Filmmakers In Advertising

Today on FIA, Justin sits down with film director Russell Owen to discuss his career from commercials to feature films, and the path that led to his acclaimed psychological horror Shepherd , a New York Times Critic's Pick and BBC critic Mark Kermode's Film of the Week . Russell shares the unconventional route that shaped his career, from making an experimental first feature and directing...

This week on FIA, Justin is joined by Creative Director Christine Taffe , and Executive Creative Director Heather Larimer , both at Orchard Creative . Also, making her first appearance on the podcast, is Michelle Mundt, Associate Producer at Cry. In this episode, Christine and Heather discuss their collaborations at Orchard, with stories from award winning projects with Ocean Spray and Etsy. They...

Justin welcomes Head of Branded Entertainment Adam Milano and Creative Director Christina Connerton from SuperBloom , an independent creative company built around the concept of unearthing the unexpected. Together this dynamic duo has collaborated with major brands including Uber, Colgate, and Corona, bringing their distinctive off-beat approach to commercial storytelling. In this episode, Adam an...

This week, Justin chats with Ben Steinbauer , Emmy award-winning film, television, and commercial director, and cofounder of The Bear , a production company and creative studio based in Austin, Texas. Ben shares his journey on becoming a documentary filmmaker with the breakout hit, Winnebago Man , starting a successful production company, and navigating the industry from Austin to LA, and back. He...

Join us for the third in our series of director interviews from the roster of Cry , the creative and post studio behind this podcast. This week Justin chats with director & editor, Ryan Vera about his creative process, finding the flow state, and maintaining authenticity in a noisy world. In this discussion, Ryan touches on his early days at Cry (formerly Abandon Films), and how he found his v...

This week, Justin chats with Darren Foldes , Partner and Head of Films at Sibling Rivalry , an integrated creative company based in New York and Los Angeles. Darren discusses his path to Sibling Rivalry, all the way from growing up around New York City with a father who worked as a cameraman for ABC Channel 7 News, to taking a paid internship in Los Angeles, co-writing and producing kids films for...

Join us for our first video episode, now available to watch on Youtube ! This week, Justin chats with Dan Blaney , an accomplished head of production, now working as Executive Director of Production at Fig .  Dan has an impressive resume that includes roles at Wieden+Kennedy, BBDO, Apple, and more. The discussion explores various subjects including what it really means to be a great producer in ad...

Join us for the second in a series of director interviews from the roster of Cry , the creative and post studio behind this podcast. Next up on the list is none other than Mwita Chacha , an expert at documentary storytelling. Mwita’s work has been featured on HBO Max, Discovery+, CNN, Vox, PBS, and yes, even a Vimeo staff pick. He’s even had the opportunity to do a project for CNN with Wolf Blitze...

In this episode, Monica chats with Kat Urban , SVP & Head of Production at R&R Partners , about her journey from starting as an aspiring copywriter to becoming an award-winning producer with over 15 years global production experience. Kat discusses her transitions within the industry, including her work on notable campaigns for brands like Adidas, Airbnb, and QuickBooks, and shares her ins...

Join us for the first in a series of director interviews from the roster of Cry , the creative and post studio behind this podcast. First on the list is none other than Michela Maria , a self-described “Slice of Cake” filmmaker. Michela’s work spans comedy shorts for Adult Swim, Above Average, and Funny or Die, along with commercials for brands like Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Google, and more. She’s al...

Tune in for an insightful discussion with Tessa Banks , Group Executive Producer at GALE , about her journey producing within the highly evolving advertising industry. Tessa shares her journey from Los Angeles to becoming a key figure in various major advertising campaigns including her work with brands like Buzzfeed, Beats by Dre, and the hilarious 'Wood Milk' campaign featuring Aubrey...

Join us for a captivating episode as we welcome Luke Atencio , a seasoned composer with two decades of experience in film, TV, and advertising music.  This deep dive into the world of music composition explores Luke's creative process, the challenges of temp music, and the critical importance of early composer involvement in film projects. Luke shares compelling stories behind his celebrated...

Today, we chat with Win Bates , seasoned commercial director currently at Tool of North America about navigating the world of humor and storytelling. Do you ever wonder what it takes to land a major ad campaign with your ability to make people laugh? Do you wanna learn a little bit about the art of casting, working with celebrities and the elusive rug pull of comedy? If so, you're in luck. Wi...

