Category: Film

Filmmaker Jens Gehlhaar Directs Commercials With Style And Grace.

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LA-based director Jens Gehlhaar’s spots for Nissan, Square, Skylanders, and Sodastream are just a few examples of his design sensibility and impeccable ability to merge immediacy, timeliness and humor through a variety of different projects. As a creative director, Jens has worked on a broad range of styles and concepts for Coca-Cola and MTV, KCRW, and This American Life, creating perfectly crafted visual stories. He’s also the first guest to have invented his own font.

Check out his work and enjoy: 

Nissan Rogue “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” from Jens Gehlhaar on Vimeo.

Life Savers “One Hundred Years” from Jens Gehlhaar on Vimeo.

Jordan

This episode lasts 90 minutes.

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is January 19th, 2019. All my links and merch are here on my website.

Commercial Director Kiran Koshy Shoots What Makes Him Happy.

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Kiran Koshy is both an agency Creative Director and Commercial Director. His story is compelling because like many of us, he followed his bliss into filmmaking. His journey just earned more frequent flyer miles. His voice as a storyteller rings out so loud and clear in his work.

You’ll be inspired by what he accomplishes with little money, so be sure and check out his spots by clicking his name. We love this one: 

Happy 5 year annersary to Helen and I!

Jordan

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is January 19th, 2019 in LA so sign up now. Oh yeah, Commercial Directing Voodoo is on Audible, Kindle & Amazon.

This episode is an hour and 31 minutes of fun.

Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon.

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is available now for a limited time only!

Use the code RTP10 and get 10% off Shane Hurlbut’s Cinematography: Mastering The Image

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is January 19th, 2019 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

How Commercial Director Clay Williams Makes Great Comedy Spots.

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Commercial Director Clay Williams makes the kind of spots I see on tv and salivate over. His humor is sly, subtle and understated even when the premise is crazy. Clay shares his thoughts on filmmaking, working with improvisational actors, crew and more.

Once an agency creative at TWBA/Chiat/Day, Clay started directing and never looked back. His collaborative nature is something we should all aspire to.

Check out this spot for First Bank:

First Bank – Cough from Clay Williams on Vimeo.

And here’s our new jingle for Oso Delicious Hot Sauce:

Oso Delicious Bear Jingle from Jordan Brady on Vimeo.

Thanks,

Jordan

This runs 90 minutes.
Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon, Audible and Kindle. Grab your copy!

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is January 19th, 2019 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is available to gobble up!
Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

How Director Toby Wosskow’s BMW Spec Spot Landed Him An Ad During the NBA Finals.

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Director Toby Wosskow hit it out the park with his spec spot for BMW and shares his tedious plot that made it work. Not only did BMW run the spot on their site, but the agency hired him to shoot everything under the sun, including the Foot Locker’s “House of Hoops x Nike” for the NBA finals this year. 

Since our interview, Toby’s film “Sides of the Horn” was just picked up by Sir Richard Branson personally. The short is the first film to tell the story of South Africa’s poaching war from both sides of the fence. I predict this will make a great feature.

Enjoy Toby’s passion for filmmaking and his dedication to the craft. We expect big things from this talented director. Check out his work:

BMW – What Drives You? from Toby Wosskow on Vimeo.

House of Hoops x Nike – NBA All Star from Toby Wosskow on Vimeo.

Thank you,

Jordan

This runs 67 minutes.
Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon, Audible and Kindle. Grab your copy!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is sold out!
Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

How PRETTYBIRD President & Co-Founder Kerstin Emhoff Has Built A Powerhouse ProdCo.

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PRETTYBIRD President & Co Founder Kerstin Emhoff is recognized for her successful and enduring relationships with top agencies, clients, artists and managers, and her experience and unique style across various mediums and platforms. Under her leadership, PRETTYBIRD has collected Grammys, Emmys, D&AD Awards, Cannes Lions & Grand Prix, Clio’s and MTV Video Music Awards – in addition to being named Creativity’s 2015 Production Company of the Year.

You’ll love this chat I promise.

