1.) What trends, developments or issues would you point to thus far in 2019 as being most significant, perhaps carrying implications for the rest of the year and beyond?

2.) What work (advertising or entertainment)--your own or others--struck a responsive chord with you and/or was the most effective creatively and/or strategically so far this year? Does any work stand out to you in terms of meshing advertising and entertainment?

3.) What’s the biggest takeaway or lessons learned from work (please identify the project) you were involved in this year that was or is in the running for current awards season consideration (i.e., Emmys, Cannes Lions)?

4.) Though gazing into the crystal ball is a tricky proposition, we nonetheless ask you for any forecast you have relative to content creation and/or the creative and/or business climate for the second half of 2019 and beyond.

5.) What do recent honors on the awards show circuit (Producers Guild Awards, DGA Awards, Cannes Lions, AICP Show, Emmy nominations) tell us in terms of themes and trends in the industry at large?

6.) What efforts are you making to increase diversity and inclusion in terms of women and ethnic minority filmmakers? How do you go about mentoring new talent?

Jordan Brady
Filmmaker
Superlounge

1) Our industry’s push for diversity and inclusion continued in the first half of 2019. My hope is our initiatives to give underrepresented voices, not just filmmakers and creatives, a chance to be heard is more than lip service. I’ve seen programs that exist just to check a box but with no follow through. The net gain is still positive cuz people are still getting real exposure.

2) I like strategy of the new High-dive Jeremy Renner Jeep campaign: a fusion of movie star, lifestyle and Renner’s own music. FCA song choice has been suspect at times (I once did a Christmas spot with an ill-fitted Flo Rida track mandated for Fiat) but these spots blend Hollywood and car quite well. 
Of course, Nike’s “Dream Crazy” with Colin Kaepernick Wieden + Kennedy is wonderfully polarizing and gets people buring shoes. 
I like anything by director Tom Kuntz.

3) I produced the indie short from series “Disconnected” (writer/director Jeannette Godoy) and we made it to the ballet to be on the ballet for an Emmy this season. Which is kind of bullshit, just nominate already. We got shut out by AMC, Netflix, Comedy Central and some Jimmy Fallon bit. No sour grapes cuz it all of that is great content, but I learned there really is no “indie” in that game. Emmy-schemmy. Ok, maybe a lil sour.

4) More data robot overlords dictating creative.

5) Social consciousness is connecting with consumers and that work is winning awards. Most feels sincere, but the end result is good.

6) I do Commercial Directing Bootcamp three times a year. Each session, the Diversity Award gives one or two filmmakers from an underrepresented population a free ticket to the seminar. It’s a small way to help, one filmmaker at a time. I also continue to make myself available to them after the workshop.

MySHOOT Company Profiles