Navigating the Advertising Landscape w/Callen's Mike Davidson- Just Shoot It 542

Mike Davidson, Head of Production at Callen https://thisiscallen.com/, joins Matt and Oren. After years with agencies like Leo Burnett, Wieden+Kennedy, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, and PXP, Mike is happy to be in a role that’s more production-focused while still being client-engaged.

And Matt and Oren chat about his journey from the digital, interactive, and web design side of creative to the TV commercial and production world. And he shares some unique insights that helped him level up as campaigns underwent a transformation to integrated and 360.

For Mike, choosing directors is about finding the right talent who can see the ad's strategic direction, the client’s purpose, as well as how the insanity of the idea is best suited to make things work. And he shares a producer’s perspective on choosing the right person for the directing job. And he describes the often necessary triple bid process, and why it works and sometimes doesn’t.

But Matt and Oren probe Mike on what a producer looks for in a reel. And Mike shares some key insights into what, unfortunately, may be making you appear generic. And it all leads to a fascinating conversation about AI, and how Callen uses AI and LLMs to make their bids more effective while still keeping creative solely the output of a human head.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

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Matt's Endorsement: "BlackBerry" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21867434/ currently on Netflix.

Oren's Endorsement: "Margo's Got Money Troubles" on Apple TV

Mike's Endorsement: "Patriot", the series on Amazon Prime

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).

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