Jordan

This runs 52 minutes.
Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon, Audible and Kindle. Grab your copy!

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is sold out!
Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Director Amy Adrion Discusses Her Debut Docu “Half The Picture” – A Must See!

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“Half The Picture” Director Amy Adrion stops by the podcast to talk about her amazing, insightful film. HALF THE PICTURE consists of interviews with high profile women directors including Ava DuVernay, Jill Soloway, Lena Dunham, Catherine Hardwicke and Miranda July, among many others, who discuss their early careers, how they transitioned to studio films or television, how they balance having a demanding directing career with family, as well as challenges and joys along the way.

Buy/rent/watch everywhere, like iTunes. Check out the trailer:

HALF THE PICTURE trailer from amy adrion on Vimeo.

thanks,

Jordan

This runs 90 minutes.
Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon.

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is sold out!
Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Copywriter/ACD Tal Wagman Fights Sexual Misconduct With Rotten Apples.

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I love chatting with innately funny people, and Tal Wagman is one such a person. We met shooting our wildly popular “Built To Amaze” campaign for Toyota via Saacthi. Now Tal has moved his humor mill over to Zambezi working on Vitaminwater and Venmo.

We chat about RottenApples, a website database that informs us whether or not a film or show is tied to a person accused of sexual misconduct. It’s a great resource. I love this spot of Tal’s and wish I directed this sly performance: 

thanks,

Jordan

This runs 90 minutes.
Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon.

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is sold out!

How Filmmakers Can Deliver Gorgeous Treatments With Katniss of The Moon Unit.

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The Moon Unit is a creative services boutique that helps storytellers develop ideas into words, gorgeous visual treatments, mood boards and pitch decks and more. Katniss and I skyped to cover a lot of ground. After describing a great pitch and treatments, we dive into how a director can best manage her career.

Katniss and The Moon Unit team put out great ebooks for free.
Thanks,

Jordan

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA so sign up now. Oh yeah, Voodoo is on Audible. More on that later.

Use the code RTP10 and get 10% off Shane Hurlbut’s Cinematography: Mastering The Image

This episode is an hour and 15 minutes of bliss.

Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon.

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is sold out!

Mr. Marc Kelly Shares How The Filmmaking Team Of “Blindspotting” Made Their Magic.

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Mr. Marc Kelly is a Director, 1st AD and more. When I saw his name role up in the credits of “Blindspotting,” I cheered and had to hear more about this film. Marc takes us behind the scenes with filmmaking tips and tidbits, working with Director Carlos López Estrada, Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal and the crew. Then we delve into race, inclusion, gentrification, and karaoke. The opens this weekend.

Please support this film so it goes wider to audiences that need to laugh and learn.

Thanks,

Jordan

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA so sign up now. Oh yeah, Voodoo is on Audible. More on that later.

Use the code RTP10 and get 10% off Shane Hurlbut’s Cinematography: Mastering The Image

This episode is an hour and 15 minutes of bliss.

Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon.

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is sold out!

Filmmaker Liz Hinlein Directs Commercials, Branded Films, VR and Features With Aplomb & Grace.

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Director Liz Hinlein shares how she has successfully navigated her career making brand films, VR gigs, tons of spots and her feature, “Other People Children.” You’ve seen Liz’s Dove Real Beauty starring Shonda Rhimes, I promise. We chat about the commonality in directing these various gigs, staying humble while leading, and the fun in teaching others when we’ve learned. And because she’s also a talented cinematographer, she gives y’all plenty of tech talk in this episode. Check out these spots or see her reel at her shoppe Durable Goods:

Thank you,

Jordan

This episode is an hour and 25 minutes of bliss.

Don’t miss my Bootcamp – it always sells out. Links below.

Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon.

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is sold out!

Filmmaker Ramaa Mosley On Creating One’s Own Opportunities.

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Filmmaker Ramaa Mosley directs commercials, documentaries, feature narratives and more. Like myself, she believes we do different jobs for different reasons and creates her own opportunities. You’ll love the part of this chat when she explains how originality is overrated. I disagreed but then came around.

