Respect The Process

Steve Chavez, Chief Creative Officer Leo Burnett Detroit, believes that when you focus on the work, the awards and accolades will follow. Talk about respecting the process. We chat about tighter deadlines, fully developing the idea and what he looks for in hiring a director. And so much more. I've shot with Steve before and got the work with him and his team this year for the United Way. I've post...

Writer/Director/Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait returns to the podcast with legendary Boston comedian Barry Crimmins to talk about their beautiful, haunting and healing documentary "Call Me Lucky" .  The film opens August 7th and you need to see it.  We talk about their decades-long friendship and the responsibility Barry felt to speak out against child sexual abuse, after dealing with his being raped...

Today was extraordinarily heartfelt. I woke up in a funk. It happens. After 8 straight weeks of prep, shooting and working with editors, I caught that Post Shoot Depression. Then we took the train downtown to USC, home of this year's Special Olympics. The happiness I witnessed lifted my spirits. And seeing my wife's documentary play as a part of the events reminded me that as filmmakers, we have a...

I overheard Don Starnes  talking on the cellphone outside a Starbucks. Afterwards, I asked if he was in filmmaking, because he gave off that filmmaker's stench. We struck up a conversation, which made it a must to have Don on the show. This episode is heavy on cinema theory, the process, tech talk and gets as specific as what motivates a shot. My favorite rule is "all questions will be answered by...

One of my favorite Line Producers and people is Rick Cowan.  He's produced many spots that I've directed and he's always provided everything needed and more. He's one of the most knowledgable filmmakers out there, having made three feature films as well. Two of the them have made it to the Sundance Film Festival. Rick was there on set when I started using the term "Respect The Process" repeatedly,...

Filmmaker Steve Stockman  is a successful director, producer and now author. His show "Brew Dogs" is a hit on Esquire TV, he's shot a few hundred commercials, and wrote and directed the feature film "Two Weeks" starring Oscar winner Sally Fields. Steve stresses that we're working in a portfolio business, so he encourages filmmakers at all levels to get out and shoot. He breaks down a "How to" form...

Senior Producer James Introcaso and I sat down immediately after a successful shoot of our Nat Geo WILD promo for SharkFest. Not SharkWeek, that is totally different. Nat Geo's Sr. VP/Group Creative Director Andy Baker offers the companion piece to this episode over at Andy's The Client Blog , so be sure to check that out. James and I discuss collaboration, ad-libbing and the process of developing...

Adam Goldberg' s new film "No Way Jose"  is available July 7th on DVD and Digital HD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Just pre-order now, darn it! It's a very funny "coming of middle-age" film starring Adam Goldberg, who is one of my favorite actors and filmmakers. Adam co-wrote, directed and stars in this wonderful comedy. He also performs original songs and edited the movie. We chat about...

Filmmaker Dan Mirvish  makes great movies, and you've got just a few days left to support his latest film, "Bernard and Huey" . Click now here  to support Dan's Kickstarter, then come back and enjoy our talk. We chat about how they came to create Slamdance and the talented alumni of the festival (see: Tres Parker & Matt Stone, Jordan Brady, Christopher Nolan), how he resurrected an Oscar categ...

I've shot a few campaigns birthed by Aaron Cathey over the years. He's funny, prolific and a smart writer of adverting. He most recently won a Dannes Gold Lion  for his work on Hotels.com  while at Crispin Porter+Bogusky. Aaron is now back at one of my favorite agencies, Barkley.  Aaron and I indulge in enjoyable recollections of past gigs, and you'll love learning from the agency perspective how...

As a longtime Colin Quinn fan, an algorithm brought me to "Cop Show" , a funny behind the scenes spoof of a fake cop drama. Being hilarious and right up my comedy alley, I sought out the show's producer/director, Mr. J.D. Amato . J.D. and I kick off with some pre-interview tech talk, discuss comedic character traits and he explains his "passion over logic" theory. Great stuff.  I've posted a few "...

I'm offering my first Commercial Directing Bootcamp, September 13th in Los Angeles. Sign up at jordanbrady.com  and learn the secrets to build your career. This is not "film school" - it's far more specific. I've learned so much interviewing directors and creatives over the last 100 episodes, that I thought it was time to share the knowledge. After directing over 700 spots I've developed methods a...

