Posts by Jaemin Yi

6 Mistakes to Avoid When Directing a Spec Commercial

9 Comments read Advertising, Filmmaking

Ah, the good ol’ “Spec Commercial”  If you’re a filmmaker looking to break into commercial directing, you’re gonna need a few of these on your reel.  A spec commercial is simply a “fake” commercial that a filmmaker makes to show ad agencies and companies that he’s worthy of hiring.

Needless to say, if you want to be taken seriously as a director, your spec commercials better look as close to the real thing as possible!

After years of watching many many (mostly horrible) spec commercials and having just recently finished 3 (hopefully not so horrible) specs of my own, I’ve noticed an interesting trend: Most filmmakers have no idea how to make a commercial.

Now there’s a ton of great filmmakers out there, but without any advertising experience, their spec commercials usually end up feeling like specs and not like the real thing. Continue reading →

OneRepublic’s Official “Unofficial” Music Video

3 Comments read Filmmaking, Music

The song “Apologize” by OneRepublic has long been killed by the radio and will probably never be erased from our heads, but there’s one reason why I need to bring them up again:

Their official music video is flat out horrible.

It’s a bland, utterly uninspired “performance piece” which just showcases the band playing in a studio and Timbaland hittin’ some switches (oh and lest I forget the utterly nonsensical New Years subplot).  If you just read this last sentence, you don’t even need to click play cause you’ve already seen it.  There’s absolutely nothing to it.

Which is why it’s all the more shocking when you check out the original music video, before the record deal and before Timbaland: Continue reading →

Bike Hero, Viral Success or Ethical Failure?

5 Comments read Advertising

This video splashed onto Youtube last week and with 1.5 million hits so far, it’s already gone certifiably viral:

“Bike Hero” was a hit for many reasons, but especially with the fans of Guitar Hero and Rock Band, who were the perfect demographic. The concept was just off the wall and fun. I mean, they brought this beloved video game out into the real world, and on a bike nonetheless – what Guitar Hero fan wouldn’t want to see that?

What really made it work for me was the meticulous attention to detail. Every single element in the game was faithfully re-produced, including the high score pop-ups and the blue tinted “star power” mode. These details were definitely not lost on the fans.

But what resonated the most with the Guitar Hero heads was the sheer homebrew outrageousness of it all. To think, these random guys who are just like me, put in all those hours and went all out for no greater reward than pure, creative fulfillment…er, wait a second.

Turns out that Bike Hero was not created by ‘Madflux’, a McDonald’s fryer, but instead was helmed by Aussie ad agency Droga5 (you may remember them from their last viral hit, Mark Ecko tagging Air Force One).

Since the public outing, the backlash has grown intense with many debating the ethics of an agency posing as a regular ol’ Youtuber. Continue reading →

Three Commercials That’ll Make You Think Twice About Your Career

3 Comments read Advertising, Filmmaking

I’ve always loved commercials for job search websites. They’re almost always so effective because they tap into an insight we can all share: finding your perfect career. Whether you’re five and dreaming about it, or fifty and wishing you had looked harder, the ads (if done right) can hit home with everyone.

And the best ones are the ones that actually make you stop and think, even long after the commercial is over.  The ones that make you take a second look at the career path you’re in and where you should be going.  The ones that are creative and original enough to make you notice the first time and want to watch it a second time.

Here are three of my favorites and not only are they all great creative works, but they’re all truly effective ads.  Each one hammers home an insight that not only gets you thinking, but feeling.


Monster.com “When I Grow Up”
director: Bryan Buckley, agency: Mullen

When you watched this, you first laughed at how ridiculous it was to hear these kids saying things like “I wanna have a brown nose.”  But a few moments later, you start thinking and maybe even a little part of you gets nostalgic.  At least that’s what I did. Continue reading →

Fresh Eyes In the Editing Room

0 Comments read Filmmaking


photo by dbuc

Things have been crazy for the past 4 weeks with this special, non-freelance project I’ve been working on. But after tonight (our last day of shooting), I’ll be in the home stretch – the editing phase.  Which means for the next few days, I’ll get little sleep and even less sunlight.  Woohoo.

But honestly, as tiring and draining as editing can be, it’s still worth it for the rush you get when you start to see the pieces all coming together.

So as I’m about to say goodbye to my social life and enter the editing room once again, I thought I’d share an editing tip that has always been absolutely crucial to every project I’ve ever done… Continue reading →

From Budweiser to Barack

0 Comments read Advertising, Filmmaking

With Election Day just a few exciting hours away, I thought I’d spotlight this video that’s been making the rounds on Youtube and all over the internet. Yup, the Wassssup boys are back and the past 8 years haven’t treated them too well…

I love how director Charles Stone III took his original Budwesier ad (which you can check out here if your memory’s fuzzy) and amped up the humor with a dark and twisted vibe. He really toed the line perfectly, playing it dark enough to make you cringe, but still light and overexaggerated enough to make you laugh.

Wassup 2008 uses the same structure as the last commercial, but instead of the Budweiser-average-dudes-chillin vibe, the guys are now depressed, losing their homes, and even fighting a war. Seeing one of these carefree Budweiser dudes stationed in full Iraq gear really sends a sobering message: a lot has happened in the last 8 years and nobody, not even iconic commercial characters, remain unaffected. Continue reading →

What I’ve Been Up To

2 Comments read Updates

Wow, thing’s have been crazy lately, but I really can’t complain.  This freelancing lifestyle is definitely not an easy one and came with a lot of challenges I didn’t even see coming (I’ll school y’all on that in a later post), but seriously, it’s been an exciting and fun ride.  Right now, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

So a few weeks ago, I wrapped up a company reel for Green Dot which I’m really proud of.  It’s a fast paced 6 minutes with people telling their own Green Dot stories and an added touch of motion graphics.  I’ll have it up on here soon, just you wait.

Right after that finished, I immediately took up another project with Green Dot and I’m pumped.  I really love working with this non-profit.  Seriously, they’re doing amazing things for the students in LA (trust me, I’ve spent a lot of time with them) and as a journalist said to me, they really are “the single most revolutionary change happening in education today.”  I mean for chrissakes, they just took over the worst high school in Los Angeles…and are actually transforming it!

That same week I also got hired for a project by the Los Angeles Parents Union (LAPU), and wow, I’m definitely excited for this.  They’re planning something really big, and I think I can really help out with both my film and advertising skills.

And my latest project is the one I want to tell you the most about, but I gotta keep it hush for a little longer.  Let’s just say that this is more of a personal project and it’ll really be a step up for me, filmmaking-wise and spending-wise.  Oh, and there’s a chance that this could pay off for us in a really big way.  Really.

When this is finally done and no longer consuming my life, I’m thinking about posting a multi-part series detailing the whole process from idea to final product, what we did, what mistakes we made, what we learned, maybe advice from other filmmakers.  Eh?  What do you think?  Anyways, I’ll get back to you on that.  We’ve got auditions this weekend and we’re shooting the next, so looks like it’s time for me to put down the blogging pen and get back to work.