The Director’s Dilemma: Balancing Creativity and Clients

Whew, you have a really hard job.

Director, by the time you’re at-bat, you’ve probably been through a difficult treatment, you’re creatively depleted, and now the agency is trying to put Tide bottles everywhere! 

Dealing with the agency, the client, and the producers, who all have their own agendas —while you’re trying to infuse your unique, creative vision — can be an uphill battle.

Directors: Your vision matters to us! We get it and we want to help.

Visualizing Your Vision: The Power of Storyboards

• Tide is always going to want to show the detergent bottle (a lot). 
• Storyboards will ensure that your vision will speak loud and clear — so that the agency and producer can understand it. This gives you the best chance of getting exactly what you want.
• Even if the agency goes rogue with product shots, storyboards ensure your ideas are perfect in your own cut and they come across more in the commercial itself.

At SJS, we understand the director’s plight!

If anyone is prepared to fight for and (literally) illustrate your creative vision — it’s us. Remember, we’re artists, too!

Let’s create storyboards that show how well your vision works (so they are less likely to change it on set).

“You’re a director. That means you’re an absolute badass — in a crossfire hurricane. I’m in the trenches with you. I’ll help you do what makes it work. I’ll give you sneaky frames on the side for your backpocket — so you can have options that align with your vision, instead of them going off the page. You can always tell me how you really feel about the project. Even if they put in 5 new flavors of Cheerios, or 12 more Tide bottles, we’ll make sure the ad has your flavor. After all, Time and Tide wait for no one. Be true to yourself. I will see you clearly.” 

– Joe James

And when you’re feeling frustrated by this advertising cat-and-mouse game, just remember…

Ridley Scott directed over 2,000 commercials before he got his first movie. That means he made a lot of clients happy before becoming the filmmaker he is today.

Ridley Scott says about commercial advertising: “…it was my film school.” 

“Over the years, I’ve probably done 2,700 commercials…And in a way that was a huge advantage because I was able to take my time choosing my film subjects because I wasn’t relying on the fear of not being able to work.” –Ridley Scott 

From Commercials to Films: Honing Your Craft as a Director

At the end of the day, you are honing your craft. You’re building up the discipline, strength, resilience, and MONEY to execute your own creative project in the most efficient way with all of this professional experience behind you.

So, if you forget that every single shot has to include that Tide pod, don’t worry, we’ve got you.

From commercials to films, we’re here to help. Let’s talk about your vision.