Sharing Directing Voodoo

Jordan Brady has a massive undertaking. Since 2015 he’s been sharing his “directing voodoo” with budding filmmakers in a bid to free the knowledge that was once kept from him. He may be a comedian at heart, but he couldn’t be more serious about ensuring next-gen directors, “don’t suck”. His mentorship so far has reached around 5,000 beginners and counting - and his plans are evolving into something far more ambitious. 

In this interview, we get a glimpse into Jordan’s no-bullshit teaching style. He tells us all about his own experience as a young, self-taught filmmaker, who was hopped-up on Red Bull and leading with his ego. He’s learned a lot since then, and is keen to ensure that others don’t make the same mistakes he did. At the forefront of his advice is getting your hands dirty: don’t wait for things to happen, make them happen. From lego-charactered pre-vis for shoots, to finding a niche and sticking to it, there are plenty of nuggets of wisdom to be unpacked here. 

Above all else, we see in this piece a guy who really cares. When asked why he does what he does, he responded: “rising tides lift all ships” - that’s exactly what Jordan is trying to do. But he needs help on the mission. He’s making a call to agencies and brands to offer up scripts and products for his students to work with. The plan is a pretty nifty one, where brands can end up with some excellent material, at no cost to themselves, whilst aiding the pursuit of giving these up-and-comers the break they need. 

LBB> Jordan, the work you do with up and coming directors is really admirable. Tell us why you first decided this was something you wanted to get involved in.

Jordan> As a self-taught filmmaker, my ‘development years’ directing and producing were filled with smart, patient filmmakers that took the time to explain stuff to me. They taught me some great tricks and secrets plus some obvious bits, like: “don’t stand in the actor’s key light while directing.” In commercials, they taught me what specific questions to ask on a conference call. However, there were also a few who purposely withheld knowledge, seemingly hoping I’d fail. I was inspired to pay it forward like those cool folks and pledged never to be like the assholes. 

I just think, "hey, why not help others with shortcuts to make better stuff?” - I don’t see this game as a competition. 

I must admit too, there’s probably a bit of ego to it as well. See, I care about my legacy, just as I think most creatives do. So, the ego is there wanting to leave behind a body of great spots, a few funny movies and docs, and the hope that someone down the line might say, “oh, that guy shared his directing voodoo with everyone.”

LBB> Tell us what you were like yourself as a young director

Jordan> I was a rabid mongoose hopped up on Red Bull. I jumped straight from doing comedy clubs and directing some television stuff to an indie feature mockumentary I shot in 26 states across America one summer. I was somewhat undisciplined, but had an uncanny ability to improvise and go rogue. Let’s say I was more than a little self-centred.

LBB> Your commercial directing film school is something of a marvel. Tell us how this all started and how many people have participated over the years 

Jordan> I’ve always taken filmmaking courses myself. A guy taught eight of us who were producing and directing over a weekend in his backyard in the Hollywood Hills. I also took a Horror Workshop by Wes Craven. I don’t really like horror, but I thought, “there’s gotta be something here I’ll learn.” 

Specifically, I remember being on set shooting my fourth round of Eggo Waffles. These were big, five day shoots, with a seasoned creative team. It was here that I finally understood the power of the collaboration between director and the agency as well as teamwork. My combined experience from features to commercials, and transformation from egomaniac to teamplayer contained lessons for others to glean and pitfalls to avoid. 

Ten years later I taught my first Commercial Directing Bootcamp in the fall of 2015. That grew into a quarterly event until the pandemic shut a session down. With time on my hands, my son and fellow director, Ben Brady and I filmed the Commercial Directing Masterclass and put it online. What I thought would cannibalise the in-person Bootcamp actually serves as a gateway drug.

I’ve also licensed two courses to the Filmmakers Academy, so counting that, I’ve reached over 5,000 filmmakers and growing.

LBB> What are the main pieces of advice that you give to aspiring filmmakers?

Jordan> Don’t suck. And put yourself in a box, so that you’re easy for reps and EP’s to sell you. And you don’t confuse the marketplace. If you want to scratch a different creative itch, fine, but just know you’ll need a handful of spots or a career mutation in order to get work. I also advise against filmmakers writing their own commercial scripts unless they have that skill. 

One big thing I preach is shooting tests. You have a phone and lego people? Great - go ahead and shoot the spot so you know the coverage and build muscle memory. I still shoot tests when pitching jobs too.

