Face to face with Chad Muserlian Executive Producer at The Brownie Film Company
You’re one of the member of the YDA / CFP-E, what this award represent for you as producer?
For me the YDA is not only an opportunity to recognize young, fresh talent in our sector but also is an inspiration for those newcomers to push creative boundaries. The YDA over the years has managed to create a benchmark for quality and creativity even among the most novice directors that raises the bar and expectations for new entrants to our industry.
Even though we celebrate the YDA in Cannes, a setting where genius abounds, each year there are beginners’ films in competition that leave a significant impression for their novelty, execution, maturity or conception, marking what the future of advertising has yet in store for us. As a producer, the YDA has also served as a meeting place where talented, young directors can join longstanding production houses and begin a journey together. Currently, two of our directors were in the day YDA shortlisted nominees.
When you decide to bet on a young director, what is the most important thing for you?
There are different factors that go into deciding on taking on a young director. Talent… this is something often inherent but that often develops as a director grows. Spec spots, personal pieces, photographs, short films, music videos… these are all things that we look at to try to identify talent and potential in a young director. Depending on our roster, sometimes we seek out talent in specific genres or an inclination of a young director for certain types of films. However, aside from being gifted, we look for directors who are hard-workers, dedicated, self-motivated and not easily disappointed. We’ve noticed that the market has become quite inundated with new “talent” and it is not easy sometimes to stand out from the rest, but patient, dedicated directors who bring something new to the table are those that we bet on.
What is your latest news?
In the past year we have been shooting jobs across Spain and Europe with Hollywood stars or football players that are complex productions resulting in international films that leave many wondering sometimes how it was all done. However, perhaps what has us most excited right now is having found a new, young, director fresh out of film school whose first few pieces show an enormous maturity in narrative and the esthetic. Creatives are equally wowed by his distinct talent, making this an especially gratifying moment in accompanying this young director in his inception. He is a 2016 YDA candidate so we wish him good luck in this year’s competition.
An advice for future YDA participant ?
Before submitting your film, take a look at previous years’ winners and shortlists. This will give you an idea of what your competition will be like and where you will need to set your own, personal bar. For spec spots or student films, I recommend teaming up with agency creatives to make sure that the concept of your film is just as strong as the execution. It’s sometimes difficult to extract a director’s talent from a spot with a weak idea, so make sure yours has both!
