The Directors: John X. Carey

John X. Carey is a Los Angeles based writer/director. His work is a blend of naturalism and thematic storytelling. He has won over 30 Cannes Lions and also received a Directors Guild of America nomination for best commercial director.

Name: John X. Carey

Location: Los Angeles/London

Repped by/in: Hunky-Dory Films (London) / Tool of North America (USA)

LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

John> I find a script really exciting if there's a fresh new theme, or payoff to the concept, that is something that hasn't been done previously. Those are incredibly difficult to write, but when they come along, it's very special. 

LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

John> These days, creating a treatment is almost like starting preproduction. Sometimes we're actually talking to key collaborators like production designers, visual effects vendors, and others in order to figure out how to create the world of the agencies script. But throughout everything, the goal is to service the creative and try to connect with the authors of the script and not get too bogged down in the technical aspect.

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?

John> No matter what the brand, it's important to hear the client perspective, and understand exactly the brief and where the client is coming from in terms of goals. It can be very disruptive if you don't understand the brief fully, so I always make a big effort to understand the history and evolution of a script, and what its purpose is to the client. 

LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?

John> I like to collaborate with the creative team behind the script so I really understand what motivated them to create this story. I also like to know what aspects of the concept worry them. What keeps them up at night? Sometimes speaking with the creatives about these matters — spark conversations that lead to all of us improving the concept in ways you wouldn't have imagined.

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?

John> I love concepts that have a lot of storytelling meat. It's very exciting when there's a complex story and theme that you're constantly evolving throughout the entire process. Often when I've done documentary work, like Phillips, Breathless Choir or Dove Sketches - there were many unknown factors, and we had to constantly be nimble in our approach, but I think that leads to a more interesting final result. 

LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?

John> That I try to make people cry, or I'm interested in big emotional reveals. I'm actually not interested in either of those things, but rather exploring a fresh new theme or message, or payoff to a story, that the audience hasn't seen before.

I also am a very narrative filmmaker, and most of my non-commercial time is spent writing and doing narrative projects. 

LBB> Have you ever worked with a cost consultant and if so how have your experiences been?

John> I haven't worked with one yet.

LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?

John> A film I did was about a hover bike racer, but we had very little money to make a hover bike so we ended up taking a real motorcycle and removing the wheels and designing some pieces to augment the bike and turn it into a hover bike. Then with a little bit of CGI we enhanced it. Although it's not perfect, I think the result looks convincing enough. 

LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?

John> I love to talk everything through quite thoroughly in preproduction, and during the pre-pro meeting, so that they're really aren't any surprises on the day of filming. Of course notes come up on the day of filming, but nevertheless, I do a lot of over-communicating so that everybody's on the same page creatively, and we are all making the same film together. 

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?

John> Yes, to all of the above. We need new perspectives. I also think storytelling can be quite regionalist, so I'm eager to see more stories that are not from the typical lens we've seen a million times. I'm excited for the future, where we have a richer pallet of stories, and perspectives, instead of the narrow paradigm I grew up with.

LBB> How do you feel the pandemic is going to influence the way you work into the longer term? Have you picked up new habits that you feel will stick around for a long time? 

John> The pandemic has made my work, and projects I select, more purposeful because I realised life is quite precious and that we are very lucky to get to do what we do and it shouldn't be taken lightly. If you have a chance to make a film, you should really make it straight from your heart. 

Additionally, I also love that we do zoom meetings now because I get to know everybody in a more personal way than pre-pandemic; when it was mostly audio-only conference calls.

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)? 

John> I aim for 16x9 screens because computer monitors and televisions are that shape so it's what I keep in mind. And if you tilt your phone horizontal then you're getting the proper aspect ratio.

LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work (e.g. virtual production, interactive storytelling, AI/data-driven visuals etc)?

John> AI has been helpful to the creative process. I use AI to generate art for treatments and to also brainstorm ideas. I use chatGPT for research. And I like to use Speechify to play scripts aloud so that I can hear a simulated table read of the content.

LBB> Which pieces of work do you feel really show off what you do best – and why?

John> Yes, I feel these four pieces represent my favourite work. 

Dove Sketches is a very emotional film for me because it features people who at the start feel hopeless and discouraged in terms of the way they look - but the film runs them through an experiment that convinces them of a more hopeful perspective.

Awayy Short Film. A short film based on the feature film script that I've recently completed, which is about how to overcome life's disappointments. It was a big swing in terms of its message, but I think we finally got there in the end. 

Under Armour / Tom Brady/Morgan Freeman. Despite having two very famous people in the film, the message is to be humble. I love that the agency decided to make the antithesis of a hero-worship sports commercial. https://www.johnxcarey.com/work-1/under

Apple Dylan's Voice. Apple is my favourite brand and getting to work with Dylan was a life highlight.