Ramaa is also the Executive Creative Director and one of the Founders of Adolescent Content, fostering filmmaking careers of Gen X and Gen Y filmmakers.

Check out Ramaa’s work here and enjoy this spot, just one of many I love and ask her about:

Kinectimals from Ramaa Mosley on Vimeo.

thank you,

Jordan

This is a brisk 90 min that you’ll love. And be sure sign up for my Bootcamp before it sells out. Links below.

Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon.

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is back for a limited time!

Hollywood War Stories: How To Survive In The Trenches with Veteran Comedy Director Rick Friedberg.

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Veteran comedy director Rick Friedberg has written a book you must buy. You learn and laugh as this “rule book” for success tells you, as the title says, how to survive the Hollywood machine. It’s aptly called “Hollywood War Stories: How To Survive In The Trenches” and I love it.

We chat comedy, managing a career, and a long-lost project we shared together and so much more. Buy the book on Amazon, click here or off www.rickfriedberg.com today!

Thanks,

Jordan

This is a whopping one hour 30 min that you’ll love. Here’s the sponsor-links and my stuff, I implore you to check out. 

Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon.

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is back for a limited time!

Why Ad Agency Creatives Make Excellent Filmmakers With Comedy Directing Duo Jeff and Pete.

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Dynamite directing duo Jeff & Pete, aka Jeff Gonick and Peter Novosel, are following their dreams by leaving their cushy advertising agency jobs as creatives to become helmers of comedy commercials. And boy are they good. Landing at top shoppe Caviar, they’ve helmed funny stuff for Dr. Pepper, SunTrust and more. Plus their fun fellows.

After their origin story, we chat about their process and how they love the treatment phase of pitching. (Huh?) And collaboration, not just with each other but with the crew, agency and client, seems to be their mantra. Please check out their comedy spots, especially the American Eagle work that makes me drool with envy.

Thanks,

Jordan

This is a whopping one hour 40 min that you’ll love. Here’s the sponsor-links and my stuff, I implore you to check out. 

Podcast Wax for affordable podcast editing.

Commercial Directing Voodoo is at Amazon.

Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in LA. Free Voodoo when you sign up!

Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is back for a limited time!

Why I Reluctantly Cut A Montage Of My Visual Effects & Filmmaking Trickery.

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Commercial Directors are not well-served by montages, the collection of coolest shots of their career. Advertising agency folks and clients want to see you can tell a good story in :15, :30 or :60 seconds. So for years, I have resisted the montage reel. But friends, this weekend I succumbed to the siren of the montage. After listening to the new breed of filmmakers, like Oren Kaplan and Matt Enlow (Of Just Shoot It Podcast fame) and others, I realized it’s part of the schtick of being a director. And who knows, maybe I’ll get a gig from someone seeing this?

As a comedy director, my work with CG characters, trickery and even critters, must be done with deft collaboration among the entire team. Starting agency creatives come up with these concepts, and then I do a mind-meld with production and post. My wonderful friends at Arsenal Creative did the all post for the Toyota work, and House Special did the newly launched Thryv!

Thanks,

Jordan
 
This episode is six minutes and is brought to you by Podcast Wax. Yes, my son Jake Brady is open for business with his Podcast Wax. Give him a holler over at fiverr or Facebook.

There Are Dreamers, Doers and Finishers, Director Tony Ladesich Is All Three.

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Filmmaker Tony Ladesich proves my point you do not have to live in New York or LA to be a working filmmaker. Tony shoots national commercials for Sprint,  all while living in beautiful Kansas City. We discover we know some of the same filmmakers there, as well as we share a positive outlook toward balancing personal projects with our professional ones. A great chat. Click his name to see his great stuff.

If you need podcast editing, my son Jake Brady is open for business with his Podcast Wax. Give him a holler over at fiverr or Facebook.

thanks,

Jordan

Next Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th in Santa Monica. Free copy of my sensational book Commercial Directing Voodoo when you sign up. It is only $10 on Amazon. Buy it today and review please. This episode is an hour and a 12 minutes.

Commercial Actor/Director David Lautman Charts His Own Course For Success.

