Creatives Offscript: Recent Episodes
Nate Watkin
We're pulling back the curtain on the industry's leading creatives - from film directors to creative directors to CMOs and more - to learn how they did it. No bull interviews and inspiration on how to grow your career, pull off the shot, or come up with the next big thing.
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:14 Mitch's Unique Journey into the Creative Industry
00:42 From ROTC to Creative Space: A Personal Story
03:54 The Big Break: Meeting Prince and Changing Trajectories
05:37 Working with Prince: Insights and Experiences
09:53 The Entrepreneurial Leap: Starting a Production Company
14:55 The Evolution of a Creative Career: From Entrepreneur to Intrapreneur
18:45 Inside Sibling's Creative Process: Collaboration and Innovation
21:57 The Power of In-Person Workshops and Client Engagement
35:46 Adapting Processes and Tooling for Client Success
38:52 Career Reflections and Advice
00:00 Intro
00:38 Diving into Dustin's Filmmaking Journey
03:17 The Birth of Vagrants: From Concept to Reality
10:33 Navigating the World of Original Content and Brand Collaborations
17:04 Inside the Creative Process: Balancing Directing and Entrepreneurship
19:39 A Deep Dive into Producing Content: The Rhode Island Tourism Board Project
26:01 Exploring Production Company Partnerships
26:42 The Organic Growth and Vision of Pennant and Vagrants
27:35 Specializing in Different Parts of the Funnel: A Strategic Move
31:36 The Power of Saying No and Choosing Projects Wisely
34:43 The Evolution of Production Companies and Niche Specialization
37:12 Embracing Generative AI in the Content Industry
45:10 Behind the Scenes: Producing a One-Take Robot Dog Commercial
50:27 Reflections and Future Collaborations
David Weinstein is the former VP of Production at Complex and Buzzfeed, where he oversaw production for a multitude of original content properties, and helped shepherd the media company giant through COVID and the transition to cloud based workflows.David is now taking on his next challenge at Pro League Network, where he'll be spearheading content strategy for untapped and emerging sports verticals.In this episode David tells us his career path into production leadership roles, and gives us an in-depth breakdown of his workflow and tools for managing a large content pipeline.
Dmitry Shamis is the Global Head of Creative for Hubspot. Dmitry started his career working in the mail room at Paradigm, and ended up as the creative leader for Hubspot, where he transformed a small service based group into an in-house agency with over 140 employees.In this episode, Dmitry walks us through his framework for scaling creative operations at an in-house agency.
Hannah Levy has written and directed Saturday Night Live sketches for the likes of Billie Eilish, John Mulaney and Kim Kardashian. She is now repped by Tool of North America and has her first film in development with Paramount.In this episode Hannah tells us the story of getting signed to direct at SNL, and takes us through their warp speed creative development and production processes that happens like clockwork every single week. She also tells us the tools and techniques she personally uses to visualize and direct her material.
Rajan Patel is the President and Executive Producer at Framework, one of Hollywood's top entertainment marketing companies with a client list that reads like a who's who at the Oscars - names like Disney, HBO, Marvel, Netflix and many more.In this episode we talk about Rajan's humble beginnings working in his parents motels, how he moved to Los Angeles and found his way into entertainment, and tactical advice on running a production company, building a culture, and developing yourself as a leader.
Cedric Devitt is the Chief Creative Officer at Big Spaceship, a New York based independent agency with a client list that includes JetBlue, Starbucks and Google. Cedric is an industry veteran whose accolades include helming MRY as social media agency of the year, and also founding the US Air Guitar Championships.In this episode, we talk about the importance of resiliency as a creative thinker, finding the magic in the room through reduction and the necessity of fusing brand and product.
Pete Sena is a serial entrepreneur, futurist, investor and CEO coach. Amongst his many initiatives, he is the founder of Digital Surgeons, a brand experience design consultancy, and also runs the co-working space District, a founder community, podcast and much more.Pete is a firm believer in being forward obsessed, and constantly learning new technologies to position yourself for success. In this episode we talk about opportunities to start businesses in AI, the importance of community in the next ten years, and some one-on-one consulting for yours truly.
