The Directors: Jo Gennett
Jo Gennett is a Brooklyn based director with an additional background in creative direction and production. Her directing style exists in the natural world while taking a lightly art directed approach, bringing fun, energy, and personality into each piece. Clients she has collaborated with include Lululemon, Meta, P&G, Match, and Barefoot Wine.
Name: Jo Gennett
Location: Brooklyn NY
Repped by/in: kaboom in the US
LBB> What are some upcoming projects that you're excited about? Tell us a bit about them?
Jo> I just started writing something I’m eager to make but I can’t say another word about it otherwise I might never finish it (the internet tells me this is the ‘pseudo productivity phenomenon’ and I’m determined to beat it).
LBB> What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?
Jo> I’ve actually written and concepted a lot of the spots I’ve made, but when I have gotten scripts from the agency or brand creative, you can tell when the people writing them are really invested and excited about it. That makes me excited. I love when there are already interesting ideas incorporated in the script that I’m able to build on.
LBB> How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?
Jo> I start with jotting down all the disassembled thoughts that had initially popped into my head when talking with the creatives. Like remembering that we should have the mum character driving the car instead of dad, or brainstorming a giant list of relevant actions that I don’t know where to place yet. Then I go into my mind’s archive of cool visuals that I’m inspired by. After that, I honestly black out a little bit putting the words and visuals together.
I used to create treatments as a full-time job, so once I get into a groove, it’s almost like I wake up out of a trance a week later and the messy document of notes and images has been transformed into a full treatment. Which is great, but then I look around and my house is a disaster and I have an insane urge for a snack and a nap.
LBB> What excites you in the advertising industry right now, as a director? Any trends or changes that open new opportunities?
Jo> On social platforms especially, brands seem to be more open to trying out new ideas, and working directly with creators on those platforms to make content that resonates with a specific person’s audience. I do creative direction work as well, often collaborating with these creators to come up with ideas, and there is a ton of fresh energy in that space. You get to be as lo-fi or high tech as you want when making social content, which puts less pressure on the idea, and that in turn makes it fun to experiment.
LBB> If the script is for a brand that you're not familiar with/ don’t have a big affinity with or a market you're new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it?
Jo> I’ll always start with researching the brand before ideating. Since it’s about selling the product, I need to understand it before crafting an entire narrative around it. But having said that, there are definitely times where there’s a brand or messaging that is especially rooted in an identity or culture I don't share- and in that case- it’s good to know when to pass on that project and leave room for a director who might have a deeper connection to it.
LBB> For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?
Jo> I really do like to talk to everyone on the team, and I’m always bouncing around departments on set to make sure we’re all on the same page. I talk a lot with the DP, but a ton of that happens in prep so we have a decent plan going into filming. I also spend a lot of time with the art department because I love putting together a colour scheme and the spaces for the characters.
LBB> What type of work are you most passionate about - is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?
Jo> My work is mostly rooted in naturalistic storytelling and I love creating the curated worlds around the characters. But I also love when there is room for whimsy and playfulness, especially when there is an ability to sprinkle in subtle, offbeat humour as well.
LBB> What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?
Jo> The commercial work I’ve done is mostly lifestyle, so I guess people might assume that’s my only M.O. And I do love that kind of storytelling. But in my off time, and especially back in film school when you could run with anything, I made movies about people eating brains for breakfast, and sock puppets hounding their exes for recipes. Leaning into that type of freeing, anything-goes mindset is the coolest part of creating.
LBB> What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?
Jo> The first commercial project I did was for a greeting card company and needed to feature a caterpillar at different life stages before becoming a butterfly. So I was taking care of MANY critters and butterflies in my apartment the couple weeks leading up to filming. Then I actually forgot to bring some of the caterpillars to the shoot so I wound up literally looking for one on the sidewalk on location - and found one! (Wrote the script for this spot too so I admit I did bring this problem on myself).
LBB> How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?
Jo> Explaining the “why” behind the choices I make. If the agency and client understand the reasons behind my thoughts and how it could make the story even better, they might be more inclined to run with me on an idea. But there are definitely times where I have to feel out the elements that are really important to them so I’m not fighting to change something they especially care about.
LBB> What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?
Jo> Of course - this industry is already so difficult to succeed in and there are so many wildly creative people I admire that just haven’t gotten the same opportunities. And as a female director, I know I would have appreciated someone to shadow early on, so I’m definitely open to being that person for someone else.
LBB> Your work is now presented in so many different formats - to what extent do you keep each in mind while you're working (and, equally, to what degree is it possible to do so)?
Jo> Ideally- there's a hero format to work towards. And then from there we can see how to make the other formats fit and work. If you try to please all the formats equally, then none of them end up looking as nice as they could.
LBB> What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work (e.g. virtual production, interactive storytelling, AI/data-driven visuals etc)?
Jo> My work so far has been primarily in-camera, but there are so many ideas in my head that will require learning about virtual worlds. I have also dreamed of making a choose-your-own adventure story and I think Black Mirror’s “Bandersnatch” was underrated. I don’t know how I feel about AI yet, BUT if the AI is listening, then hello, I love you.
LBB> Which pieces of your work do you feel show what you do best – and why?
Jo> “Gigi’s Little Kitchen” short film // Using the film format to express the energy and beautiful chaos that is Gigi’s colourful cake-making process was a true pleasure.
“Match” commercials // I wrote the scripts for these as well as directed (this is one of two spots we made). I’m happy with where we took the subtle flirty vibes of the characters and compositions of the camera.
“Millennial Haikus” short film // A friend wrote these haikus and I loved visually expressing their paper dry humour in video form.
“Care/Of” commercial // Combining an overall naturalistic look with some techniques like the camera locked on talent/product and intercutting still photos was a fun mix.
