Respect The Process

Mark Nickelsburg made a great short film, "Harry Grows Up" and we chat about how he did it. Originally part of last week's interview, the tapes were lost for weeks. Here's that conversation. Buy your tickets now for my live web presentation February 10th at 6pm West Coast, "Confessions of a Commercial Filmmaker"  on StageIt.com now. It's an intro to commercial filmmaking with my live Q&A. It will...

Mark Nickelsburg  shall forever live in my heart for dubbing “Respect The Process with Jordan Brady” as the “Rosetta Stone of Filmmaking.” Got to love that. More importantly, Mark has successfully transitioned from the editor’s chair to the director’s monitor. What are benefits and surprises on set, after years of editorial wisdom? I think it’s very interesting path, and thanks Mark. We both had s...

The last of my mini-podcast trilogy, here are three secret tips that I believe will make you a better filmmaker. Certainly a smarter, more effective director of commercials. If you're in any leaderhsip position, I imagine that these tips apply to your gig too.  Let me know. Oh, and please share the podcast with a loved one who might care. Thank you, Jordan

As I am prepping a shoot, I had to make this one short and sweet. But it's not the size of the podcast, but the punch it packs. These are my Top 5 things to do when making a spec commercial. If you're trying to break into the game of commercial filmmaking, you want to heed my sage-like words. This epidode is a short 4 minutes. Please do rate us on iTunes.  Thanks, Jordan

Happy New Year, Okay. Now let's make some plans to make some fun stuff. A short film? Feature? Finish that script? A new spec commercial for the reel? Whatever personal project you want to do, first you must set a date and write that date down in your calendar.  There are many great filmmaking podcasts and blogs that you probably know. So here are a few links I use that inspire me to get stuff don...

Mr. Larry Jordan is the one person that has always been there for me, to answer every production question. His 35 years plus of experience are readily found whenever you google a question about directing, editing, shooting, lighting, audio, and his courses cover the gamut of production, post and theory. Please check them out if you're serious about upping your game. His podcast " 2 Reel Guys " is...

Who's lap is your kid sitting on? "I Am Santa Claus" is a wonderful documentary that answers that very question. From an queenly bear Santa, to WWE Champion wrestler Mick Foley, Santa's come from varied backgrounds. My chat with Director/Producer Tommy Avallone is like two old friends gabbing about filmmaking, despite having just met online. We discuss research, how to choose who to follow, fundin...

Doug Lussenhop is an editor, writer, performer and hip hop sensation. He cut his teeth editing shorts, tv shows and feature films for Tim & Eric (aka Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim), Portlandia, and Funny or Die. Along with Tim & Eric, plus movie star John C. Reilly, Doug toured this summer with a live show, and it was an absurdist's wet dream.   Doug and I chat about odd timing, developing his o...

Playwright, comedian, writer, producer. Scott Carter is all of those things plus Executive Producer of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher". He's also one of the smartest guys I've ever hung out with. A great storyteller, he mixes fun facts into his tales, and delivers them in a riveting fashion. You'll love this peek behind the curtain of one of my favorite shows. Big thanks to Michael Addis for int...

"Remote Area Medical" is a compassionate documentary about Americans in need of help.  Watch the trailer and you can see how filmmakers Jeff and Farihah treat their subjects with such dignity and respect.     During a three-day clinic held at Tennessee's Bristol Motor Speedway, some of the country’s sickest individuals finally received free health care from an all-volunteer force of doctors, denti...

I met Radu Olievschi, a wonderful agency producer at Saacthi & Saatchi NYC, this summer and was intrigued with not just his journey to America, but his immense passion for filmmaking. Growing up in communist Romania did not lend itself to to becoming a filmmaker, let alone a producer at an ad agency (especially unlikely since the one hour of State-run tv had no advertising), but Radu knew early on...

Moments after we wrapped on Friday, I grabbed Drew Wright and Nick Marine for a mini-interview. Both are Associate Creative Directors at Doner Detroit. They're a newly conjoined creative team, and it's already crystal clear that it's a great fit, given the way they crank out quality scripts that sell. I'm grateful for their oddball minds as well as their friendship.   Please help comedian Margaret...