LBB> What does the commercial directing film school consist of? What do filmmakers get from the experience and who can participate?

Jordan> My goal with the film school is to be your accessible mentor in your commercial career. I don’t care about your short film, Netflix pitch deck, or epic feature. 

Anyone can participate, but call me before you spend your money if you’re really green or have questions. The film school consists of five online courses, regular live zoom sessions covering specific topics, the quarterly in-person Bootcamp and also the two year old annual Filmmaker Retreat. All courses come with a free one-on-one consultation with yours truly. Here’s a bit more detail:

The Commercial Directing Masterclass is a blatant copy of the real Masterclass series on how I approach my spots and my career. It also contains tons of downloadable scripts, notes and several hours of behind the scenes on set of my gigs.

‘How to Pitch 'and ‘Director’s Treatments Unmasked’ are each recorded Zooms that have become very popular. You get winning treatments and gorgeous losing ones. The pitch course includes a recorded zoom pitch and I point out the moment on the call where I won the gig. 

There’s also the ‘Commercial Directing Shadow’ - that is quite literally a camera over my shoulder. Ben Brady followed me from my monitor, up working with the actors and crew, then over to video village. It’s five hours of unprecedented access to how it all goes down where I explain what’s happening and why. 

Then we have the Commercial Directing Bootcamp - a one day intensive workshop. Here, I share tips, tricks and voodoo that I’d never put onto the web.

Finally, there’s the Filmmaker Retreat. Imagine hanging out with professional filmmakers in Joshua Tree, learning, sharing and being open about your goals both professionally and personally. That’s what it is. Last year, we had two filmmakers from London, Toronto, LA, Dallas, Portland and of course LA. It’s magically transformational and is a truly international experience. 

LBB> Tell us a little bit about your personal philosophy. We hear that you like to have a shadow director on every set - tell us more about this.

Jordan> Rising tides lift all ships. Bringing a filmmaker to an actual, working commercial set exposes them to the real job of making spots. I invite them to the tech scout too, because that’s where the shit really gets worked out. 

I also want the Film School to be like a farm league for True Gentleman Industries, my production company; both as a way to discover new directors and to really give directors the advantage of my mistakes. 

Now, I require them to complete my Shadow course, so they know my vibe and how I roll. But we pay them for the shoot day, so it’s not a pyramid scheme. I swear. 

LBB> Can you describe your teaching style? What is the best way, in your opinion, to teach this craft

Jordan> I try to make my teaching entertaining. Bootcamp is seven hours of me teaching so I’d better be amusing at times. I encourage questions as we go, but let all know I have a structure to the lesson plan. So very open, a flow with a curriculum. 

LBB> And to the alumni, tell us a little bit about your experience

Brian Petchers> Participating in Jordan Brady's class was a one of a kind experience for understanding the ins-and-outs of the commercial directing industry. Now, almost seven years later, the lessons still ring true, and I find myself referencing and applying what I learned from Jordan in my current commercial projects. 

Kristyna Archer> Commercial Directing Bootcamp is the best practical workshop to the ever-evolving landscape that is life as a commercial director. From when I attended in 2016 to my career eight years later working with the likes of clients like Amazon and Capital One, his active support in my growth has been something I truly cherish, and call him a true mentor. Jordan is part craftsman and part creative entrepreneur, which makes him an insightful educator constantly refining his process, and adapting his approach into the future of commercial filmmaking. 

LBB> What do you currently have going on within this space and what are your plans for the future of educating young directors? 

Jordan> For any community college film professors or instructors can have my Masterclass for free. I then do a live Q&A over zoom or in-person to answer questions. Community Colleges tend to serve underrepresented students so let’s expose them to a potential career.

The next Bootcamp is in LA, January 20th, 2024. We also have a Filmmaker Diversity Award for diverse filmmakers - just email me and tell me why you should be chosen. jordan@commercialdirectingfilmschool.com - good luck. 

LBB> Anything else you’d like to add?

Jordan> YES! I’m looking for an agency and brand to offer scripts and product for these next-generation filmmakers to shoot. In an ideal world, each filmmaker would interpret the same script with their own unique point of view and we’d look to screen them all. What fun eh? And then the brand gets a lot of spots. It’s a genius idea if I do say so myself and a win-win. I just need the funding and creative.