CONVERSATIONS: WILL BANKS

Our new series “Conversations” brings to you some of our favourite content creators, taste makers, KOLs and some people doing some really great things in the digital space.

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To kick things off we have one creative, hailing from Melbourne, who has been on our radar for the last three years; Will Banks. Will's feed is stunning and distinctly Melbourne, and at TLOY we have all been guilty of having a scroll when looking for new weekend venue to taste test. With an incredible eye and way with words, Will Banks is one to watch (and you heard it here first).

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Hi there Will, we at TLOY absolutely adore your content creation and we’re curious how you found your knack for it - you’re such a natural.  What did you do and what life experiences have contributed to your creativity?

Well, as a content creator, you truly are your biggest critic so that’s definitely nice to hear - thank you! Let’s be frank…..you need a passion for it to begin with. If your heart isn’t in it, then the results will show. Like anything in life in which you set out to succeed, you must invest time and dedication in order for it to work! As far back as I can remember, I was a creative kid. In school, the class would be given a simple project to complete, be it designing something, or writing something, or building something and l would go home and imagine ways in which I could excel from the original task the teacher had given us. How could I make this even better? Grander? A standout? I took great passion from seeing one thing in its original form and being able to turn into something even bigger and really give it the WOW factor.

I guess this passion then transpired into studying Marketing at Uni and turning it into a career. Albeit, in the “real world” marketing (depending on your client base) doesn’t always give you the freedom to have fun and be “extra” creative, so accidentally landing myself into the world of Instagram inadvertently became my forum to “let loose” (so to speak) and have some fun!

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You recently returned from what looked like an incredible Europe trip, we were all obsessing over your posts and love the shot of Café Le Paradis! Tell us about some highlights and your recommendations?

Ahhhh, yes! It was an absolute treat and so great to be able to travel once again! I’ve travelled extensively over the years and have usually coordinated my trips with blending in several locations into one trip – hopping from one city/country to another, trying to fit as much as I can into one trip! This time, I really wanted to take in one country, absorb the culture, the people etc, so we spent the entire month of August in France. From Paris to the French Riviera, to Provence. Every single bit of this holiday was a highlight, but I guess celebrating a very special birthday in Monaco of all places was definitely a standout! Catching up with family living on the French Riviera after a couple of years of absence was also very special and perfect Summer weather in Paris was a bonus!

I highly recommend lunch or dinner at Girafe in Paris – the views of the Eiffel Tower from here are absolutely stunning, not to mention the actual restaurant and cuisine! Paris are renowned for their Bouillon’s – a traditional spacious restaurant that serves traditional French cuisine. Julien in Marais is a must. Not only is the food and décor out of this world, but it was also a favourite haunt of Edith Piaf’s and her permanent table is on show there too. Villefranche-sur-Mer on the Cote d’Azur is an absolute must! Nowhere in the world is there a better and more calming view of the Mediterranean (in my opinion) and finally – do yourself a favour and spend a couple of nights in Aix-en-Provence on your next trip to France – you won’t regret it!

(Oops yes – Café Le Paradis – how unbelievably beautiful is this café?! I was quite proud of my post too – Summer In Europe and lots of people enjoying themselves people watching always makes a pic look even better!)

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2022 has been an exciting year for the Melbourne hospitality scene, with many new openings. Andrew McConnell’s Gimlet debuted at World top 100 and there is a genuine buzz around and about the city as we head into Spring. So, what are your Top 5 Melbourne venues right now and why?

You bet it has and what a great city we have!! Most significantly for me was returning from Europe where everything is abuzz, with the crème de la crème of everything, yet still finding a city to come home to that is very much comparable to Europe. So many restaurants/cocktail bars/cafes etc to choose from, it’s very exciting to have a city with so much variety right at your feet! !  It’s also very difficult limiting these amazing venues into a top 5 list, so I’m going to preface this by saying that this is by no means a restrictive and exclusive list, but rather those that I have frequented on several occasions this year as it’s been hard to stay away!

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In no particular order here goes……

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DESSOUS – a little bit of Europe meets New York basement – love it! It’s the type of place where you want to go out in the evening, but you’re not necessarily going to be seen by anyone (or nobody really cares if you’re there or not) it’s in the basement, hidden from the rest of the world, perhaps you may have passed it and not even known it was there. Downstairs, it’s dim and dark, everyone in their own little world – superior cocktails (excellent bartenders!) great snacks, friendly staff….nobody rushing you – sit there for hours and have a nightcap!

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ENTRECÔTE – SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN YOU’RE LIVING UNDER A ROCK!

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ROCCO’S BOLOGNA DISCOTECA – It’s the Italian Macca’s run after a big night out! Have you seen or tried their Meatball Subs? Oh man! If not for a late night run, they’re serving up delicious pastas and Italian delicacies for lunch and dinner and it’s just “real” homestyle! I love it – go in your tracksuit or dress up, it really doesn’t matter! If you’re dressed up though, walk a few doors down afterwards to its older sibling POODLE and have a few cocktails upstairs! It’s my usual hangout and l wouldn’t change it for a thing! Go see for yourself!