Tristan Irving is a Portland based street artist made famous by his striking paintings of historical figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo and George Floyd. The latter was featured prominently during the protests and led to him being honored by the Portland Mayor's Office.
In this interview we talk about his struggle with alcoholism, the impact Dan Wieden had on his life, and how one of his mentors inspired him to believe in himself as an artist.
Iain S. Thomas is a #1 bestselling author, poet and AI evangelist. His latest book "What Makes Us Human" uses GPT-3 artificial intelligence to answer some of humanity's greatest questions. He also works as Group Creative Director at VICE's in-house agency VIRTUE, where he helped launch the Cannes Grand Prix winning campaign "Backup Ukraine".
In this interview, we talk about the tragic inspiration behind Iain's latest book, the philosophical questions surrounding AI, and a glimpse into what the future of co-creation with artificial intelligence will look like.
Joel Pilger is a former studio owner and now global consultant for REVthink, where he helps top creative companies unlock their potential through strategic positioning, pricing and operations. In this episode, we talk about his experiences running and selling a creative studio, how to deliver a memorable client experience, and why he believes in getting rid of the line item bid forever.
Patrick Holly is the Executive Creative Director at Upwork, where he leads a global team comprised of 80% freelancers to deliver Upwork's vision for the future of work. In this interview we discuss his experiences launching a content platform with Steph Curry, understanding a brand's storytelling potential and, of course, what the future of work looks like for the creative industry.
Azsa West is the Executive Creative Director at Anomaly, where she brings her multi-disciplined background of design, art, filmmaking and photography to lead their creative team. In this episode, we talk about her alternative education as part of the W+K 12; a "cult disguised as an experimental school" within Wieden+Kennedy's walls, as well as the inspiration behind her creative direction, art exhibits, screenwriting projects and filmmaking pursuits.
Davey Spens is the Creative Director of Entertainment at Stept Studios, where he leads a team to create category defining branded entertainment for their clients. In this interview, we discuss his background as a magazine entrepreneur, art director for Glass Animals, producer on Vice and much more, along with his vision for the future of branded entertainment.
Davis Priestly is the owner of Revery and producer extraordinaire, having touched almost every type of content and storytelling. Davis has produced everything from TV shows such as Project Runway, to feature films like Clementine, to branded and non-profit work for the likes of Nike, Pharrell Williams and more. In this episode, Davis takes us through his journey of breaking into the film industry at age 13 and making a name for himself ever since.
Marni Beardsley is an advertising veteran, with 25 years of experience at Wieden+Kennedy leading and transforming their integrated art production team into a modern content powerhouse. She is now the Chief Production Officer at Swift and oversees their content team along with a 30,000 foot in-house production studio. In this episode she talks about life and lessons learned along the way in her exciting career.
Joel Kaplan is the Executive Creative Director and Partner at MUH-TAY-ZIK/HOF-FER, and has been behind award-winning campaigns for Netflix, Nike and Burger King, helped launch the iconic franchise Halo, and even directed films for Hulu.
In this episode we follow Joel's career path as he tells us about going from temp receptionist at an ad agency to partner at one of the most well known firms in the industry.
Dirk Van Ginkel is the Executive Creative Director at Jam3 and has been responsible for launching the Jam3 Amsterdam office. With a belief that the future is coming at us faster every day, Dirk and his team help brands create experiences on the bleeding edge of innovation. Listen as we discuss merging with MediaMonks, the future of AI, NFTs, community building and more.
Jay Russell is the Chief Creative Officer for GSD&M, the powerhouse Austin-based agency behind campaigns such as Popeye's Chicken Sandwich wars. Join us on this special episode live from the Cannes Lions as Jay teaches us about finding the tension in a campaign, learning to stand by your opinion, and running around the world (twice).
Lex Halaby is the Creative Director at Portal A, where he leads a team of writers, directors and designers to create content on the bleeding edge of innovation. With a passion for XR, he pushes the boundaries of VR, AR and MR to re-imagine what's possible. Learn about about his family's journey immigrating from Palestine, to becoming a professional film director, to leading creative for Portal A in this interview.
Erin Goodsell is the Head of Production for Mother, AdAge's winner of International Agency of the Year. With experience as a producer for Wieden+Kennedy, 72andSunny and Deutsch, Erin tells us her story of paving a career path in the production industry.