Today, we chat with Matt Johnson - Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Haymaker - the independent, Emmy-winning, full-service advertising agency. Matt takes us through Haymaker’s origin story: from launching with no clients or office to growing into a respected agency over the past eight years. With a background at industry heavyweights like 180LA and 72andSunny, Matt brings a wealth of experien...

This week, we're joined by Nate Houghteling — filmmaker and co-founder of Portal A , an award-winning branded and original content company. Nate walks us through his journey from 24-hour film competitions in college to co-founding Portal A, the creative force behind major brand collaborations and cultural moments like YouTube Rewind. We dig into: His early web series experiments in the wild w...

Today we’re talking to a production company heavy-hitter: Dustin Callif , President of TOOL of North America about the innovation of A.I. integration into filmmaking and advertising - done the right way. Dustin provides an “open source” approach to the tools he and his team have utilized in their approach to AI-driven campaigns. He touches on the ethical considerations surrounding this technology,...

Join us for an insightful journey through the world of advertising with Justin Bajan , Co-Founder and Creative Director of Familiar Creatures !   With nearly two decades of experience at major agencies like The Martin Agency, GSD&M, Arnold Worldwide, and David & Goliath, Justin brings a wealth of knowledge and a unique perspective to the table. In this episode, we dive into: The Genesis of...

In this episode, Codey chats with Jessica Zalaznik and Adrien Bindi of GSD&M , the creative minds behind the “Goldilocks and The Three Trucks” Super Bowl commercial , which features Glen Powell for RAM Trucks: .  They touch on their career paths, the exciting challenges of creating a Super Bowl ad, and their insights on working with celebrities like Glen Powell and directors like David Leitch....

Scott Terry | Director of Business Affairs at Forsman & Bodenfors In this episode, Scott Terry, Director of Business Affairs at Forsman & Bodenfors, provides insights into his multifaceted role in the advertising industry.  Speaking from his experience handling legal issues, talent management, social media, PR, and more, Scott talks about solving the production problems that few of us see...

In this episode, creative directors Brandon Curl and Dale Austin of GSD&M discuss their extensive work with major brands, including recent campaigns for Capital One and Pizza Hut.  They share their strategies for selecting directors, handling unexpected challenges, and the importance of pushing deadlines when necessary.  They also explore their backgrounds, how they got here, the origins of th...

Marta Hooper | Group Creative Director at AntiSocial /Thinkingbox Today, Monica chats with Marta Hooper , Group Creative Director at AntiSocial - the social media division of Thinkingbox.  In this episode, Marta discusses: Social-first thinking in your brand strategy How she got her start in advertising (as a plan B to becoming a pro tennis player) A deep dive into the craft and creativity of adve...

Have you seen - the Jason Kelce ads with the B-Dubs buffalo at the bar? Or maybe you've seen something a little more “pinkies out” such as the holiday campaign for Tiffany & Co featuring Anya Taylor Joy .  Do you like Super Bowl commercials?  If any of these interest you, then today is your day, cause we’re talking to industry pro - Mike Byrne , Founding Partner and Global Chief Creative...

IS ADVERTISING GETTING FUN AGAIN?  Apparently, innovative, interesting, and fun work is making a comeback. That’s according to today’s guest Norm Shearer Partner, and CCO at Cactus (...among other things) Look, today’s guest, won a 7th-grade art contest with a drawing of an X-Wing fighter. ...So you should probably listen up.  We grabbed some good stuff from Norm that is informative and validating...

Gordy Sang & Brian Siedband , Co-Founders / Co-CCOs of Quality Meats - put the Quality in Quality Meats (Ad Age Small Agency of The Year… Again!) In this episode with Quality Meats, (not a butcher shop), we gain a plethora of knowledge. Their creative is fun, -  and if you watch it you’ll notice a refreshing and straightforward authenticity to their humor and narratives, and I (Codey) highly r...

Colin Jeffery is the Chief Creative Officer at Doner / Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer at Wolfgang / Advisory Board Member / Ad Age 2023 Agency A-List / Adweek Creative 100 Colin was instrumental in helping Kia Motors become one of the fastest-growing car brands in the world, taking them from 28th to 7th largest automotive brand in the US. Colin created the wildly popular Kia Hamsters whic...