One of the first major shoots we did coming out of COVID for the agency DNA; I remember taking the call from their producer while on vacation on the East Coast, working through the logistics in real time: the spot needed to feel unmistakably Pacific Northwest, but COVID protocols made it unclear which state would actually be feasible to shoot in, or how large a crew we could safely bring. We spent that call strategizing and problem-solving together, and I think that flexibility is ultimately what helped us win the project.

It was also a chance to bring Jordan Brady onto the kaboom roster — a seasoned, well-known director I'd been trying to work with for awhile, who joined us permanently after this shoot. We built the spot on a stage with foreground and mid-ground props, shooting against blue screen — but rather than build a full-scale 40-foot mural to shoot in front of, we hired a muralist to paint a smaller original mural separately, then composited it in to get the same effect of a real, hand-painted backdrop. Three spots in all.

Director: Jordan Brady; Agency: DNA; Brand: Kaiser Permanente