Floyd Russ' Traditionalist Approach to Film
Two-time Emmy winner Floyd Russ focuses on telling stories that combine emotional truth with cinematic visuals. Russ has quickly established himself as a versatile and innovative director, with a keen eye for detail and a passion for pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling.
He’s directed work for brands like Nike, Apple, Google, and Gillette, and his commercials have won Titanium, Glass, and Film Lions, several Clios and AICP awards, and many others.
Russ’ stylistic biopic 'Zion' premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it was acquired by Netflix and shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Short Documentary and won two Emmys, the IDA, and a Grierson Award for best documentary short.
In 2021, Floyd’s first narrative feature film ‘Ayar’ premiered at SXSW and he directed the hit documentary ‘Malice’ at the Palace for Netflix, which launched the Untold series. In 2023, Netflix released ‘American Manhunt: Boston Marathon Bombing’, a three-part documentary series he directed and co-executive produced. With its high tension and sense of urgency, the series has presented a compelling narrative and secured a place on Netflix’s top 10 list in the first 10 days of release.
In 2025, he’s following it up with 'American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson', which will release on Netflix, and he’s currently working on a three-part Mike Tyson biopic for Netflix.
Now LA based, he’s also a proud father, avid soccer and basketball fan, and doesn’t like to sit still.
Name: Floyd Russ
Location: Based in Los Angeles
Repped by/in: Partizan, Landia, Tempomedia
Awards: Cannes Lions: Titanium, Glass, Gold PR, Silver Branded Entertainment, 2 x Bronze Film, YDA, Emmy Nominated for Best Commercial, Oscar Shortlisted for Best Short Documentary, 5 x AICP Winner, Multiple Clio Awards.
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Floyd> Any script that has a sense of growth, of journey, of transformation, so that the audience may go on an experience with the characters. Sometimes, that shift can be subtle on the page, but that’s what I like to bring out; that’s what audiences hang on to.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Floyd> It really depends on the tone of the script and the brand; some scripts call for a direct minimalist approach, no fluff, while others inspire more stylistic power. Either way, I always like to start with some visual research by going through my image database and seeing what new ideas jump out at me. After that, I start the writing. I studied writing, so I really believe in pushing a script to new heights, not just regurgitating what’s already there.
LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?
Floyd> I try not to get too hung up on the brand side of things; I always focus on the script and the creative aspect and try to see it from the audience's perspective instead.
WHY are people going to care about this ad when they see it? What will they feel? If there is a social context to an ad, like the marriage market or even the recent Nike China 'Year of the Mamba' ad I just did, I always do some cultural research before I start the writing.
That’s in my DNA as a documentary director, but also as a narrative director – you have to understand why characters are doing and feeling certain things, and that often comes from cultural context.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Floyd> I don’t think there’s one answer for this, but I’d have to say the relationship with the agency. It’s imperative the agency trusts the director's vision and empowers the director – without that, everything can become overly complicated and watered down very quickly.
Beyond that, I’d have to say the editor because we are given less and less time to execute a director’s cut before the editor takes over. It's vital to have a good relationship with the editor so they can continue to execute decisions that reflect the same vision as mine.
LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about - is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?
Floyd> I love anything that focuses on REALITY and exposes it for all the beautiful grit, sweat, and joy that fills our lives. There’s humility, comedy, beauty, and inspiration in that; that’s what I want to see more in advertising.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Floyd> That I’m a documentary director. I direct a lot of documentaries but to me, I’m just a storyteller, no matter what medium, it’s about the character’s journey that the audience gets to go on a ride with.
LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?
Floyd> Pretty sure they are on most brands now but I leave that to the EP and the HoP.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Floyd> HA, that’s a good one. Most problems should be sniffed out in prep, but you truly never know what’s going to happen on set.
One time, during a shoot in Tokyo, we had to move locations to a high rise, the last location of the day, with the sunset overlooking all of Tokyo.
When we pulled up to the building, with all of our crew, cast, client, etc. we were not allowed to go into the building. Apparently, the owner of this high-rise stepped in and decided to cancel the permit. To this day, I still don’t understand how this could happen. It was an embarrassing moment, but we quickly pivoted and shot the scene in my hotel room with existing lighting. Now, it’s just a fun story.
You try to avoid all this by being very specific during prep and tech scout, but even then, some things you can’t foresee.
Another time in China, we got shut down because our haze blew across a park into a government building. So we had to shoot the entire scene in 10 mins handheld, when we had three hours of boarded shots planned.
A similar thing happened near Cape Town when we were shooting in a township and were told “a gang” was on the way and we needed to leave - NOW.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Floyd> Collaboration is very important to me.
I always try to remind the client and agency what the core of the idea is and try to focus them back on that, to try to think what the audience will care about it. Collaboration is a two-way street, and if a director simply does what the agency and client tell them to, no one ends up with a product they're proud of.
When I was coming up, another director told me to ‘NEVER SHOOT ANYTHING’ you don’t want to see in the final spot. But that doesn’t mean you can’t shoot what the agency or client is requesting; you just need to make it fit into your standard, to have it have a vision and style so that when it does end up in the spot, and it ALMOST CERTAINLY will, you are still proud of it.
LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?
Floyd> Yes, of course, it’s vital that we all do this as much as possible. But in the form of hiring and paid positions and not just on set, SO MUCH of a director's work happens before stepping on set. So any mentoring and apprenticeships need to happen from start to finish, especially so they can see the bidding and pre-production process.
I feel like last year was the first year I was back in in-person call-backs, which was amazing. Production is all about being there, physically seeing the details and being inspired by new ideas. But I have gotten used to doing most of the post remotely. All of the post on OJ Simpson, five-hour docu-thriller with five editors, was edited remotely. Would I rather sit in a room with the editors and work hand in hand? Yes. But there simply isn’t the time or budget now and if you have talented collaborators, you don’t have to.
LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats - to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)?
Floyd> The dreaded vertical vs horizontal!? No comment tbh. Long live anamorphic.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work)?
Floyd> This sounds a bit like a trick question, but I’m probably more of a traditionalist when it comes to execution. I want the idea and the emotion to feel new and fresh, not the execution. That said, I’m not a fan of virtual production; it’s just a last resort solution if time/money doesn’t exist. I haven’t seen an example of interactive storytelling that appeals to me, but my five-year-old son likes it. And, so far, AI remains mostly clickbait, but I believe there is a purpose to using it if no other tools exist to execute a director’s vision.
LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why?
Floyd> Nike. OJ trailer. Gillette. The Reasons.
All these pieces combine strong characters with a visual approach that reflects my style. It’s grounded in intimacy but propels into a grander, epic emotion. Even though Nike doesn’t have a story, it still feels like one, while the others merge story with emotion.
'OJ' is an epic piece of storytelling that takes dynamic twists and turns to bring history and context to the crime. I am proud of how it’s highly informative yet still entertaining–the perfect combination of emotion.
'Gillette' is still one of my favourite ads, a beautiful story spanning a lot of time with subtle VFX and documentary elements to create a popping 90 seconds.
'The Reasons' is a perfect example of elevated docu-storytelling. It feels more like a narrative poem than an ad, and that, to me, is the ultimate goal.
Thank you for having me!
