Move over "Truth in advertising", Jean and director Pam Thomas create "Commercials", a hilarious look at our industry

Do you remember "Truth in advertising"? This series is kicking that off its inside-joke throne with style. An updated look at the world of making commercials, warts and all.

Community Films’ directorial collective JEAN and director Pam Thomas have joined forces to create “Commercials”, a comedic web series about the humorous, ego crushing, overanalyzed silliness that plagues the world of commercial film making and everyone involved.

“As Commercial directors and former advertising creatives, we’ve experienced hundreds of completely ridiculous moments during productions where we looked at each other and said, ‘this needs to be a show,’” says Natalie Prisco of JEAN.

Seizing on the seemingly important, but altogether ridiculous scenarios that inherently go along with making commercials, “Commercials” peels back the curtain on an industry that everyone is familiar with, but very few know much about.

“The world of commercial making is such a unique industry that feels so ripe for satire,” says Eric Eckelman of JEAN

Told from the unique point of view of an eccentric group of egomaniacal, yet wildly insecure commercial directors and their production company, Bird Films, “Commercials” satirizes the world of production as The Office did the world of 9-5ers.

Each episode gives a glimpse into the various aspects of commercial making and stages of production, leaving nobody unskewered in the process.

“We’d love Commercials to give viewers a sneak peek into what we love so much about our business and hope they find it as hilarious and fun as we do,” says Pam Thomas.

“We’re thrilled we finally decided to make that show,” adds Armand Prisco of Jean.

Episode 101: ‘ETHNICALLY AMBIGUOUS’

Nate, Maggie and the agency team try to figure out how to navigate an unexpected client request. This one feels as real as it gets, this happens. A lot.

Episode 102: ‘REALLY GREAT MEETING’

Nate and Jay may or may not have totally nailed their Snackyz presentation. Or maybe not. Maybe.

Episode 103: ‘MANTRUM’

TRUE STORY - the last time I heard a story about a director locked in a car delaying the shoot, he was also eating bowls of cereal in there.
Nate uses the oldest trick in the book to lure the out of his mind director Axel Roundhouse back to set.

Episode 104: ‘FULL CLOCKS’

Directing team Tom and Dave learn the art of the full clock.

Episode 105: ‘GUYS AND DOLLS’

A seemingly mundane Pre-Production meeting goes off the rails.

About JEAN

JEAN, pronounced like the pants that are made of denim, is comprised of Eric Eckelman, Armand Prisco and Natalie Prisco. Known for their comedy chops, and pulling believably odd performances out of their actors, they have created comedy-driven work for Lifetime, Delta, Pizza Hut, AT&T, Honda, TBS and Visa. Armand & Nat got their start working as a creative team at McCann before they went over to write and direct for MTV. There, they met Eric who was also a writer and director for the acclaimed network.

About Pam Thomas

Pam Thomas began her career at MTV, back when it was cool, in the late 1980s, writing and directing promos in the On-Air Promotions Department. Pam has worked with dozens of brands and agencies to produce a huge body of work, including spots for Gatorade, Nike, Visa, AMEX, Payless, Lexus, Wal-Mart, Dove, Verizon, Cheerios, Pantene and Cotton featuring celebrities Zooey Deschanel, Kate Bosworth, Emmy Rossum, and Hayden Panetierre. Pam’s style of work portrays an essence of glamour, fashion and creativity. Her sense of humor and knack for getting great performances, is evident in her TV work on Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives and more recently on the Netflix series Atypical with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Rappaport.

COMMERCIALS CREDITS

ETHNICALLY AMBIGUOUS 
Directed by JEAN Written by Natalie Prisco Story by JEAN Created by JEAN and Pam Thomas Production Company: Community Films Executive Producer: Lizzie Schwartz Executive Producer: Carl Swan Producer: Tony Cantale Director of Photography: Neil Shapiro  CAST Nate Young:Nate Lang Maggie Cheng: Ana Parsons Ashley: Ali Hillis DK: DK Uzoukwu Agency Producer: Brent Popolizio Head Client: Rebecca Tilney AD: Sam Carsons EA Woman: Rachel Varela  Editor: Angela Cheng Production Designer: Jace Ford Original Score: Jay Lifton Casting Director: Chad McKnight Casting Assistant: Rachel Varela Re-Recording Engineer: Robin Buyer for Pulse Music Colorist: Quinn Alvarez First AD: Julianne Maiello Second AD: Aban Sonia Script Supervisor: Lucia Pier Production Supervisor: Andrea Tello Production Coordinator: Kathy Burnham Art Director: Chad Bailey Leadman: John Horlick Set Decorator: Marisa Collins Prop Master: Greg Schultz Set Dresser: Marty McCue Costume Designer: Julie Vogel Key Costumer: Kristin Hazen Costumer: Ariel Kostrzewski Key Make Up: Brenna Bash Make Up Assistant: Laura Connelly Camera Operator: Bill Robinson First AC / A Camera: Diona Mavis First AC / B Camera: Jason Kinney Second AC: Austin Pedroni DIT: Lee Summer Gaffer: Tim Stratton Key Grip: Marco Pearson Sound Mixer: Scott Farr Boom: Jason Brooks VTR: Mike Waters Key PA: Francisco Hernandez Production Assistant: Scott Belsky Production Assistant: Patrick McElroy Production Assistant: Scott Kukla Production Assistant: Phoebe MacCurrach Production Assistant: Jeremy Meizlish Production Assistant: Tony Paoli Production Assistant: Ted Sheahan   

