Respect The Process

Life Is Wave Selection: James Beshara on Swadharma, Detachment, and Choosing the Right Work.

James Beshara is an angel investor, podcaster, philosopher, musician (see OPENSTATE_), founder of Magic Mind and friend. We explore how to choose the right opportunities,

Cinematographer Ben Brady's Journey from PA'ing on a Radiohead Video to Shooting National Spots.

Director/Cinematographer Ben Brady shares the experiences and lessons that shaped his career—from working on productions with Sacha Baron Cohen and shooting a Radiohead m

Ben Levy Says Pitch The Wow Before the How.

Ben Levy is a creative coach, author, and expert in helping people present ideas with clarity, confidence, and humanity. In our conversation, we explored his powerful pit

How Producer Tony Finley Built a Fairer Model for Directors and Crew.

I sat down with Tony Finley, founder of We Film Sh*t, for a candid conversation about the changing business of commercial production. We talked about why directors deserv

Comedy Director Michael Martin on Ego, Craft and Landing the Next Big Commercial.

Michael Martin and I discuss how commercial directors can stand out by developing a distinct point of view, taking creative risks, and making work that reflects their voi

Puppet Master Jamie Shannon on the Magic of Simple Puppets for Brands Work.

Legendary puppeter Jamie Shannon's approach to puppetry shows that the most memorable characters come from simplicity, intention, and a process that leaves room for both

Nott Bros. Return to Talk Repeat Clients, Better Commercials and Career Momentum.

Loved hanging out with Nathan Miller and Mark Danciger of the Nott Brothers - talking about what it really takes to make it as a director. We get into how they approach t

How PJ Koll's Timmy IO Turns Production Chaos into Real-Time Profit Data.

EP PJ Koll has spent years in production and founded Where the Buffalo Roam before building Timmy.io, a platform shaped by his experience with the chaos of managing creat

Wild Gravity's Jon Sneider on Hacking Advertising.

Jon Sneider, Founder of Wild Gravity, teaches us how his small, experienced teams can create better work faster than big, layered agencies. Jon shares lessons from advert

Beauty Commercial Director Jasmin Kuhn: Finding Your Voice.

In this conversation with beauty director Jasmin Kuhn, we dig into the path that helped shape her voice as a filmmaker—from her early exposure to visual storytelling to t

Pat Finn Would've Loved These Lovebirds with Tom Kenny & Jill Talley.

Just 15 minutes of me rambling about my caldron of feelings over fun, new work. Enjoy. My Filmmaker Retreat has 7 spots left so save your spot now! NEW COURSE - VIRTUAL

Shiouwen Hong & Nathan Freise Are Married Filmmakers Thriving Apart.

Explore the dynamic world of Shiouwen Hong and Nathan Freise, married filmmakers thriving on separate creative paths. Shiouwen focuses on impactful documentary projects,

Ikigai Plus and Your Filmmaker Voice = Reel plus Reputation.

After the last episode's babble, I dig into what it really means to "find your voice" as a filmmaker—especially in the commercial world. It isn't just a visual style, but

From 30-Foot Colons to CGI Critters: Staying Tool Agnostic as a Commercial Director.

Just me talking about staying tool agnostic as a commercial director—moving between live-action, CG, and AI without losing my point of view. I share recent job stories, h

Jonathan Del Gatto: Brand Films, Direct-to-Consumer & Creative Coaching.

Jonathan Del Gatto is a visionary filmmaker and creative coach, known for his transformative work in brand films and direct-to-consumer content. In this episode, Jonathan

Jonathan Del Gatto Nails Direct-to-Consumer and Creative Coaching

Jonathan Del Gatto is a visionary filmmaker and creative coach, known for his transformative work in brand films and direct-to-consumer content. In this episode, Jonathan

Happy Accidents and Hard Cuts: Inside Commercial Editor Gary Knight's Edit Suite.

Gary Knight is a legendary commercial editor and partner at Cut+Run whose work spans iconic spots for brands like Adidas, American Express, and Chase. In this episode, Ga

Our Editor's Picks: Jake Brady's Top 10 Filmmaker Conversations.

Happy birthday to Jake Brady, our show's editor. I asked him to choose his Top 10 recent episodes and here it is, in no particular order: director Courtney Marsh, directo

Scotty Bergstein Shares The Value of Embracing Change and Letting Go of Ego in Advertising

Creative Director/Director Scotty Bergstein has been revolutionizing the commercial production process by embracing integrated teams, trust-based collaboration, and cutti

Exploring Art and AI in Modern Media with Adam Witten.

Filmmaker Adam Witten, a seasoned expert in the filmmaking industry and partner in Smokin' Oakham, chats with me about the transformative impact of AI on creative process