Brig is a commercial director and photographer for Tool of North America, a TEDx speaker, and winner of 11 Cannes Lions including the Top Young Director in 2015.
In this interview, hear about how he risked his life savings to break into the world of directing and how he crafted his unique style from his background in art and design.
Aaron Duffy was named the #1 Most Creative Person by Business Insider and has landed on similar lists for AdWeek and CreativityOnline. As a creative director, director and co-founder of New York based creative agency SpecialGuest, he’s stacked up multiple Cannes Lions and even a spot in MoMa with groundbreaking work for Google, Facebook, Spotify and more. In this episode, learn about how he used his influences in sculpting and the natural world to define his signature creative style.
Ian Pons Jewell is a luminary in the commercial directing world, being voted the #1 commercial director globally by industry producers for the second year in a row. He has directed spots for Apple, Oculus, XBOX, Jack Daniels and many more. In this episode, learn about his rapid ascent to the top of the commercial directing industry, and he he developed his unique surrealistic style.
Ryan Connolly is a film director and owner of Film Riot, a YouTube channel about filmmaking with over 1.8 million subscribers. Ryan paved his way into a Hollywood directing career by launching this weekly filmmaking show taking viewers behind the scenes as he learned the ropes of film directing. In this episode, Ryan talks about his journey, self-producing and directing 18 short films, and how he signed with a manager that opened doors into Hollywood.
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Matt Alonzo is one of hip hop's most renowned music video directors, having directed work for the likes of Lil Wayne, The Game, Justin Bieber, Chris Brown and many more. In this interview we talk about how he cracked into the music video industry in Los Angeles, his search for a mentor in the early days, and how he's translated his success into artist development, music management and more.
James Gregson is the Head of Social Studio at LEGO's internal creative agency. In this episode, James talks about how he first started in advertising and details his experience transitioning from starting his own branding agency to working at LEGO. He also dives into the ins-and-outs of his current role at LEGO, shares insight into how he balances family and work, and provides valuable advice for those looking to break into the industry.
Daniel McCarthy is the CEO & Founder of Musicbed and Filmsupply, the premier music and stock footage licensing platforms for the creative industry. In this episode, Daniel tells us about how he risked it all to go from agency owner to tech entrepreneur, and changed an entire industry along the way.
Ali Brown is the President of Prettybird, an award winning production company with trophies from the Cannes Lions, One Show, Clio Awards and more. Ali has also produced the award winning Sundance film Possibilia, served as the AICP/West President and presided over the Young Director's Award Jury in Cannes 2018. But her journey to the top didn't come without it's fair share of struggles. In this episode, Ali tells us about her humble beginnings in the industry, the life changing accident that turned her world upside down, and how she outworked everyone on her path to success.
Olivier Koelemij is the Founder and Managing Director of MediaMonks Los Angeles. Under his leadership, the Los Angeles team has grown to over 125 “Monks” in less than 5 years, acquired multiple companies, and built out a beautiful studio space on Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach. An entrepreneur from the start, Olivier transitioned both his career and his hometown when he moved to the US from his native Netherlands eight years ago. Since then, he’s contributed greatly to MediaMonks’ global presence as one of the largest production companies in the world with over 2,500 employees across 40 locations and 29 countries. On this episode we talk about life changes, leadership and the MediaMonks philosophy for producing content.
Carolyn Tisch Blodgett is the former Global Head of Marketing for Peloton, the cycling company that has revolutionized at-home fitness. In this episode, Carolyn gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like scaling Peloton from their humble beginnings in a WeWork office to a global, publicly traded company. She also dishes on creating the aspirational brand identity for Peloton, and gives us an honest account on the difficulties behind balancing motherhood and running a rapidly growing company.
Margaret Johnson is the Chief Creative Officer at Goodby Silverstein & Partners, one of the foremost advertising agencies in the US, and also serves on the board of the One Show and Facebook’s Creative Council. But it didn't come easy. As an aspiring creative straight out of school, Margaret did everything but go through the motions. She knew that in order to find success, she had to be willing to put in the work - even if that meant cold calling fifty different advertising agencies. Margaret walks us through her journey to success, and also dives into other topics including Goodby cultural rituals and the future of remote work.