REALLY GREAT MEETING 
Directed by JEAN Written by Natalie Prisco Story by JEAN Created by JEAN and Pam Thomas Production Company: Community Films Executive Producer: Lizzie Schwartz Executive Producer: Carl Swan Producer: Tony Cantale Director of Photography: Neil Shapiro  CAST Nate Young: Nate Lang Jay Beck: Bo Barrett Agency Producer: Katie Von Til Creative #1: Rich Pierre Louis Creative #2: Dalton Leeb  Editor: Aaron Langley Production Designer: Jace Ford Original Score: Jay Lifton Casting Director: Chad McKnight Casting Assistant: Rachel Varela Re-Recording Engineer: Robin Buyer for Pulse Music Colorist: Quinn Alvarez First AD: Julianne Maiello Second AD: Aban Sonia Script Supervisor: Lucia Pier Production Supervisor: Andrea Tello Production Coordinator: Kathy Burnham Art Director: Chad Bailey Leadman: John Horlick Set Decorator: Marisa Collins Prop Master: Greg Schultz Set Dresser: Marty McCue Costume Designer: Julie Vogel Key Costumer: Kristin Hazen Costumer: Ariel Kostrzewski Key Make Up: Brenna Bash Make Up Assistant: Laura Connelly Camera Operator: Bill Robinson First AC / A Camera: Diona Mavis First AC / B Camera: Jason Kinney Second AC: Austin Pedroni DIT: Lee Summer Gaffer: Tim Stratton Key Grip: Marco Pearson Sound Mixer: Scott Farr Boom: Jason Brooks VTR: Mike Waters Key PA: Francisco Hernandez Production Assistant: Scott Belsky Production Assistant: Patrick McElroy Production Assistant: Scott Kukla Production Assistant: Phoebe MacCurrach Production Assistant: Jeremy Meizlish Production Assistant: Tony Paoli Production Assistant: Ted Sheahan  

MANTRUM  
Directed by Pam Thomas Written by Lloyd Stein Story by Lloyd Stein Created by JEAN and Pam Thomas Production Company: Community Films Executive Producer: Lizzie Schwartz Executive Producer: Carl Swan Producer: Tony Cantale Director of Photography: Neil Shapiro  CAST Nate Young: Nate Lang Axel Roundhouse: Joe Hursley Andy: Oren Skoog AD: Monte James Girl: Everette Lang  Editor: Barney Miller Production Designer: Jace Ford Original Score: Jay Lifton Casting Director: Chad McKnight Casting Assistant: Rachel Varela Re-Recording Engineer: Robin Buyer for Pulse Music Colorist: Quinn Alvarez First AD: Julianne Maiello Second AD: Aban Sonia Script Supervisor: Lucia Pier Production Supervisor: Andrea Tello Production Coordinator: Kathy Burnham Art Director: Chad Bailey Leadman: John Horlick Set Decorator: Marisa Collins Prop Master: Greg Schultz Set Dresser: Marty McCue Costume Designer: Julie Vogel Key Costumer: Kristin Hazen Costumer: Ariel Kostrzewski Key Make Up: Brenna Bash Make Up Assistant: Laura Connelly Camera Operator: Bill Robinson First AC / A Camera: Diona Mavis First AC / B Camera: Jason Kinney Second AC: Austin Pedroni DIT: Lee Summer Gaffer: Tim Stratton Key Grip: Marco Pearson Sound Mixer: Scott Farr Boom: Jason Brooks VTR: Mike Waters Key PA: Francisco Hernandez Production Assistant: Scott Belsky Production Assistant: Patrick McElroy Production Assistant: Scott Kukla Production Assistant: Phoebe MacCurrach Production Assistant: Jeremy Meizlish Production Assistant: Tony Paoli Production Assistant: Ted Sheahan   

