Q: Tell us about yourself… How long have you been in the industry and what got you into directing commercials?
A: I started as a commercial photographer and did that for many years. A lot of my advertising clients started asking me to do video. It was then that I started directing. As a photographer I was already directing talent and shooting the footage, so commercial directing was a natural evolution for me.
Even before photography, I had a career in music so I am able to bring a wide range of experience on set.
Q: What’s your favorite commercial you've ever worked on and why?
A: I loved working with Lauren Alaina on the Diet Coke campaign. Before we started shooting, Lauren vocalized what a big opportunity it was for her and that she wanted to make sure she did everything right.
It gave me insight into her professionalism and work ethic and made me realize, that’s the kind of people I want to work with. She trusted me with her image and her career.
We shot a lot of content that day and I was real happy with the work we delivered.
Q: What makes your directing style unique?
A: As I grow in my career, I am starting to focus on areas that I am passionate about, which has led me to the world of food & beverage and lifestyle. I love being able to harness this
passion in the commercial world for brands like Diet Coke and Corona Light. Food imagery is something that I enjoy and can talk about all day long. But what I love about the food element is the more cinematic aspect, making the product look beautiful. Because I did a lot of food photography for Southern Living, I now love shooting moving beauty shots of food.
Q: Who is the top actor you'd love to work with?
A: I’d love to work with Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Garner. Ultimately I want to work with people that have that Southern connection or people I think would be fun to hang out with.
I value relationships so much. I’ve shot with Lauren Alaina twice and the second time was a little more friendly because we’d work together before. I grew up in Georgia, so we actually had a mutual connection. I like to play the name game with the talent I am working with. Typically within the first five minutes, I’ve found a person that we both know and it builds my credibility with them. And it's my game to get to know them and to set them at ease because they are real people too. Ultimately I want to show them we're going to have fun and I'm here to make you look good.
Q: Where in the world would you want to shoot and why?
A: I always prefer to be somewhere warm. I love Africa. I love being there. I love shooting there. And I would love to go back to do something more conceptual. In the past it's been for fundraising videos, but to do a narrative in Africa would be a lot of fun.
Q: What super hero power would you want to have?
A: I would want to teleport because I love to travel, but I hate the actual travel part. My son and I talk about teleportation all the time. I love being other places, but the getting there is always the most painful part.
Porchlight is a premier commercial production company in Nashville, TN that consistently creates and delivers extraordinary visual content for brands and agencies.