I got to edit with  Tessa Davis  earlier this year at Cosmo Street, and she had all the best takes picked out & finessed into a perfect cut, long before I could park the car. Editors have expressed the shortened turnaround time and she explains how she's adapted.  And after all the versions, which one ends up on air? You may be surprised. We also chat about the Glamour Magazine short films done by...

The Production Designer runs the Art Department, and is responsible for fabricating the Director's dream into a physical world to be filmed. Top Production Designer  Evan Rohde  does this magically, and it's a privilege to work with him. We chat right after wrapping a long day. He explains his dual roles as both a creative collaborator and fiscally responsible department head. I marvel at Evan's c...

Part two of my enlightening conversation with production genius Ron Hacohen. Why is it harder to break into directing if your female or a minority? Ron explains he's actually a "production consultant". He strives to inform clients of the process, because of the increased efficiencies. We end the talk with his advice for people breaking into commercial directing. Today, Ron is a Brand Executive Pro...

Ron Hacohen taught me how to be a commercial director, back when he was my Executive Producer at HKM productions, and his Bravo Zulu. Besides being one of the funniest people I know, he’s extremely production savvy, having risen through the ranks of production to run his own shop. He’s a former President of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers’ prestigious West Coast chapter, and wh...

How the multi-talented Jeannette Godoy came to spot directing is quite a fascinating tale. She's worked on set as a choreographer, a wardrobe stylist, a production designer and even a dialect coach. Then she turned her talents to directing, and was shortlisted at Cannes as "Best New Director" and plucked for Shoot's New Director Showcase for her very first spot. Jeannette brings a warmth and human...

Michelle Eskin, partner and Managing Director Cut + Run LA, has built a creative oasis in Santa Monica. We chat about the importance of setting the tone for doing great work. Despite how the editorial business has changed, she and her editors, effects artists and staff remain cheerful and positive.  It's a real treat to edit there. Young editors listen up.

Truly one of the great comedy minds of our time, director Adam McKay has now used his powers for the betterment of mankind. He's created a magical land inhabited by multi-colored Alpacas who love lollipops and rainbows, to teach us about the growing divide in wealth distribution. It's called "The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas". Just one of 20 short films for Morgan Spurlock's  "We The Economy"  proje...

Composer Andrew Feltenstein and his partner John Nau run Beacon Street Studios. They scored hundred of award winning commercials. They now do a lot for Funny Or Die, including their Emmy® nominated songs for "The Spoils of Babylon". They support he movie by not being funny. Rather they respect the script and play it straight. Making great music allwos Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Judd Apatow to sp...

Michael Koman is Co-Creator along with star Nathan Fielder of the Comedy Central hit show "Nathan For You". If you loved the "Dumb Starbucks" episode as much as the world did, you'll want to listen. Guest interviewer Michael Addis, a former guest of the podcast himself (January 2013) probes Mr. Koman to find out what a shworunner does.

Writer/Director  Theodore Melfi  has been making commercials and indie films for a decade. So when he nabbed Bill Murray for the starring role of his script, he was more than ready to deliver. Listen to this great casting tale, his hanging with Jack Nicholson, and how his real life inspired his script that he hand-wrote in four weeks. I’ve known Theodore since he started directing, and he’s as gen...

As a director, I’m hired by advertising agencies of all sizes. Some are huge, part of a global conglomerate, while others are nimble shoppes, but equally as creative. The big agencies are always in the trades, pitching and winning even bigger clients. But I wondered how these smaller agencies got their work. So I traveled […]

Hear why David Fincher, J.J. Abrahms and myself use Green Screen Animals. Simple: Mark Shockley and his animal-loving crew shoot all kinds of creatures on green screen, and then license the footage to you. Best of all, they treat the beasts like the divas that they are. Mark only works with trainers and handlers that […]

For decades, the inspired and hilarious short films of Saturday Night Live have been the highlight of show. So what a treat to talk with Adam Epstein, the SNL film unit editor that pulls it all together, literally overnight. We chat about workflow, turnaround, teamwork and the amazing talent both in front of and behind […]