Respect The Process

It's always a treat to talk with director/producer/editor Tommy Avallone , this time via Skype due to social distancing.  Waldo On Weed tells the story about Waldo James Mysterious Dwyer, a six-month old baby boy suffering from Retinoblastoma – eye cancer – in both of his eyes. Seeing their son suffer through the chemotherapy, Waldo's parents, Brian and Danielle, searched desperately to find a way...

Actress Julie Slack is a true multi-hyphenate. She's an award-winning actress, busy voiceover artist and television host. Now with her short film "Tree Game" she adds writer/filmmaker to the list. We bond over our fondness for repeat business, relationships and creating our own opportunities. Be sure and follow her on Instagram, as she is always posting valuable and inspiring content. #OnceYouGoSl...

With projects cancelled and postponed, here's 7 actions we, as filmmakers and creative types, can take to weather the storm of uncertainty. Please send me your ideas. Still on: our April 15th is our benefit comedy show with 100% Headliners and myself at Flappers Comedy Club. Proceeds go to the Veterans Green Bus.  Please donate to our  GoFundMe  for the  Veterans Green Bus  and I'll donate $5 when...

Marc Singer is a writer & director in Los Angeles. Marc has written and created original series and award-winning campaigns for Warner Bros., NBC, FOX, Intel, Coca-Cola, Funny or Die, Spotify , Ultimate Ears, T-Mobile and Hyundai. Check out his stuff by clicking on his name, and I've posted at www.jordanbrady.com site as well.  April 15th is our benefit comedy show with 100% Headliners and myself...

My pet peeve is when the craft service table or "crafty" is nothing but sugary treats. I need protein and veggies. Also check out Tommy Davidson's new memoire "Living In Color" and Marc Maron's newest Netflix Special "End Times Fun" on Netflix. I have nothing to do with either, just know they're good entertainment. My talented wife, filmmaker Jeannette Godoy, and I saw Maron live prepping the spec...

As Director, Cinematographer or often both, Mark Kohl has delivered over 2000 commercials to hundreds of agencies and clients such as McDonald's, Honda, Ford, AT&T, Pizza Hut, Carnival Cruise Lines and Dick's Sporting Good's. But he takes the most pride in knowing he is serving his clients, one at a time. Mark and I shot a Michigan Lottery spot together and became instant friends, aligned in attit...

Super Bowl LIV seems a distant past a few weeks later, that's because the shelf life of a spot has diminished with our ever-growing appetite for content. I typically record live, but we shot back to back, so I'm playing catch up. Here's the Ads of the World list. Brand Ambassadors still abound, and I stumbled upon one by casting from Netflix's "Cheer" squad and a little dumb luck.  Congrats to all...

Filmmaker Rachel Harms ' deft hand as a storyteller and her extraordinary communication skills with adult and child actors have enhanced her international profile and placed her in demand for spot work worldwide. A four-time Emmy Award winner for her original Sesame Street films, Harms brings the same soulful, humanistic approach to her work as a commercial director. Whether the content is serious...

Gaffer Craig "Burnie" Burns is also an Owner at On Set Lighting , Producer and Host of Applebox Network and such a giver of knowledge. His videos and live-streams are a free film school, so I urge you to check out his links. More at www.jordanbrady.com folks. I discovered Burnie on LinkedIn, where he frequently posts deep knowledge nuggets. We share stories, laughs and a common joy in giving back....

Comedy Director Jared Lapidus went straight from the prestigious NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, to directing content for major networks, studios, and lots of cool ad agencies. Too many accolades, celebrities and brands to list here, so click here to see the work. Jared is also half of the sketch comedy group, Reverse Cowboys . I learned about the commonalities and differences from the many creati...

My friend and collaborator Adam Elder of Visual Effects and Finishing house Spiffy drops by to tell us how effects enhance spots in ways we never see. Other assignments are more obvious, obviously. You'll learn a lot of how that process flows. Check out Spiffy's showreel . Please share these with filmmaker friends and hit me up with topics to chat about.  Thanks, Jordan This is 52 minutes. Commerc...

These are the top ten most popular episodes of Respect The Process of the last three years. Fun fact: Our counter lost data from 2013 to 2016 but still great episodes online. We're here, on iTunes, Spotify and everywhere, but I'm using links from www.jordanbrady.com so you can see the associated clips, spots and videos with my micro blog. 10. Ramaa Mosley. https://jordanbrady.com/2018/07/05/filmma...

