Being an advocate for mindfulness certainly comes in handy for Robot’s Paul Ramaema, especially considering how busy he’s been. Since joining the production company two years ago Paul has consistently been creating commercial work for top brands and agencies. We caught up with the new dad and self-proclaimed selfie king about how he’s found his rhythm as a filmmaker while still maintaining a balance.

Paul is an advertising guy through and through. He loves ideas, loves collaboration and knows the importance of keeping clients happy – all things that have served him very well as a director. ‘It goes without saying that Paul brings a youthfulness and edge to any brand he works with, but he also brings a real understanding of what clients and agencies want and need. Part of Paul’s meteoric rise is that he knows when to push an idea further and when to hold back. Those that work with Paul always know they are in safe hands because he understands the business of advertising as well as the art of it.’ Says Robot’s Executive Producer Liam Johnson.

Versatile, meticulous and very considered, PauI’s work is filled with strong elements of performance, youth culture, dance and visuals. His background in photography means he is drawn to more stylised work, but Paul has the ability to show restraint and says: ‘Creating stylised work that still sits in the retail space and appeals to a broader market is kind of where I’ve found my rhythm for now. Sure, we have to give the clients what they want, and I think we can do that while still bringing our own flavour to the work.’

So, what’s Paul’s secret to finding his rhythm? He says: ‘I’m a huge advocate for meditation, mindfulness and mental awareness, especially in our industry and the entertainment industry as a whole. It’s important to be able to step out of those workspaces and see how you can objectively contribute positively and most importantly know when to take a breather and look after yourself.’

Watching Paul’s trajectory in the industry since those first days at Robot has been pretty exciting and as Paul has grown as a director, so has Robot. The production company has recently opened new offices in Joburg at the fancy 11 Mackay building and signed Executive Producer and ex-agency powerhouse Ayanda Tshabalala [Read more about that here].

On what’s changed for Paul over the last two years he says: ‘I’m still not sleeping and always searching for the perfect balance of work and my newfound baby life, but the growth of my career has been so fulfilling. Robot’s high-quality production support and addition of the incredibly talented Ayanda has added so much value to my work, especially because she has such a strong background on the agency side. Ayanda has brought such insight to my own treatments and I believe it’s elevated my work and pushed me closer to where I want to be.’

Wanna (s)talk some more? Robot on IDIDTHAT and Company Website.