Art vs. Commerce

Johanna Kelly is a production designer with 7 feature films under her belt. Beyond her main role on set, she has undertaken a feature documentary as a director and producer diving into the world of the insect food industry. Her documentary The Gateway Bug is currently in post and is being prepped for a festival run. This is my first episode with a guest with whom I’ve had no prior relationship. It was an inevitability I suppose and I’m excited for the future of the podcast. Great to sit down with Johanna and learning about her from scratch, on air. It added new elements to the discovery aspects of the conversation and I found Johanna’s rise in the industry particularly fascinating since production design was not her first career.

Craig Ormiston is a renaissance man. He is a consultant for multiple tech and entertainment companies, a film producer, writer, craft beer enthusiast and hails from the great state of Colorado. His eclectic list of interests, hobbies and professions serves as a defining characteristic about him and his career. We first met on the set of a worldwide travel show based out of Dubai. Craig produced the impossible and managed a crew of 10 circumnavigating the globe. The project was logistically one of the most challenging of our careers and Craig made it’s success possible. Unlike many of the podcast guests we’ve had on, Craig is hard to define by one role, industry or passion. Our conversation is founded on this and discusses new topics to the show such as how to know when to leave your current job, how to assess your career and how to deal with a shifting career trajectory.

Matt McLaughlin is the co-owner of the production company Acres in New York City. He serves as both executive producer and media strategist working with brands, political campaigns and organizations. Their work on the Bill de Blasio mayoral campaign in NYC is notable as it helped transform his poll numbers and gave Acres large scale publicity. Now a young and successful company, they support a small roster of directors out of an office space in TriBeCa. I first met Matt when working with Acres’ director Shal Ngo. Matt’s a warm and welcoming guy with a sharp wit. Always eager to get into deeper conversation about complex issues, it has become clear to me that these interests act as a guide for where he sees Acres going as a company. Always interesting speaking with people who are more on the commerce side of this ongoing discussion. Matt is unique in that he straddles the line, truly making art out of the commerce. Speaking with him I hear the same passion akin to a director or cinematographer, except our conversations are about brand identity, financial distribution models and the importance of relationships.

Christian Schultz is a freelance Film and Commercial Director. He recently left his staff job as a Film Director for The Musicbed, a music licensing company. He was part of the inaugural film team at The Musicbed and helped craft their aesthetic and setup the foundation for a strong collection of films ranging from stylistic marketing materials to short online portraits of musicians to feature documentaries. I first met Christian at the filmmaking conference Masters in Motion. At the time Christian had just started putting out work with The Musicbed and it was clear they were focused on changing the way brands made films about themselves and their collaborators. Gone was the commercial tone and in was the thoughtful moody atmosphere more akin to heartfelt documentaries. Christian is a soft spoken thinker. Never the loudest in the room, he tends to let his work speak for himself. It was great to meet him at this time of transition from being on staff to going full time freelance. It’s a challenging time for anyone and I believe he provides solid insight into his process and how he is evaluating his success.

Jeremy Leach is a Director of Photography and Director specializing in documentary films and travel television. He is an Emmy Award winner for his cinematography work on Mind of a Chef, a program created by Zero Point Zero, a production company famous for their work with Anthony Bourdain. Through this relationship, Jeremy continues to serve as a recurring DP on Bourdain’s CNN show Parts Unknown and was a DP on Bourdain's previous show No Reservations. All three of these shows, along with many other projects, have taken him all over the world. Like previous guest Ethan Mills, I met Jeremy on the set of Mind of a Chef. Both Jeremy and Ethan worked on the program since its inception and have been an integral part of the development process as DPs helping craft the look through four seasons. Jeremy’s impact cannot be understated as Zero Point Zero DPs are given a lot of artistic freedom. His leadership in time-pressed situations is something to behold and his creative quickfeet help guide the multitude of decisions made every day on set. Jeremy is a humble and thoughtful guy often downplaying his overall impact. Having worked with him in the field, his clear vision sets him apart as someone who tries to always stay one step ahead and keep his cool even while under immense amounts of documentary pressure. He’s a blast to work with and I believe his personality and demeanor shine through in this episode.

Josh and Jason Diamond are filmmakers, entrepreneurs, geeks... you name it and they’ve probably been involved somehow, someway. Having started with an interest in practical special effects, their careers have taken them in every possible direction from MTV to music videos to feature documentaries to post production, software development, commercial directing to everything in between. To understand the scope of the work they’ve done is to understand the eclectic nature of their personalities and interests. I’ve known them for a few years now as we run in the same NYC indie scene and they have a solid presence in a similar social media crowd. From day one they’ve come across as genuine, tell you how it is, stand up dudes. Just a ton of fun to be around. It becomes obvious that this is also their business strength. From a networking standpoint, it feels as if they know everyone from Midtown to Hollywood, and a lot of that comes from their openness, affability and a penchant for having a good time while working your ass off. They are an excellent example of how this industry and lifestyle can be meandering, slightly confusing and yet still successful. Conversations like this reinforce how important it is to stay self aware, embrace the world around you and to trust your gut. It’s something the Diamond brothers have done for over four decades and it’s proving to be a solid plan.