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Whenever he’s shooting a commercial, actor David Lautman spends his time between takes studying every crew member’s job and how she or he does it. This film school by astute observation, combined with his infectious personality has helped David branch into directing. What a great perspective we get from a working actor! David adn chat about writing our own stuff to shoot, doing those Tongal contest spots and the importance of not waiting for the golden ticket. I love that his sketch video YouTube group was called Spoof Troupe. Here’s his current commercial acting demo reel:

Enjoy!

Jordan

Next Bootcamp is August 25th in Santa Monica, and Respect The Process fans a whopping save $50 off my wildly popular Commercial Directing Bootcamp when you sign up before June 1st, 2018 with the coupon RTP. My book Commercial Directing Voodoo is only $10 on Amazon. Buy it today and review please. This episode is an hour and some minutes.

Joeseph Matsushima Tells Us All About Blocker AR Viewfinder App for Filmmakers.

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Joseph Matsushima stopped by to talk about the Blocker AR app. Blocker is an augmented reality director’s viewfinder. It makes it easy for filmmakers to communicate their vision. Place 3D characters on set or in your living room, frame your shots. The website says to then create storyboards to share, but I’ll use it more for previsualization. I tried it and it is badass and in the iTunes store. Here’s the demo:

Thanks Joesph for walking us through the app.

Thanks,

Jordan

Next Bootcamp is August 25th in Santa Monica, and Respect The Process fans a whopping save $50 off my wildly popular Commercial Directing Bootcamp when you sign up before June 1st, 2018 with the coupon RTP. My book Commercial Directing Voodoo is only $10 on Amazon. Buy it today and review please. This episode is 25 minutes. Nexxt Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in Los Angeles. Plan your summer and step up your filmmaking game.

Social Content Creator Demetris Campbell and Doughnut Media Are Crushin’ It.

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Filmmaker Demetris Campbell started shooting with the fabled Fisher-Price PixelVision 2000, an early video camcorder that recorded onto audio cassette tapes. Then his wife got him shooting for her wedding clients. Now Demetris runs Doughnut Media and has gathered a slew of clients. His social videos are top-notch. We also chat about diversity in filmmaking and creating one’s own opportunities, a subject near and dear to my heart.

Mia's Cold Brew: Commercial from Doughnut Media on Vimeo.

Thank you!

Jordan

Commercial Directing Voodoo is only $10 on Amazon. Buy it today and review please. This episode is one hour and 9 minutes. Nexxt Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 25th, 2018 in Los Angeles. Plan your summer and step up your filmmaking game. This is the ONLY seminar taught by a working commercial director, and that would be me. Enjoy.

How Self-Taught Filmmaker Robjn Taylor Landed A Quirky Coleman Commercial.”

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Commercial and content director Robjn Taylor has always made films sense he can remember. And that passion is still alive. You hear it in his tone when we talk about career, being a DIY filmmaker, and tricks of the trade. I love how Robjn is finding his voice as a filmmaker and honing that with each spot he makes. Very evident in his work. Check out one of his spots we chat up:

Enjoy.

Jordan

Commercial Directing Voodoo is only $10 on Amazon. Buy it today and review please. This episode is 9 minutes.

How Going Off The Grid Improved My Filmmaking.

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By going off the grid for just 72 hours, I returned with a fresh attitude towards my work. Look folks, I love the hustle and thrive off it, but clearly I needed a reminder that human connection is vital to a rich, fulfilling life. My lovely and talented wife, filmmaker Jeannette Godoy, showed her film “Free 2 Be Me” to open the Esalen Inspirational Film Festival this week. They also screened “I Am Battle Comic”, so that is always fun. But with no cellular service nor internet, we got to reconnect, have meaningful conversations with other filmmakers about their projects, and just chat with total strangers from all walks of life.

It’s easy to get swept away online, and get lost in work, so please take time to be present every now and then, and connect with your fellow humans. 

Enjoy.

Jordan

Commercial Directing Voodoo is only $10 on Amazon. Buy it today and review please. This episode is 9 minutes.