Tom Morris and Carlyn Hudson are back talking about their passion projects. In episode 493, you might remember Carlyn was just about to start shooting and Tom was about to shoot a feature starring his family of five kids. So Matt and Oren chat them up about where they are, what they learned, and how they balanced being working commercial directors with the demands of independent projects.

It starts with a discussion about style – what are the three words that define your style as a director? And Carlyn and Tom share with Matt and Oren the frustration of balancing bias and the need to convey a situation or story in a quick and culturally relevant way.

It’s different in a commercial than in a film. Why? Because there’s more time to tell the story when it’s what people came to watch, like a film or a TV show. But ads have to land quickly.

Commercials, though still very creative and directing them is an art in itself, aren’t what people come to watch. Like, no normal person decides to watch 20 commercials for entertainment. There’s no “20 commercials and chill”.

Taking notes is also much different. And Matt shares a story of vulnerability. And how that can feel challenging when your everyday life is directing work that someone else created. You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re looking to articulate your style as a commercial director, or developing your skills as an indie-filmmaker.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Plant a tree. Also, passion fruit vines.

Oren's Endorsement: Try to present your edits to clients. And show the cut twice before asking for feedback.

Carlyn's Endorsement: "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35298123

Tom's Endorsement: India's Tandoori in Burbank, CA on San Fernando Blvd.

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Mike Davidson, Head of Production at Callen https://thisiscallen.com/, joins Matt and Oren. After years with agencies like Leo Burnett, Wieden+Kennedy, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, and PXP, Mike is happy to be in a role that’s more production-focused while still being client-engaged.

And Matt and Oren chat about his journey from the digital, interactive, and web design side of creative to the TV commercial and production world. And he shares some unique insights that helped him level up as campaigns underwent a transformation to integrated and 360.

For Mike, choosing directors is about finding the right talent who can see the ad's strategic direction, the client’s purpose, as well as how the insanity of the idea is best suited to make things work. And he shares a producer’s perspective on choosing the right person for the directing job. And he describes the often necessary triple bid process, and why it works and sometimes doesn’t.

But Matt and Oren probe Mike on what a producer looks for in a reel. And Mike shares some key insights into what, unfortunately, may be making you appear generic. And it all leads to a fascinating conversation about AI, and how Callen uses AI and LLMs to make their bids more effective while still keeping creative solely the output of a human head.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: "BlackBerry" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21867434/ currently on Netflix.

Oren's Endorsement: "Margo's Got Money Troubles" on Apple TV

Mike's Endorsement: "Patriot", the series on Amazon Prime

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Matt and Oren layout their template for vibe checks. You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re dying to know how to make yourself standout. And you’ll learn ways you can be seen as the best director to pull things off. Without sounding like you have all the answers. And without appearing too desperate for work!

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Find a cool indie movie theater when travelling. Watermelon popsicles from Johnny Pops

Oren's Endorsement: "The Hacks" episode of the Script Notes podcast mentions how a writing duo can find their way into the scene. And they talk about competency-porn, when you see an actor do their job really well.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.