Porter was born in New York and raised on the coast of Maine. He lives, writes, teaches and edits the literary travel writing journal Nowhere. His fiction, essays and nonfiction have been published in The New York Times Magazine, The Believer, Outside, Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Powder, Salon.com, Narrative, The Literary Review, Northwest Review, Third Coast and Conjunctions, among others. In 2013 he published DEEP: The Story of Skiing and the Future of Snow. The book was featured on the cover of the New York Times Sunday Review, CBS national news, NPR and in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. I first met Porter while searching for a new work space in Brooklyn. He owns Nowhere Studios in Bed Stuy, along with his wife, providing an ideal enclave for freelance creatives of all backgrounds. His open and supportive personality was immediately clear. Easy to talk to and knowledgeable on a diverse range of subjects, it is no surprise he’s had a successful career as a journalist and writer. As the podcast continues these are the kinds of conversations I hope to have with creatives working outside of the film industry. I believe there are many similarities and parallels that can be made with other freelance roles. This discourse provides the type of perspective needed to appreciate the universal nature of our needs, problems and solutions.

Agata Alexander is a director and editor best known for her unique music videos and music festival recaps. She has an ongoing relationship with HARD festivals and events which allows her to take the genre in new, creatively insane and hilarious directions. A genre often known for music heavy montages, Agata writes her own skits bringing a short film/narrative style that is simply unique to her. Utilizing Hollywood cinematographers, her approach and overall production quality level far surpass anyone else in the scene. In addition to these short film recaps, Agata utilizes her connections in the EDM world by directing music videos for the heavy hitters; most notably Dillon Francis, Bloody Beetroots and Destructo. I first met Agata working for her as a cinematographer at one of HARD’s events Holy Ship, a music festival that takes place on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. It is a fitting place to begin a professional relationship, I assure you. Agata’s charisma and trust stand out as she gives freedom to her DPs but instills a distinct aesthetic within the crew; one focused on beauty with a hint of debauchery. Whether she likes it or not, her approach and style raises eyebrows both for the concepts on display as well as the fact that they are coming from a female. Instinctive or carefully calculated, Agata cannot shy away from the reality that her work sparks conversation about feminism, misogyny, chauvinism and the male/female gaze.

Jeffrey Hagerman is an on-set colorist and camera technician/operator working on everything from major Hollywood blockbusters to high end commercials. He assists in creating the look for world renowned cinematographers such as Spielberg’s DP Janusz Kaminski. His credit list is quite impressive and includes the newly released Tina Fey/Amy Poehler comedy Sisters, Marvel’s Daredevil, Philomena, Victoria Secret Campaigns, Olympics Telecast and much more. The list is long and eclectic, an opportunity made possible by the genre agnostic nature and universal need for on-set color and data management. I first met Jeffrey on indie film sets in New York City 5 years ago. At the time he was dialing in his technical expertise but had yet to join the union. It has been quite the experience watching him join the union and catapult from indie features to major summer blockbusters. Sitting down and chatting about these rather abrupt changes in his life proved interesting and totally on point for the larger Art vs. Commerce discussion. Hearing him talk through the decisions he’s made along the way, and the general risk involved, made for an intriguing and thought provoking hour.

Andy Baker is the Senior Vice President and Group Creative Director for National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD. Having worked at the National Geographic channel since it’s inception in 2001, he has overseen its growth and set the aesthetic for its promotional materials. The past few years have turned towards a cinematic approach which has garnered widespread appeal and is raising the bar for television show promos across the industry. In addition to inspiring beautiful work Andy also expresses a unique view on the business from the client side with his blog The Client Blog. Here he shares his views on everything from execution to relationships and how to manage it all. Creatives rave about him as he has a keen sense of self awareness and uses it to approach delicate situations with the utmost care and respect for the artists and the creative process. Having worked on a few of his sets, I can attest that his candor and attitude provides the foundation for a successful shoot. Andy was an interesting choice for the podcast as he seemingly sits on the other side of the Art vs. Commerce table, or at least it appears that way from the outside. I think the more we discussed the realities he faces the more it became apparent that he is an artisan of his craft. When you realize that, it comes as no shock that he cares for and treats everyone in a way that feels inspiring and meaningful. Andy’s openness allowed for interesting conversation about the client/artist relationship and how to foster positive growth, not just for the sake of the product but for actual happiness in your life and in the workplace. This episode is sponsored by Masters in Motion, a filmmaking conference that takes place in Austin, Texas. Speakers include the DP of Game of Thrones, the editors of Breaking Bad and Birdman, production designer of Master of None and many more. Andy was a speaker at this event and we recorded this episode during our time there.