimate the power of hard work, it’s what separates a lot of people. I’ve got much clear vision now but a vision is nothing without a solid foundation.
What has been your favourite project that you've worked on so far?
LA baby. It’s a campaign fashion video I’ve always wanted to do and it couldn’t have turned out any better. Amazing models, perfect locations but overall stressful as fuck and last minute as hell, but we came out with the banger. We currently have plans with an awesome brand to level up from the LA video as I hate the fact it’s still our best work and it was done so long ago. I’ve very competitive with myself like that. So keep your eyes peeled for that.
Where do you see yourself and CBN in 5 years?
Magazine sales have got to be global by then. I want to see us travelling around the globe creating content with some of the best creatives out there. Definitely want a CBN creative house by then too. Campaigns gotta be next level and Jack needs an RS4 by then. We’ll come back and look at this and see how we’ve done.
What advice would you give for creatives wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Start with the small steps, they’ll become big steps. Don’t get lost in your visions and thoughts. As much as they are important you have to build a foundation around yourself, with clients, friends, community and trust. When all of this becomes secure, things will naturally develop and then you can start implementing the direction of where you want to be.
See more of Chris’ work here.
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