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THE EVERLEIGH – Again…..SPEAKS FOR ITSELF! I’ve been going here since it practically opened 10 years ago and it’s a step back in time every time you walk in! You may hear a little bit of Ella or Billie playing in the background, maybe some Etta James……the team and the bartenders are second to none! They know exactly how to do their thing…..ask for a bartender’s choice, sit back and let them take care of everything for you! It’s the kind of place that whenever I have visitors I take them here!

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SOCIETY – I love it because it’s an all in one. You can make a whole night out of this place! Go for dinner – choose between the restaurant or Lillian’s terrace – both are amazing! Afterwards, retreat at the bar and while away the hours sipping on specialty cocktails – the list is outstanding! All the while, the staff are escorting you from one spot to the other – finished dinner? All good, the staff have saved a table for you at the bar. Want to retreat to the terrace? No problem – the staff have organised this for you. Seriously, you don’t need to go anywhere else for the evening!

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Please tell us how do you edit your imagery? We can see time and care goes into everything you post. What camera/equipment do you use?

Oh, how do break this to you? I’m afraid I’m an iphoneographer! No fancy equipment used here! No reason for this, other than I’m not a professional photographer /(nor do I profess to be) but I do have an eye for detail (I won’t deny that!) and this all started as a little bit of a game/fun activity so I’ve just stuck with my trusty iphone! The only “secret” I do have is a little friend called VSCO! This is my favourite editing app and I use this all the time with all my content – it never fails me. After I have edited on VSCO, I do however go back and complete some additional editing of the photo on my standard editing features on my phone to further enhance, until I’m personally happy I guess!

One piece of advice though, you can’t solely rely on an editing app to miraculously give you a great picture! The great picture starts with you! If the picture you have taken is of poor quality, framed poorly, rushed etc….. there’s not much the editing app can do to fix that. I take great care and preparation in how I would like my picture to be. I consider background, positioning, lighting, arrangement, set-up, angle etc, before I take the pic  (sometimes I may even visit a location beforehand to know what to expect and plan ahead). It needs to look good when finally captured. The editing app will only then enhance the effect and colour of the pic to complete the look. So, put extra care and effort and thought into the preparation of your pic first and then watch the editing app do its magic!

Who would you invite to a dinner party? Alive or dead.

Alfred Hitchcock – one of the greatest filmmakers of all time with so many classics under his belt – his thought process and imagination has intrigued me ever since I was a very young boy and l would love to learn what was going through his head when imagining all of his movies!

Cary Grant – Not only is he the epitome of the true gentleman, but his entire personal life was many a time the opposite of his persona and l would love to know what made him tick, how he went through his life living this persona and of course, he would have some amazing stories or so many legendary people as he was practically close with every name you’ve ever heard!

Alexander the Great – I have forever being obsesses with Ancient Greek History and the story of this great YOUNG man intrigues me! What made such a young boy so strong, powerful, convincing and such a great leader! In today’s world we tend to bypass these figures of history, so Alexander is up there on my list!

Aristotle Onassis together with Maria Callas (as a couple) -  because only then with Maria by his side, would I ever get to know the “REAL” Onassis!

Madonna – because after more than 40 years, she still remains one of the most popular and iconic women in the world and she reached this status all without the use or influence of Social Media!

Any advice to a budding content creator wanting to take the leap and start a foodie feed like yourself? Do’s and don’t’s?

That’s a tough one because everyone has their own style and approach, but again, one word of advice is “passion”. I feel the best way to achieve the most out of starting up a new feed is to enter into it with a great deal of passion – a real interest in what you’re doing and what you’re promoting as only then does it transpire into your posts. It’s easy to get caught up in the trap of receiving “free things” or monetary benefits and at times it can become someone’s sole purpose for posting. If you’re planning to start up a fresh feed for this purpose then it’s probably not a good idea. Your audience needs to see that you are being genuine and you believe in what you’re promoting. Always accept those opportunities that align to your personality and brand as this will become your trademark so to speak. Accepting everything and promoting something that is not “you” starts to lose focus with your target audience and you don’t want that. Overall however, it’s an app and it’s there to use and above all, it should be a lot of fun, so if you’re wanting to take the plunge, go for it! See where it takes you and just HAVE FUN!

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Lastly, will we see Will Banks on TikTok?

Haha! Look, I’m not sure if TikTok is for me to be honest, so for the time being, probably not, however, ten points to all those TikToker’s out there who have found huge success with it – I take my hat off to you all!

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Will’s profile can be found HERE and we encourage you to give it a follow if you are interested in honest reviews, always expressed in the most charming manner.

If you are a venue that is looking for creatives like Will to visit on a regular basis, get in touch! We offer always-on and once-off campaigns tailored to suit your business.

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Say hello@thelikesofyou.com.au