The Directors: Scott Masterson
Scott Masterson is an award-winning writer and director based in Boston, Massachusetts, with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Scott has collaborated with prominent brands such as Google, New Balance, Sunoco, Under Armour, and MassMutual throughout his illustrious career, delivering exceptional content that resonates with diverse audiences.
Scott's versatile portfolio includes directing commercials, brand videos, sports series, documentaries, music videos, and corporate videos. His storytelling prowess and keen eye for detail have earned him numerous accolades. With a passion for crafting compelling narratives and a dedication to excellence, Scott continues to push the boundaries of visual storytelling.
Scott's versatile portfolio includes directing commercials, brand videos, sports series, documentaries, music videos, and corporate videos. His storytelling prowess and keen eye for detail have earned him numerous accolades. With a passion for crafting compelling narratives and a dedication to excellence, Scott continues to push the boundaries of visual storytelling.
Name: Scott Masterson
Location: Boston, MA
Repped by/in: Newfangled Studios
Awards: New England Emmy Award, Howard Stern Film Festival winner
LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them?
Scott> I’m always excited to work with our friends at Google but as for what’s coming, I’ve been sworn to secrecy by means of a pinky swear (and a legally binding NDA). What I can say is that, for Google, we often get to work with amazing social media creators while trying to find that perfect combination of authenticity and marketing. It’s always thrilling to work with such a high-profile brand.
But with my roots as a traditional filmmaker, I also love building a story from scratch with actors, written dialogue, planned camera moves, and a craft service snack table. So a live-action project with B2B service brand Tremendous has me equally inspired right now.
LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?
Scott> Obviously the biggest shift in advertising is the way the majority of us consume ads. I know for a fact that I encounter ten times the amount of ads while doom-scrolling late at night than I do during the occasional sporting event I catch on TV (which, for Gen Z, is a rectangle video machine we used to watch things on). With social media, there are so many new formats, strategies, and executions to explore. We’re constantly testing and learning what works. It’s a historic time to be in advertising.
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Scott> When it comes to scripted ads, I love great storytelling. Whether it’s funny, heart-warming, or heart-breaking, if you can squeeze a fully formed, well structured, engaging narrative into the boundaries of an ad while communicating a clear and concise message, you deserve all the trophies. The ones that get me excited to shoot are the ones that have a tone that leaps off the page. If I can vividly see it play out in my head, I’ll feel COMPELLED to make others see it too. Sorry, not sorry.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Scott> Before coming to Newfangled Studios, the process for me was more conventional. I would need to bid on jobs from ad agencies, and treatments were an essential, and dreaded, part of that. I always tried to bring energy, humour, and personality to every treatment, making myself seem more charming than I realistically am, and it was… a lot. It wears you down. At Newfangled, we mainly work directly with brands, and the process feels more true.
Rather than feeling like I’m selling myself, it feels like we can focus on big ideas and exciting executions. And I say “we” because at Newfangled, treatments are a team sport. We work across departments to generate bespoke copywriting, visual style frames, and unique strategies so the vision is clear and fully flushed out. It’s refreshing and leads to more creative and collaborative thinking.
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?
Scott> It’s critical to understand the brand you’re working with, but I think it’s even more important to find some personal emotional connection to it, too. Yes, do the research. Read everything you can about the brand and the product. Have your own experience with it, if you can. Read the brief again, and again, and again… and again.
But what really makes something effective is tapping into an emotion, and that often comes from your own perspective. I remember I was directing a campaign for a financial company that focused on retirement. It filmed while I was seeing my own parents start the retirement process and I was able to understand the emotions surrounding that big step. Sometimes it’s not as powerful or obvious, but I always try to find that personal connection in the research phase.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Scott> This is nearly impossible for me to answer. Up there with “Which child is your favourite?” or “Star Wars or Star Trek?” I have three answers, but I swear I’ll narrow it down to one, just let me think this out (this is hurting my soul).
The producer is the ying to your yang. They usually love all the logistics and business elements while you focus on the creative side, and that relationship is Batman and Robin-level. The director of photography is responsible for making your vision come to life and if you don’t share a portion of your brain with each other, things can go sideways. And the editor pulls the puzzle together and OFTEN brings another level of thinking to the game, making it better.