Richard "RB" Botto is a producer, screenwriter, actor and author of the book, "Crowdsourcing For FIlmmakers." He is also the Founder of Stage 32 , a social network for filmmakers and creators or all kinds. We talk about taking charge of your career, the difference between crowdsourcing and crowdfunding and why he bothered to start a social network. You'll glean that we quickly hit it off, and I ur...

If I've planned my shoot well and communicated with the team properly, I only need my storyboards on set. They're covered with scribbled jokes, notes and alternate lines I want to try. On set, I'll magically think of the ad-libs I've written. By planning, it allows for the on-set magic to flourish. So, yes I go to work with a simple piece of paper in my pocket. Printed, not on the phone. Go see "Q...

My friend Andrew Young , comedian, podcaster and former U.S. Army Reconnaissance Specialist, has launched The Warrior Workout Network to combat the suicide and obesity epidemics that plague the veteran communities. Andrew shares his journey of depression and obesity, and then how, with the help of his family and friends, turned his life around. Check out Warrior Workout Network , consider sponsori...

Commercial director Jeremy Warshaw has an uncanny ability to read people and get them to reveal themselves in ways that are surprising and deeply moving. It is Jeremy's quality of empathy that is at the root of the trust between subject and interviewer. This is one of my favorite podcasts, because I learned so much about directing real folks from our chat. We talk client-direct work, agency politi...

While scouting or showing the agency my location selects, I've been using my iPad Pro and poorly drawn stick figures to effectively communicate. What are your tricks and treats? Our first ever Filmmakers' Sunday Mixer will be January 19th from 10am to Noon, we're gonna talk all things practical pitch, prep, production and post... and hold a Q&A. FREE to all current and alumni Bootcamp Filmmakers....

Margaret Knight was my line producer this summer, and things could not have gone better. She came highly recommended and plugged me into her stellar crew of local filmmakers. She's produced literally hundreds of commercials. We talk about safety, prep, beating the heat and more. Visit jordanbrady.com for the spots. Thank you, Jordan Commercial Directing Bootcamp is January 18th, 2020 and will make...

Filmmaker Alrik Bursell has a fun Seed & Spark campaign running for his indie feature "the Alternate" and he's almost funded! Alrik also hosts a fantastic podcast called, Making Movies Is Hard. We talk about some best practices and why he chose Seed & Spark over GoFundMe, Kickstarter and the like. Alrik is a big believer in casting diversely and getting more people who don't look like him in front...

I was fortunate to shoot with GSD&M Group Creative Director Bill Bayne & his partner, GCD Bill Marceau, for two Hilton brands this summer. Which meant free, yummy breakfast every morning, lobby happy hours, and great creative concepts. We sat down the day after our shoot to talk about how the agency collaborates within its walls, what he looks for in a filmmaker, and the rise of in-house productio...

Just me babbling after belting out three treatments for three different projects. Yes, I am fortunate to have such opportunities. But I often wonder why the skill set of making a glossy PDF is needed. I do like that the process of writing forces me to be economical with the storytelling. What do you think? thanks, Jordan This episode is under 8 minutes. Oso Delicious Hot Sauce is for #flavorseeker...

Former W+K Creatives Andrew Dickson & Aaron James  have launched Mt. Freelance to teach you how to thrive as a freelancer in any creative business. Especially a career in advertising. Enjoy, Jordan This episode is 54 minutes. Consider sharing our podcast with a friend and rating us on iTunes. Next Saturday's Bootcamp is sold out. Sign up now for  Commercial Directing Bootcamp is January 18th, 2020...

Gregory JM Kasunich is an award winning filmmaker and commercial director, helming campaigns and short form content, for brands such as Disney, Lucasfilm, General Mills, DirectTV, Mattel, iHeartRadio and wait for it... Taylor Swift. Gregory's work is visually stylized, musically and rhythmically driven, often times incorporating elements of animation, choreography, and highly technical camera work...

Larry Niemi was my 1st Assistant Director on fun shoot over the summer. The challenges were time and money, as usual. It was also 110 degrees fahrenheit and we shot outside all day. Larry breaks down the 1st AD's allegiance to the Director and Producer and how he is the gatekeeper of safety. Thanks, Jordan This episode is 40 minutes of knowledge. Thank you to our sponsor  Oso Delicious  Hot Sauce,...

Will Chau is the Global Creative Director at Whole Foods Market , where he oversees the creative output on all brand communications and design. Previously, he was a Creative Director at GSD&M, in Austin. Will and RTP alumni Chuck Meehan gave me my first extended commercial campaign two decades ago, for Kia. Will has created award-winning work for clients such as BMW, Southwest Airlines, Kia Motors...