I wanted this 100th episode to be extra special, and by golly is it. Billy Jones is one of the most sought after 1st AD's in commercials because of his excellent leadership, communication and knowledge of filmmaking. Billy, and those he's mentored, lead with a sense of serenity and control. The 1st Assistant Director schedules & executes the day in a way that helps the Director accomplish her visi...

Director Carolyn Chen  has shot hundreds of commercials, always delivering a strong emotion, supported by her stunning visuals. Ever-evolving, she's stayed relevant in a business that loves the flavor of the week. When I discovered her new production company, Production For The People, I had to chat with her. Carolyn has brought her vision, style and experience to the brave new world of Branded Co...

Cinematographer Jeanne Vienne is a longtime filmmaking partner. We've made literally dozens of commercials, two documentaries and traveled three continents together. I admire how she leads her crew with decisiveness and articulate instruction. Jeanne tells how she lights to protect the actors.  Of late, she's been shooting mouth-watering table top gigs, so we compare working with fruits and veggie...

Cinematographer Alex Jacobs may be the last director of photography I've ever met that learned while shooting actual 35mm film. A young man, he knows all the tricks of the DSLR revolution, but came up through the ranks with the discipline of the camera department. Ours was an arranged marriage on a promo shoot with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart, in which we had 35 minutes to shoot. Alex and I were k...

Obviously I like Grant Spanier  since he had me on his podcast, 10,000 Hours . Moreover, I like his unbridled enthusiasm, that get 'er done attitude and his collaborative nature. His music video for "Weightless" by the DJ known as  Vaski  (Grant directed with his pal Jake Woodbridge) shows his whimsy, while his design work sports the clean look I love. We chat about self-discipline, balancing a mu...

Y'all are going to love comedian Derek Gaines. Right before my interview with Morgan Spurlock, I got to chat with Derek, one of the stars or Mr. Spurlock's newest project "Connected"  - the awesome first-person filmed series for AOL.com for AOL Originals. Derek and I discuss stand-up comedy, how he got picked by AOL, MTV and his future dreams. Little did we realize how parallel our journey's are....

My special guest is the great documentarian Morgan Spurlock , who agreed to be on the show after I stalked him in a parking lot. His films influence the way we eat ("Super-Size Me"), look at marketing ("The Greatest Movie Ever Sold") and helped me appreciate One Direction ("This Is Us"). His CNN show "Inside Man" is a favorite of mine, and I can honestly tell you I've seen every movie he's made. W...

Director Joe Wladyka has an engaging film out called "Manos Sucias" . It's the suspenseful story of two Columbian brothers on a life or death drug run up the Columbian coast. The film is chalk full of social commentary on Afro-Columbian racism, extreme poverty, the inescapable drug trafficking and even brotherly love, but I love the film because it's a gripping story about how far people will go t...

I've known Craig Shoemaker for over 30 years. First as the popular touring comedian known globally as "The Lovemaster", and more recently as the producer of National Lampoon's "Totally Baked: A Potumentary". Craig's new mission is to spread the healing powers of laughter with a new documentary, "Laughter Heals."It started when his best friend, screenwriter Michael Goldberg ("Cool Runnings", "Snow...

My guest Joshua Salzberg  began as an apprentice in the editing room of the Adam McKay & Will Ferrell comedy "Step Brothers", where he learned the value of testing the laughs before going public. We chat about that process, employed with great success by Judd Apatow, Paul Feig and others, and how that has influenced making his own films. Josh is the editor of the Ferrel/McKay produced "Welcome To...

What a treat to talk with industry titan Kerry Graham at Bohan Advertising in Nashville. Kerry has shaped the agency's collaborative culture by literally ripping down walls and forcing integration so that all departments work together in blissful harmony. His advice to those starting out? More than just having a resumé, tell your story of your interests and passions. Be able to explain where you w...

While visiting Nashville, I chatted with Tom Gibney, Sr. VP/Director of Content Production at the Buntin Group. He's a well-respected industry veteran and a super nice guy. We discuss that while it's now called "content" - it's still telling stories for clients. Tom feels ultimately the digital tools have helped the filmmaking process, but not without a price. And Tom's loyalty to his Nashville fi...

I met Steve Belanger  when I was a guest on his podcast, The Gamut with Steve Belanger  on the Sideshow Network. A raconteur and funny guy, we've become friends. So when he asked me about making a short film on life's odd journey, I said "dont." It's rare I discourage people from filmmaking, but I knew Steve was mostly a funny performer at heart. What good would mounting a short film do for a busy...