Jordan Brady: Commercial Directing in Hollywood, and the Love of the Craft
Tue Jan 20 2026
In this fun and engaging conversation, Jordan Brady shareshis journey from stand-up comedian to successful commercial director, emphasizing the importance of identity, creativity, and collaboration. He discusses the influence of his family on his career, the lessons learned from his time spent on the road as a comedian, and the evolution of filmmaking in the age of AI.
Brady also reflects on the joy of mentorship and the significance of giving back to the community, all while maintaining a sense of humor and passion for his craft. This is someone that clearly cares about his workplace, his team, and having fun along the way.
Guest Resources:Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/respect-the-process/id712578722
IG: @thatjordanbrady
Website: www.trueagent.tv
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatjordanbrady/
Book: Commercial Directing Voodo
About My Guest:
Jordan Brady has directed over 1300 commercials. Plus four feature films, (“Dill Scallion”, “Waking Up In Reno”) three full-length documentaries (“I Am Comic” trilogy), one Netflix comedy special in Maria Bamford's living room.
A stand-up comedian in a prior life, he’s credited with originating the now-ubiquitous phrase “Bow Chicka Bow Wow” in the 80’s. In the 90’s, he hosted game shows on MTV, NBC and Comedy Central. His short return to stand-up was in 2016 to perform in Afghanistan for our U.S. troops while filming "I Am Battle Comic." Brady donated 100% of the profits from the film to veterans and military families.
He’s the founder of both True Gent & Commercial Directing Film School and hosts the filmmaking podcast "Respect The Process."
Guest idea? Feedback? Connect with Greg on his website or LinkedIn.
If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating!
Want to skip to the good part? Here’s this episode’s segments:
Chapters
03:40 The Role of Fatherhood in Career
06:44 From Ohio to LA: The Creative Path
09:43 Stand-Up Comedy: The Early Days
12:49 The Move to Los Angeles: Chasing Dreams
15:49 Navigating the Comedy Scene
18:40 Transitioning Behind the Camera
24:15 First Steps into Commercial Directing
24:45 The Evolution of a Filmmaker
27:43 Balancing Film and Commercial Work
30:41 Reflections on Career Choices
34:16 The Journey of a Commercial Director
34:52 Comedy's Influence on Directing
36:18 Navigating the Commercial Landscape
38:08 The Role of Actors in Commercials
39:47 The Joy of Collaboration
42:24 Creative Problem Solving in Filmmaking
44:43 Self-Taught Filmmaking and Learning
47:42 The Value of Film School
49:29 Teaching Filmmaking: A Personal Journey
53:10 Creating Educational Content for Filmmakers
56:32 The Impact of AI on Filmmaking
59:51 The Future of Commercial Directing
01:05:33 The Pinnacle of Commercials: Super Bowl Ads
01:07:50 Memorable Moments in Filmmaking
01:13:28 The Importance of Passion in Work
More
In this fun and engaging conversation, Jordan Brady shareshis journey from stand-up comedian to successful commercial director, emphasizing the importance of identity, creativity, and collaboration. He discusses the influence of his family on his career, the lessons learned from his time spent on the road as a comedian, and the evolution of filmmaking in the age of AI. Brady also reflects on the joy of mentorship and the significance of giving back to the community, all while maintaining a sense of humor and passion for his craft. This is someone that clearly cares about his workplace, his team, and having fun along the way. Guest Resources:Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/respect-the-process/id712578722 IG: @thatjordanbrady Website: www.trueagent.tv LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thatjordanbrady/ Book: Commercial Directing Voodo About My Guest: Jordan Brady has directed over 1300 commercials. Plus four feature films, (“Dill Scallion”, “Waking Up In Reno”) three full-length documentaries (“I Am Comic” trilogy), one Netflix comedy special in Maria Bamford's living room. A stand-up comedian in a prior life, he’s credited with originating the now-ubiquitous phrase “Bow Chicka Bow Wow” in the 80’s. In the 90’s, he hosted game shows on MTV, NBC and Comedy Central. His short return to stand-up was in 2016 to perform in Afghanistan for our U.S. troops while filming "I Am Battle Comic." Brady donated 100% of the profits from the film to veterans and military families. He’s the founder of both True Gent & Commercial Directing Film School and hosts the filmmaking podcast "Respect The Process." Guest idea? Feedback? Connect with Greg on his website or LinkedIn. If you’re loving the podcast, please leave a 5-star rating! Want to skip to the good part? Here’s this episode’s segments: Chapters 03:40 The Role of Fatherhood in Career 06:44 From Ohio to LA: The Creative Path 09:43 Stand-Up Comedy: The Early Days 12:49 The Move to Los Angeles: Chasing Dreams 15:49 Navigating the Comedy Scene 18:40 Transitioning Behind the Camera 24:15 First Steps into Commercial Directing 24:45 The Evolution of a Filmmaker 27:43 Balancing Film and Commercial Work 30:41 Reflections on Career Choices 34:16 The Journey of a Commercial Director 34:52 Comedy's Influence on Directing 36:18 Navigating the Commercial Landscape 38:08 The Role of Actors in Commercials 39:47 The Joy of Collaboration 42:24 Creative Problem Solving in Filmmaking 44:43 Self-Taught Filmmaking and Learning 47:42 The Value of Film School 49:29 Teaching Filmmaking: A Personal Journey 53:10 Creating Educational Content for Filmmakers 56:32 The Impact of AI on Filmmaking 59:51 The Future of Commercial Directing 01:05:33 The Pinnacle of Commercials: Super Bowl Ads 01:07:50 Memorable Moments in Filmmaking 01:13:28 The Importance of Passion in Work