Respect The Process

Gary Rose is the Managing Director of Go Film, one of the top shops for making commercials. We look at the current state of our business and how it's evolved. Gary has worked alongside one of my fav's, Mr. Christopher Guest, so I get to learn how Mr. Guest likes to work on the spots he chooses to do. Overall, Gary navigates the business with finesse and surely knows how to pick and develop directo...

Filmmaker Rick Cowan was my friend and frequent collaborator. He grew to be a mentor and pillar to those that knew him. He passed away this week, and I miss him. RIP Rick.  This conversation is from July 2015 and was posted back then.  Love, Jordan

Miranda Bailey is a prolific film producer, actress and director. Currently, she's got two wonderful films in theaters, "Swiss Army Man" and "Don't Think Twice", the latter opening wide this weekend. Go see it. It stars Keegan Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Tami Sagher, Chris Gethard, Kate Micucci and the film's writer/director Mike Birbiglia . It's funny, sad, heartfelt and the best look at the wor...

Sitting down with Director Jonathan Kesselman was like reuniting with a cousin I'd never met. I'd seen his first film, The Hebrew Hammer, now we talk about his new film "Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero" starring comedian Maz Jobrani. Maz is hysterical in the clubs, on his specials, so I knew the film would be laugh out loud too. We chat about developing the film, working with actors who wrote the sc...

I'm honored to chat with Director Jeff Gordon , a versatile filmmaker, but one that can say he specializes in commercials with chimps and babies.   In our conversation, he points out one "secret weapon" to his success with infants - his baby wrangler. It was delightful to hear we've both worked with a particular chimp named Bella.  She is wonderful to shoot with.  All in all this is a such great e...

After three intense days shooting for Toyota and Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, I took up my usual post shoot ritual of bowling. Surprisingly, I ran into my favorite filmmaker, Director Werner Herzog. He indulged me with a quick exchange about my Commercial Directing Bootcamp in Chicago, August 13th, 2016.  I am so deeply humbled Mr. Werner Herzog had any knowledge of it. I am currently taking his...

Matthew Celia  stands majestically at the forefront of virtual reality filmmaking, having conceived, shot and delivered VR projects for Paramount, GoPro and even the esteemed Dr. Phil. Today, Matt explains the technology and stresses the key element all of you adore: story.  It's great to chat with Matt because we go back a handful of years. He's an inspiring storyteller and filmmaker. Check out h...

Movie critic, celebrated journalist, author and documentarian Marshall Fine graced me with an interview via the magic of Skype to talk about his new docu, "Robert Klein Still Can't Stop His Leg."  I really loved the film. First as a fan of the legendary stand-up Robert Klein, but also purely as a candid profile of an icon.  Bravo Marshall, bravo. Jordan   Commercial Directing Bootcamp is August 13...

I loved his feature film "Bubble Boy", so when I met Director Blair Hayes I was a bit star struck. Plus, his reputation as a commercial helmer is legendary. So happy we got to finally sit down and chat about his work. Admittedly, I'm in awe of Director/Camerapeople.  Blair's new film "Great Plains" is making the festival rounds, so keep an eye out for it. Of course, I've posted some commercials di...

I've only worked a half day with actor Clayton Farris, but I've been a fan since he walked in the casting room. He's the utmost professional and plays the reality of a situation, and is not afraid to immerse himself into a sometimes geeky character. He's also a nice guy. Clayton always working and you must check out his silly Vine videos he makes for the fun of it. Here's a Bud Light Lime-A-Rita s...

I'll post more filmmaking conversations later in the week, but today my heart is broken yet again. The hate we face must stop and assault weapons are just too easy to get. Let's love one another, practice tolerance, and change our laws to make these automatic rifles hard to get, as well as the ammo used to kill people. Let Peace Prevail.  Love, Jordan   This episode is 4 minutes. India. Arie sings...

Frankie Fiore works non-stop in the sound department, in all areas of it too, but when his pal Anthony Imperiolli asked him to produce his puppet short films for Dairy Queen, Frankie rose the challenge. I've posted a behind-the-scenes of their work at jordanbrady.com so pelase check it out. It's awesome work, hilarious and a great story of how the character of Nonna Maria came to be. We obviously...

