LA-based production company Superlounge will send its fifth Diversity Award winner, Alex Messianu, to Commercial Directing Bootcamp, December 2, 2017, in Los Angeles. Superlounge director Jordan Brady launched the Commercial Directing Bootcamp in 2015, and has since held sold-out seminars in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Dallas. Messianu joins previous winners Bonnie McFarlane, Jody Lauren Miller, Monty Marsh and Kristyna Archer.
In response to the lack of female, minority and LGBT directors at the helm of filmed advertising, the scholarship was launched by Superlounge to help expose these filmmakers to the insights offered by the successful seminar. Filmmakers’ reels were judged on the following criteria:
1. Quality of storytelling;
2. Need for exposure to industry, tools & information; and
3. Passion for making ads.
“I’d seen Jordan’s work and was familiar with his podcast (RESPECT THE PROCESS) through friends in the industry,” Messianu recalled. “I was excited by the prospect of having an honest, open dialogue about the ins and outs of commercial production today. Most directors with Jordan’s experience would just keep the lessons to themselves and let the rest of us fight over the crumbs,” he mused. In fact, with more than 1,000 national TV commercials to his credit, Brady feels an obligation to share what he’s learned. “Alex is a working director with solid chops and great spots to prove it,” Brady said. “I just felt he could benefit from knowing my Jedi secrets to better navigate the general market.”
Alex Messianu was born in Mexico City and grew up bouncing back & forth between the United States and Mexico. He has lived in Florida, Texas and Colorado, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. Messianu began his career at the age of 16 interning (and later working) for ad agencies including Zubi, GSD&M and Latinworks all before receiving his college degree. He graduated with a B.S. in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas in Austin (Hook ‘em Horns!) and went on to work under various acclaimed directors where he served as an assistant director on nearly 100 commercials and a couple of feature films. Transitioning to directing, Messianu built a reel comprised of work for clients such as State Farm, MTV, Aflac, Discovery en Español and Pennzoil. One of his first spec commercials, “Come Watch Them Fly,” was acquired by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) for its Belmont Stakes and aired on ABC and ESPN during national prime time.
Messianu has also worked as a creative Writer/Producer for various networks such as Sony Pictures Television, Discovery, Fox, Starz and MTV where his work has been well received garnering over a dozen Promax BDA Awards, TELLY and ADDY.
“I’ve been a longtime listener of Jordan’s podcast, and was instantly on board the moment I saw he was doing a workshop,” said Filmmaker Jeff Hoferer, who attended Brady’s first LA bootcamp. “He did not disappoint. I’ve never met a director of Jordan’s caliber who’s so willing to share insight into the industry he works in. It’s truly refreshing.” Another alum, Brian Petcher, became a 2016 Cannes Young Director Award Nominee after attending the NYC bootcamp and applying techniques and advice learned.
About Superlounge
Superlounge is a boutique LA production company featuring award-winning commercial directors Jordan Brady, Andy Maser, Ben Giroux, Carlos Gutierrez, Jeannette Godoy, and Whitey McConnaughy. The company is presided over by Executive Producer/Partner Dave Farrell and Executive Producer, National Sales Vicki Williams.
About Jordan Brady
Jordan Brady recently completed his trilogy of documentaries on stand up comedy, comprised of the 2010 cult hit I AM COMIC (Netflix, Showtime), 2014’s follow-up I AM ROAD COMIC (Netflix, Hulu); and 2017’s I AM BATTLE COMIC, which followed Brady and a squadron of stand-ups to Afghanistan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq, where they performed for troops serving in the US Armed Forces. To date, that film's theatrical events have raised over $30,000 for charities helping active duty military & veterans.
