Ben Brady

True Gentleman

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
The first project I professionally directed was for “Quility,” a life insurance company. The agency was Union out of North Carolina. We shot in June of 2021.

How did you get into directing?
I was introduced by my father and older cousin of mine. I grew up on set; watching and participating in commercials my old man would direct. My older cousin also threw me in a few projects as a kid. I didn’t completely understand as a kid what it meant to be a director, but I did feel their passion for storytelling and ability to create. They had a vision about something and could communicate that.

What is your most recent project?
My most recent project is for a tequila brand called Cava de Oro. It was a project I crafted myself. I also directed and DP’d. I shot it on spec and it was picked up by the brand on social media.

What is the best part of being a director?
Having a team. Collaboration is my favorite part of being a director.

What is the worst part of being a director?
Making decisions.

What is your current career focus: commercials and branded content, television, movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre–comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.?
I am currently focusing on creating both commercials and branded content. Comedy friendly lifestyle is what I’m going for.

Have you a mentor and if so, who is that person (or persons) and what has been the lesson learned from that mentoring which resonates with you?
My main mentor is my old man, Jordan Brady. He has always stressed the importance of communication and collaboration. Knowing how to lead a team or crew can be difficult and nothing is ever perfect. So, when an obstacle arises or something seems to fail we say, “there are only solutions.”

Who is your favorite director and why?
Paul Thomas Anderson, for his ability to bring all of the elements together, to create an environment that supports and drives the lead characters on their journey.

What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content?

• Fave movie: Lords of Dogtown / New Jack City
• Fave TV: Barry
• Commercial: Xbox “Ear Tennis” Director: Lionel Goldstein

Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I was raised in Santa Monica, California. Grew up skating by the beach and surfing on the weekends. Fell in love with photography in middle school and continued to study it in high school. Made a bunch of hip hop music with my friends – totally thought I was going to be a rapper, damn it. After graduating high school, I survived a year in retail before leaving, and I began production assisting. Then I joined IATSE as a camera assistant and have spent the last 8 years working in the business, honing in my craft.

Have you had occasion to bring your storytelling/directorial talent to bear in the Metaverse, tapping into the potential of AR, VR, AI, NFTs and/or experiential fare? If so, tell us about that work and what lessons you have taken away from the experience?
I have used VR to pre-visualize. The production designer created our set to exact size. This allowed for us to explore with full creative freedom, then dial in our plan with precision. We were able to get exact placement on set pieces and lights, and then actually walk through our day, shot by shot. When we arrived on set to shoot it was all execution.

Contact

• True Gentleman Industries