Space Station  is an artist's paradise. It offers workshops, classes and it's an affordable place to cast, and even offers actors a free place to tape auditions and pieces for their reel. I sat down with David Rispoli and Ben Rovner to hear all about this unique operation, as well as their  Space Station Artist's Initiative . Their mission is to provide an all-encompassing education for the artist...

Peter Ostella, in part two of our interview, offers a peek behind the agency curtain in terms of producing. This episode is part two of a two-part chat. Leave feedback and share with friends. Thanks, Jordan Commercial Directing Bootcamp will take place in August. Where? Chicago! This episode is 65 minutes.

What makes "I Am Road Comic" getting on Netflix so sweet, is that it represents a victory in micro-budget indie filmmaking. Keeping a tourniquet on spending, crafting a story with notable comics and a podcast-based PR campaign, it's finally paid off. This is my 5th film to land on Netflix. It all started with "I Am Comic", but Netflix was just starting out and Showtime had debuted the star-studded...

Peter Ostella explains the ins and outs of being an in-demand agency producer. From how he facilitates the creative teams he works with to managing the clients, he spells it out. Does he ever present new directorial talent? How does he deal with newbie clients that have never shot a spot before? Additionally, we share of love of the stand-up comedy. This episode is part one of a two part great cha...

Everyone is telling their personal stories about meeting the genius that is Prince. This is mine. 7 minutes.  Thanks, Jordan

My guest Juan V. Perez is constantly looking to explore the world through an artistic lens, for personal creative fulfillment and to inform his work. We discuss staying relevant in this digital era of constant change. We dissect his beautiful spot for Comcast that speaks to bilingual American Latinos with just an English voice over, and we find out why. Check out this spot on jordanbrady.com with...

Production veteran Joel Pilger helps directors, artists and such focus on the creative side of things, while he and his team at RevThink help you run the business side of things. We chat about his company and his mission to take the pain out of running your own company. But when you hit a certain level of success, shit happens. Stuff you do not want to deal with. Joel also hosts a great podcast ca...

My guest is the charming Mark Androw, Executive Producer of STORY , a long-thriving production company he owns. Mark has dominated the spot business for many years, and he passionately explains just what an Executive Producer does. The EP, in tv commercial parlance, is the life-blood of the commercial production company. He/she develops the directorial roster, the business end of things and mainta...

I'm fresh off my stand-up comedy tour of the Middle East. We performed for the troops in Kuwait, Afghanistan and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Crazy times with four hilarious comedians that I now call my brothers. I also shot a documentary by myself while on this tour. And sure I could have taken an Alexa mini, Red-whatever or even a new Sony mirrorless, but I chose a Handycam. Furthermore, despite the...

Comedian, copywriter, marketer Hersh Rephun explains how he's carved a niche making the funny for challenger brands. His new shop is called "Yes Brand" and they've just launched with a piece of branded content for Manatawny Still Works that stars Hersh himself.  We chat about creativity, synchronicity, quote Paul Newman and discuss everything under the sun as far as comedy and advertising go. Hers...

My view of rates as a filmmaker may be unorthodox, but it sure keeps me sane and humble. I see it as shooting for free, and the big payday is for all the prep, production details and post. It's a healthy attitude that treasures the shoot day as a reward.   Filmmakers are already signing up for Commercial Directing Bootcamp so hurry. Limit 20 filmmakers, because I custom-tailor the program to addre...

Both a Creative Director and prolific Copywriter, Jon Shore and I have worked on and off for over a decade, cranking out dozens of comedy spots. After 25 years at one shoppe, Jon headed out on his own and never looked back. Visit jonshorecreative.com for his work. We chat about collaborating, getting the most out of others, and letting go of certain aspects in order to see a project grow. Jon give...

My pal Scott Friedland is President and CEO of Imagine One Mobile, a marketing/advertising agency that helps marketers and brands increase sales and secure higher Returns On Ad Spend (ROAS) – across all platforms, devices and screens. Oh, this episode is plum full of acronyms, so hold on tight. Scott and I go back to when he hired me to direct and produce on NBC's "Name Your Adventure", a Saturday...