This is a growing repository of my actual scripts that I typed out on my phone with my thumbs, before ever shooting. Use it as a reference. I’ll continue adding other scripts in the future.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA_A8nev-Tb/
⏱️ Video length: 00:28
This is the mockup website of your dreams
It’s a drag and drop mockup editor completely in the browser
No photoshop files or smart objects
And the photography is suuuuper premium
Billboards, signage, shirts, hats, devices
It’s super easy. Drag in any image or video file format
Slide it around
It automatically picks out the right colors to fill in any gaps
And exports the exact specs for whatever platform you need
This is not sponsored. just another tool to add to the toolbox.
✍️ final video is almost EXACTLY word-for-word. I recorded the hook a few times though and ended up going with “my dreams” instead of “your dreams”.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGf4Qy0xfQK/
⏱️ Video length: 01:58
Hook: "The Art Director Starter Kit."
Introduction: An art director isn't a designer but focuses on the pre-execution/concept phase, working with clients to sell them on ideas and visual directions. So our tools aren’t THAT different, its just all about helping brands imagine and see our vision across an entire campaign, before we execute it.
Craft Tools: You’re gonna be making a lot of pitch decks & client presentations in some pretty simple tools like Keynote, Google Slides. You can get fancy but you don’t have to. They just have to look great. Google The Art of Deckmaking by Aisha Hakim to dive deeper there. And then you’ll need to create visuals in those decks of what these ideas could look like so for commercials or photoshoots, you might be showing them reference images from anywhere online, photographers you want to hire, stock, or movie stills from tools like Frameset or Shotdeck.
Some visuals might need to be tweaked or made from scratch (like you’re gonna fly drones in the shape of the brand’s logo) so use Photoshop, Illustrator or a combination of photoshop and generative AI tools for bringing things to life and mocking up your vision.
Idea Tools:
You need to be able to come up with conceptual ideas that are better than AI. Read this to learn how to come up with “big ideas”.
Read this article to learn how to become an idea machine.
and visit my website thetoolbox.art for a ton of inspiration tools and websites.
And thats as simple as I can explain the core tools of the job. Ideas coming up with the vision, and then crafting the vision so clients can picture it.
Theres tons more and we could go deeper on good ideas, collaboration, making a portfolio, getting a job, etc.
So let me know what topics you want me to talk about?
✍️ This is a longer one where I structured the script a bit more into sections. Same principles but I wanted to be organized in how I was delivering the roadmap.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEfQgKyRxnh/
⏱️ Video length: 00:22
Steal my Art Director Bookmarks. All of them! I’ve made them completely public on a website. You can see my favorite creative tools, inspiration resources, people to follow.
I started out as a junior art director wishing I had something like this, so I first made a free pdf.
Thousands of creatives downloaded it. And then turned that into website: TheToolbox.art.
It’s a work in progress, a little rough around the edges, as I continue to add more and more resources.
So check it out and share it with other creatives.
✍️ notice how the wrap-up changed slightly. I cut out “a little rough around the edges”.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_NjKhwRNRm/
⏱️ Video length: 00:41
these Youtubers are ignoring the algorithm and winning.
Kraig Adams is a hiking channel that literally uploads 4 hour videos with no talking. The sounds are soothing yet It’s incredibly well edited. I can’t imagine the time it takes. But seems to be worth the effort.
I think creators are often motivated by the algorithm to find shortcuts to retention, while these videos almost instead provide a utility in the way music or a sound machine does. Its value that is not education or entertainment? It’s a little different.
✍️ Also includes a sound bite from the featured creator. No real wrap-up in this one.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-cwgisxnu_/
⏱️ Video length: 00:27
My new favorite Olympic photos aren’t photos, but
70 photos all in one digitally stitch and composited together into a single photo
this is the magical work of photographer and digital artist Geoff Lowe
action sequence photos are nothing new and something I’m familiar with from the action sports world
but the way he’s creating shapes and patterns with those sequences is really unique
my friend Caroline shared this to her story and even their clothes coordinate with the clay court color pallet
so thank you Geoff Lowe for reimagining sports photography.
✍️ this is a great example of the visual hook being so powerful. So I also wanted to stretch out the setup a bit. Really build up the curiosity.