FULL CLOCKS  
Directed by JEAN Written by Natalie Prisco Story by JEAN Created by JEAN and Pam Thomas Production Company: Community Films Executive Producer: Lizzie Schwartz Executive Producer: Carl Swan Producer: Tony Cantale Director of Photography: Neil Shapiro  CAST Nate Young: Nate Lang Tom: Adam Silver Dave: Ken C Peterson Agency Producer: Olivia Herman AD: Sam Carsons Actor #1: Christal Deloney Actor #2: Casey Alexander  Editor: Aaron Langley Production Designer: Jace Ford Original Score: Jay Lifton Casting Director: Chad McKnight Casting Assistant: Rachel Varela Re-Recording Engineer: Robin Buyer for Pulse Music Colorist: Quinn Alvarez First AD: Julianne Maiello Second AD: Aban Sonia Script Supervisor: Lucia Pier Production Supervisor: Andrea Tello Production Coordinator: Kathy Burnham Art Director: Chad Bailey Leadman: John Horlick Set Decorator: Marisa Collins Prop Master: Greg Schultz Set Dresser: Marty McCue Costume Designer: Julie Vogel Key Costumer: Kristin Hazen Costumer: Ariel Kostrzewski Key Make Up: Brenna Bash Make Up Assistant: Laura Connelly Camera Operator: Bill Robinson First AC / A Camera: Diona Mavis First AC / B Camera: Jason Kinney Second AC: Austin Pedroni DIT: Lee Summer Gaffer: Tim Stratton Key Grip: Marco Pearson Sound Mixer: Scott Farr Boom: Jason Brooks VTR: Mike Waters Key PA: Francisco Hernandez Production Assistant: Scott Belsky Production Assistant: Patrick McElroy Production Assistant: Scott Kukla Production Assistant: Phoebe MacCurrach Production Assistant:Jeremy Meizlish Production Assistant: Tony Paoli Production Assistant: Ted Sheahan   

GUYS AND DOLLS  
Directed by JEAN Written by Natalie Prisco Story by JEAN Created by JEAN and Pam Thomas Production Company: Community Films Executive Producer: Lizzie Schwartz Executive Producer: Carl Swan Producer: Tony Cantale Director of Photography: Neil Shapiro  CAST Nate Young: Nate Lang Maggie Cheng: Ana Parsons Male Client #1: David Lowe Male Client #2: Ted Canon Female Client #1: Jayne Entwistle Female Client #2: Io Bottoms  Editor: Angela Cheng Production Designer: Jace Ford Original Score: Jay Lifton Casting Director: Chad McKnight Casting Assistant: Rachel Varela Re-Recording Engineer: Robin Buyer for Pulse Music Colorist: Quinn Alvarez First AD: Julianne Maiello Second AD: Aban Sonia Script Supervisor: Lucia Pier Production Supervisor: Andrea Tello Production Coordinator: Kathy Burnham Art Director: Chad Bailey Leadman: John Horlick Set Decorator: Marisa Collins Prop Master: Greg Schultz Set Dresser: Marty McCue Costume Designer: Julie Vogel Key Costumer: Kristin Hazen Costumer: Ariel Kostrzewski Key Make Up: Brenna Bash Make Up Assistant: Laura Connelly Camera Operator: Bill Robinson First AC / A Camera: Diona Mavis First AC / B Camera: Jason Kinney Second AC: Austin Pedroni DIT: Lee Summer Gaffer: Tim Stratton Key Grip: Marco Pearson Sound Mixer: Scott Farr Boom: Jason Brooks VTR: Mike Waters Key PA: Francisco Hernandez Production Assistant: Scott Belsky Production Assistant: Patrick McElroy Production Assistant: Scott Kukla Production Assistant: Phoebe MacCurrach Production Assistant: Jeremy Meizlish Production Assistant: Tony Paoli Production Assistant: Ted Sheahan   

BREAK ROOM  
Directed by Pam Thomas Written by Pam Thomas and Lloyd Stein Story by Pam Thomas Created by JEAN and Pam Thomas Production Company: Community Films Executive Producer: Lizzie Schwartz Executive Producer: Carl Swan Producer: Tony Cantale Director of Photography: Neil Shapiro  CAST Nate Young: Nate Lang Axel Roundhouse: Joe Hursley Tom: Adam Silver Dave: Ken C Peterson Rita: Sarah Waisman Crayon: Tony Paoli  Editor: Barney Miller Production Designer: Jace Ford Original Score: Jay Lifton Casting Director: Chad McKnight Casting Assistant: Rachel Varela Re-Recording Engineer: Robin Buyer for Pulse Music Colorist: Quinn Alvarez First AD: Julianne Maiello Second AD: Aban Sonia Script Supervisor: Lucia Pier Production Supervisor: Andrea Tello Production Coordinator: Kathy Burnham Art Director: Chad Bailey Leadman: John Horlick Set Decorator: Marisa Collins Prop Master: Greg Schultz Set Dresser: Marty McCue Costume Designer: Julie Vogel Key Costumer: Kristin Hazen Costumer: Ariel Kostrzewski Key Make Up: Brenna Bash Make Up Assistant: Laura Connelly Camera Operator: Bill Robinson First AC / A Camera: Diona Mavis First AC / B Camera: Jason Kinney Second AC: Austin Pedroni DIT: Lee Summer Gaffer: Tim Stratton Key Grip: Marco Pearson Sound Mixer: Scott Farr Boom: Jason Brooks VTR: Mike Waters Key PA: Francisco Hernandez Production Assistant: Scott Belsky Production Assistant: Patrick McElroy Production Assistant: Scott Kukla Production Assistant: Phoebe MacCurrach Production Assistant: Jeremy Meizlish Production Assistant: Tony Paoli Production Assistant: Ted Sheahan  Special

Thanks to: House Casting, Cosmo Street Editorial, Pulse Music, Apache