But for me, I think the producer relationship is most vital, because you have to work as two sides of the same coin and anticipate each other’s needs.
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?
Scott> I love variety and I love being able to work across genres and platforms and styles. I enjoy it all and, connect with it all, and with the right team behind me, feel like I can pull any of it off pretty well.
That said, I DO have a true love. I adore directing scripted comedy. While I am definitely NOT the guy at the party cracking jokes and entertaining the crowd (I’m more of the observing-awkwardly-from-the-corner type), I feel like I have a good sense of what is funny and why. I love working with actors to bring a character or moment to life. I love working with the crew to build the scene. And I LOVE the reaction comedy gets from an audience.
It certainly doesn’t makes sense for every brand, but as a director, it’s probably my happy place.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Scott> I think it’s easy to meet me and think I’m quiet, laid-back, or a bit passive. And in life, I generally am. I’ve been told I’m a calming presence, and I take that as a compliment.
But when I’m working in a creative capacity, particularly while directing, I completely shift gears. My processing speed is heightened and I fight for my strong opinions. I understand that, when you’re in a leadership role, you need to project a certain confidence and resolve, and when I get into creative mode, I can absolutely summon the energy level needed to drive a production.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Scott> I have said, a MILLION times, that something will ALWAYS go wrong and you just won’t know what it’s going to be until it happens. And it’s true. But they can often turn into positives. The most production-jarring challenge I’ve faced was also our most serendipitous.
I travelled all the way to a very rural area in Guatemala with plans to film with a kid that our local fixer had found and planned an entire shoot around this real boy. When we arrived on this mountain to start filming on the shoot day, the boy did one shot, then backed out. Wouldn’t film with us anymore.
There just so happened to be another local boy watching with his father from up the mountain a bit. We asked if he could film with us for the day and they agreed. That kid ended up being amazing, and brought an emotional element I couldn’t have anticipated.
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Scott> At Newfangled, we mainly work directly with brands, and they are often looking to us for the creative AND the execution. That said, usually the most effective work comes from being collaborative with the client. You can do all the research in the world, but they will always understand the brand better than you.
Throughout the creative process, I love getting insights from them that will help us connect with their customer better. But sure, we bring a high level of experience and skill to the table, and it’s our job to speak up when we see an opportunity to make something more compelling or engaging.
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?
Scott> I believe this is one of the single most important initiatives in the production community today. The lack of diversity was always obvious while working my way through the production industry. I love that we are hearing more voices and working with more diverse crews now. But we can do even better. I would gladly work in a mentoring capacity with someone who was looking for an opportunity to develop their directing skills. It’s very much a priority for us at Newfangled.
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)?
Scott> This is top of mind for us at Newfangled, throughout the creative process. We pride ourselves on being a social-first production agency, and a big part of that is understanding all the platforms and creating custom ads for each. It wasn’t long ago when we all thought that social ads just meant resizing the traditional video we were producing and throwing it up on social media (ah… we were so young and naïve).
Our team approaches each platform differently, sometimes writing specific scripts, shooting in non-traditional mediums, or approaching the edits completely differently. It matters because what works as a feed ad on Instagram may not work as a reels ad on the same platform. You need to know the nuances if you want to be effective.
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)?
Scott> Ah, yes. Let’s address the looming robot in the room. Of course tech is going to someday take over the world and use us as batteries until Lawrence Fishburne rescues us and teaches us kung-fu. But that’s a long way off. Right now, technology is our friend and is VERY exciting. I am fully embracing it, from working on an XR stage to shooting on new mediums to using AI to generate thought-starters.
These are all effective tools that are enhancing the creative or offering efficiencies and should be utilised. We’ll deal with the evil ones later.
LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why?
Scott> We recently had the opportunity to work with an amazing woman named Gretchen Evans for a short documentary-style branded video. She was inspiring and the video came together beautifully
Google is a great client and we love collaborating with them on amazing work, including this campaign with beloved social media creators.
Staples is a brand that is always up for experimenting with tone and structure. This was a wildly fun ad we produced for their back to school season.
One of my first projects at Newfangled was one of my most exciting ever because it involved some amazing travel. It was for student travel brand Student Universe and was an exercise in visual engagement:
