Respect The Process

Tom Lowe is an experienced line producer who produced a few of my epic Dodge spots for the Doner Agency this summer. Naturally, we chat about the creative problem solving the line producer brings to the shoot. His advice to new directors is invaluable. The first half of this engaging, tech-filled interview, we focus on […]

Comedian Steve Hofstetter produces a stand-up comedy show for FOX. The show is called “Laughs” and it airs Saturday nights. Steve is busy fulfilling his order for the series. Bravo, I say. I met Steve through director/producer Dane Hanson and marveled at how they’re pulling the show together. Here’s the extended promo for the show […]

Judd Minter is one of my buddies off set. On set, he’s an attentive, detailed-oriented hair & make up artist at the top of his game. He has an acute awareness of not just the “looks” of the characters he creates, but also of the days’ schedule and comedic tone of the commercial we are […]

Director Michael Patrick Jann brilliantly draws an analogy between directing and the art of ancient Chinese calligraphy. This is a must-listen episode. Michael knows comedy. Straight from film school to directing MTV’s “The State”, then onto “Reno 911″ and countless commercials, he’s been directing the funny non-stop for 15 years. Today, Michael is an accomplished […]

We stray from spot-making, but you’ll love my chat with Kris Tinkle. He’s hilarious and was determined to put out another comedy CD of all-new material. And I got to help, respecting the process of great recording and well-honed material. Click to get the album on iTunes: “Kris Tinkle: Maybe I Don’t Feel Like Smiling.” […]

The Perlorian Brothers make comedy spots that I wish I’d made. Admittedly, I was giddy interviewing the dynamic directing duo from the Great White North, because I’ve held them in such high regard since I began, and because Canadians are genetically funnier than most. Ian Letts and Michael Gelfand sat down with me at the […]

Director Steven Feinartz and I met as he was putting the finishing touches on his documentary about comedian Eddie Pepitone called “The Bitter Buddha”. It’s a great character study of a funny man on his own journey. Steven recently shot Eddie’s stand-up special for Netflix, so I wanted to hear how that was different from […]

Visual storytelling requires a discerning eye and a strong point of view. My guest has that and more. I sat down with Director Graeme Joyce, whose work I’ve admired for a while now. Naturally, we talk about treatments and the state of the spot business. Graeme also gives us his two cents on why directors […]

Creative freedom feels so good. By self-distributing my new comedy documentary “I Am Road Comic” directly to fans for $5, I’m showing the world an unfettered work. This episode is just me rambling about my grass roots strategy, and being very transparent with how the money flows. The last ten days I’ve been connecting – […]

Sugar.tv’s Director Chris Smith is a happy commercial director. Like myself, he loves the medium, the process and has built lasting relationships that trust him beyond compare. We chat about conference calls, spec spots, post vfx (warning: gets very geeky and I love it!). Chris believes knowing the tools make you a better director, but […]

Matt Miller is a master at weaving the aural layers in our commercials and often composes original music for them too. Sound design, mixing and finding the right music are the most subjective arenas in all of advertising and Matt is one of the best. He also crafted the stellar mix for my new documentary […]

Mike Leary is one of the most buttoned-up agency producers I’ve had the pleasure of working with. But just what the heck does an agency producer do? For starters, the agency producer guides the matchmaking process, helping the agency creative team find the right director for their project, thus making this a must-listen episode for […]

If you’re thinking about ad agency life, you need to hear this chat. Top creative Bart Cleveland cherishes seeing people succeed. Bart has always mentored his creative teams, and now he’s founded Job Propulsion Laboratory to help people entering advertising plan and manage a successful career. Oh, we also discuss that the perfect commercial is […]

I’m a huge Bobcat Goldthwait fan for decades. First as a comedian, then as a writer/director. His diverse directorial gigs defy classification. Besides his own films, he directs “Maron”, numerous stand-up specials, helmed many a “Chappelle’s Show” sketch and hundreds of nights of “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, a multi-camera show. This is a great episode to […]

DP Afshin Shahidi toured Europe with Prince. In fact, one of Afshin’s first gigs in film was a music video for his Purple Badness. Turns out, we have several mutual friends (not just Prince) that he’s shot with, so it was fun to meet via the podcast. His work speaks for itself, but we sat […]

Brett Wagner’s short drama “Care” is a film festival fav, recently winning “Best Drama” at LA Shorts Fest. I first met Brett five years ago when it was called the LA International Short Film Festival, and his magnificent film “Chief” won Best Dramatic Short as well. He’s been steadily gobbling up awards ever since. Brett […]

Australia’s Aaron McCann is a filmmaker I discovered at a recent industry showcase held by the nice folks at SourceEcreative. He (along with his sometimes partner Henry Inglis) writes, directs and often stars in some of the funniest stuff I’ve ever seen. I wanted to know what it’s like directing down under, so Aaron granted […]

Helen is sick, and I am traveling to the World Premiere of my new documentary film “I AM ROAD COMIC”, so here’s a happy track by my son Benz and Jamir “Croosh” Malik. It’s called “We’re Normal” off their “Mooky Island” mixtape. You can download it for free here. Jamir scored original music for my […]

Video Village is where the ad agency and client watch the monitor while enjoying fresh ginseng smoothies. It’s also one of the nerve centers of creativity on set. I had a quick chat with VTR Operator Matt Wallace about the dynamics of the video village. Matt was great to work with and always had his […]

This episode is like a Master Class for any director that aspires to shoot commercials for a living. Jeffrey Fleisig and I met while we were both on the roster at Über Content, and we instantly hit it off as friends. Professionally, I admire the subtle performances he delivers and his keen talent for crafting […]

Fathering five daughters inspired this week’s guest, advertising guru Kevin Sutton, to write a book, “Dear Midol: Essays from Estrogen Hell”. It’s a hilarious collection of short stories, all based in truth & good parenting. Kevin is a pal and now the Executive Creative Director at Moroch Partners, a fine advertising agency. We chat about […]

I’m off to NYC for a secret screening of my new film “I AM ROAD COMIC”, so this is a quickie podcast of me rambling about the benefits of shooting on a stage versus a location. And of course vice versa. Just one man’s opinions, but I hope it can help inspire you. If you’re […]

At age 8, second generation ad wizard Ian Barry pitched his first advertising campaign, now he’s Senior VP/Executive Creative Director at Cramer Krasselt Phoenix. We chat about how his agency chooses directors, swap stories from the trenches and he explains what a “chemistry meeting” is. After nine years and dozens of spots with this funny […]

Do actors really need to wear the same outfit to the callback as their first audition? How much should you fawn over the director? Hey agency folks, why did you call everyone back? Casting is always crucial, so working with a deft casting director is a must. Danielle Eskinazi is one of the best. She […]

Andy Baker is SVP/Group Creative Director for the National Geographic Channels. Technically, he’s the client. He runs an in-house staff of highly creative people, so he’s also the agency. As a hands-on filmmaker, Andy shouts his mantra of collaboration from the mountain top. His must-read blog, the client blog offers insights for all. Listen as […]