Shadowing a Commercial Director Part 2 by Jordan Brady

Hang out on set with Jordan Brady and see how commercial directing actually works, from script breakdown to final performance. No fluff, just how he reads an agency script, pitches a funnier visual idea, and keeps the day loose for actors.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• How to break down an agency script and find the playable visual idea
• How to push a simple concept into an attention-grabbing sequence
• How to create a video treatment that sells your take to the agency
• How to build director’s shooting boards you can actually shoot from
• How to minimize logistics to maximize performance time on set
• How to collaborate with agencies, crew, and actors without killing the comedy

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic understanding of film sets and production roles, familiarity with scripts and storyboards

📝 Description

This is not theory. You are shadowing Jordan on a real job for a long-running campaign, watching him solve problems in real time. He starts with the agency script, shows you his markup, then talks through how he looks for the one visual thing he can blow up and make memorable.

The centerpiece is the beard bit — five o’clock shadow to full wizard. Jordan walks you through how he pitched it, boarded it, and shot it. You get his video treatment and shooting boards, so you can see exactly how an idea goes from paper to something a crew can light and shoot in a day.

The other half is logistics. Jordan is blunt about it: less messing around with gear means more takes for funny. Through behind-the-scenes footage you watch him talk to the DP, check in with the agency, and keep actors relaxed and playing. Short comments, clear decisions, no ego. That is the job.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Aspiring commercial directors who want to see a real workflow from script to set
• Filmmakers and comedy creators who want to get better at visual gags and performance
• Anyone curious how national ad campaigns get pitched, sold, and shot

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Jordan Brady is a commercial director with over 1,200 national and regional spots, plus four narrative features, three documentaries, and Maria Bamford’s Netflix special. He has directed Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Keegan-Michael Key, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brad Paisley, Kathryn Hahn and more for brands like Chrysler and Buick.

His work has picked up Clios, ADDYs, One Show, D Show and AICP Awards, and gets covered on AdWeek and Ads of the World. In 2016 he finished his stand-up trilogy — I Am Comic, I Am Road Comic, and I Am Battle Comic — which pretty much explains why his comedy timing on set is so sharp.

🏁 Final Result

• A complete director’s package for a commercial sequence: marked-up script, video treatment reference, and shooting boards, plus a clear, repeatable method for breaking scripts and protecting performance on set.