Movies are one medium that I love to turn to for inspiration. In the business of ideas, we are constantly challenged by how we can tell a story better for the brand or product that our clients want to sell. Movies are great in that it expands our minds (legally) and in that space of one or two hours, we lose ourselves in a completely new universe. Here are my 10 favourite films that keep me wanting to go back for seconds. They’ve been picked for their direction, cinematography, colour, styling and storytelling. As designers and art directors, these films prove that to make a story memorable, there must be a good balance of all those attributes. Some are gorgeous in their simplicity, painterly in their cinematography, lavish in their use of colours or detailed in their wardrobe and styling. There is an element of theatre in all of them and I do hope you will have a chance to enjoy them if you haven’t already.

1. In The Mood For Love  Wong Kar Wai

2. The Fall  Tarsem Singh

3. The Great Gatsby Baz Luhrman

4. Hero Zhang Yimou

5. Moonrise Kingdom Wes Anderson

6. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover  Peter Greenway

7. Spirited Away  Hayao Miyazaki

8. Batman Returns  Tim Burton

9. One Hour Photo  Mark Romanek

10. The 300  Zack Snyder

Agree or disagree? Write to me and tell me which film inspires you.