Category: INTERVIEW

(We work with some pretty amazing people. They’ve been gracious enough to spend a few minutes answering some questions so you can get to know them like we do.)

Fave book, album, movie, TV show right now.
I just finished a quaran-binge of Schitt’s Creek (all 6 seasons) and it was absolutely delightful.  For books, there are too many to list! I do a book podcast (Sword & Laser) so I’m constantly reading, which is definitely a First World Problem. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal was a recent favorite, as was The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan.

App you’re addicted too.
Easy, Instagram and Reddit. I can’t believe how much time I spend on those, I can’t even look at that little report Apple makes for me every week, it’s too embarrassing.

Which comes first idea or brief?
How can you write a brief without an idea? This feels like a trick question.

What surprised you most about making a video? Why?
Mostly nothing, since I used to do that for a living. But I think I always forget how much space gear takes up, even in the room you’re shooting in. The shot is always so perfect, and yet there’s about 1000lbs of gear strewn about just out of sight of the lens.

What’s something agencies or production companies should avoid doing?
Listen to clients exactly. We have no idea what we’re talking about, seriously. Do what you do best.

Short form or long form? Or what is the perfect video length?
I’m a big fan of 30-1:30, but I will often watch long-form content on YouTube, so what do I know. For social media the rules are very different.

In early or work late?
Working from home has definitely changed my schedule a bit, but I’m still more of a morning person than a night person. I usually get on my laptop around 8:30am, try to bang out a bunch of emails or Slack messages, and then I’m typically in meetings until 4-5pm.

Three tips for making a great video.
1. Know what the goal of your video is before you start planning. Are you trying to get people to download your app? Learn something? Laugh and share?
2. Listen to the people who know what they’re doing (see above).
3. Make sure to grab footage you can share to social media, or teasers!

Do you call references or just look at work?
I have a weird aversion to the phone, so I look at work. It’s good to have an in-person meeting too, to make sure your personalities mesh well.

Do you get more nervous in a product meeting or on camera?
Hah! Depends on who is in the meeting. Fortunately, my on-camera life taught me a lot about controlling those kinds of nerves 🙂

(We work with some pretty amazing people. They’ve been gracious enough to spend a few minutes answering some questions so you can get to know them like we do.)

Fave book, album, movie, TV show right now.
-Book – Seasons of the witch – I’m more of a non-fiction guy and learned a lot about the history of SF in the process.
-Album – Half-Light by Rostam – funny thing is that I really was never into Vampire Weekend but my wife is and she got me into Rostam. I think she tricked me into now being ok with listening to Vampire Weekend.
-Movie – The last black man in San Francisco but maybe because I just watched and wouldn’t mind living in an awesome victorian house.
-TV show – Sports — Hockey, basketball, football — I don’t really watch too many TV shows but I know what I don’t like – Real housewives – my wife’s guilty pleasure.

App you’re addicted too?
Surfline – surfing is my happy place. Surfing is the one activity where I don’t think about anything else while doing it.

Which comes first idea or brief?
Idea but is usually based on an insight I’ve encountered in my life.

What surprised you most about making a video? Why?
I’ve been doing this a long time so nothing really surprises me these days. But for most people it’s the time and money associated in making something good. It’s the little details that make all the difference. It all looks easy but it’s really not.

What’s something agencies or production companies should avoid doing?
Thinking they know the product or consumer better than the client. They don’t but what they can do is take those insights and make it compelling and interesting to a broader audience in an engaging way.

Short form or long form? Or what is the perfect video length?
2 min or less. People don’t have time for anything more unless they love the topic which is usually not produced by a brand unless you are Patagonia or Yeti.

In early or work late?
Both? I tend to be the most productive in the mornings but feel most creative at night. I come up with a lot of bad ideas at night but there’s also a few good ones.

Three tips for making a great video.
Try and find those universal truths and leverage the ones that tie back best to your product or story you want to tell. Like a good wedding speech, avoid insider jokes or references. You want everyone to get it but even better if there’s little nuggets for your core audience to pick up on that others may miss.

Do you call references or just look at work?
Both. But if I don’t get along with the people it’s never going to work. There’s a push and pull behind the scenes to make anything good.

(We work with some pretty amazing people. They’ve been gracious enough to spend a few minutes answering some questions so you can get to know them like we do.)

Fave book, album, movie, TV show right now.
– Book: I’ve been reading Roald Dahl’s classics to my son, Dylan, who just turned six. We just finished “James and the Giant Peach.” It’s really fun to re-read books you read as a kid as a parent and see them through your child’s eyes.
– Album: I like the new albums from The National and Vampire Weekend. The first for being so melancholy and the second for being super catchy and fun.
– Movie: Guess there’s a theme here with all of the kids’ stuff. I don’t get to the movies much. The new Lion King was amazing.
– TV show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I’m a season behind but I love that mindless show.

App you’re addicted too
Instagram. I’ve always been into it, but we’re doing some remodeling right now and following all of the designers I like for inspiration is way too addictive.

Which comes first idea or brief?
Brief, 100%.

What surprised you most about making a video? Why?
How many takes it take to get a good one and how many people it takes behind the scenes

What’s something agencies or production companies should avoid doing?
Don’t pitch a $500k concept for a $50k brief.

Short form or long form? Or what is the perfect video length?
60sec or less and a concept that can ideally be chopped up well into shorter form versions (like 15s).

In early or work late?
Naturally I’m a work late person, but my baby gets up around 5am these days so I’ve turned into an early bird.

Three tips for making a great video.
Have a crisp brief with a clear message
Pick a great concept you can actually execute
Don’t skimp on budget

Do you call references or just look at work?
Both. Work first. Then references to see what it was like to produce that work.