Jason Moore

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There were three seminal events in my life that led me to becoming a film director, and they all occurred during the sixth grade. I was the lead in the school play. I went to science camp. My towel fell off after swim practice and people laughed. The last event taught me two important things: I learned that I loved making people laugh, but I was going to have to suffer a bit to do it. It’s still true today.

I studied acting and directing as a Theater Arts major at the University of California, Los Angeles and continued at UCLA as a Film Directing major in the M.F.A. program. My short film “Don’t Eat the Chili at the Detour Diner” won the $25,000 James Bridges Award for Directing in my 2nd year of school. My thesis film, “Paradise, Nebraska” won UCLA’s top prize: the Spotlight Award for best film of the year. “Paradise” was a hit on the festival circuit, and I sold the film to over twenty domestic and international networks, including Showtime, the Sundance Channel, Universal, Atom Films, and more.

After graduating, I began directing commercials. I found them to be a natural extension of short filmmaking and I enjoyed the fast pace and quick turnaround of projects. My first spot, a spoof of Nike’s “Freestyle”, shot to the #1 spot on Adcritic.com and stayed there for five weeks. It went ‘viral’, as they say; downloaded and emailed hundreds of thousands of times. The spot gained media attention with articles in Creativity, ‘Boards, and Shoot Magazine and was featured in Campaign Screen’s DVD of the world’s most creative and innovative commercials.

I followed up with a string of work for clients such as Bud Light, Match.com, McDonalds, and the Los Angeles Kings. I work with both domestic and international brands and clients. I like comedy, visual storytelling, dialogue, and physical humor. I live for spot-on casting, I use improvisation to add unexpected details to the script, and I concentrate on delivering memorable performances.

My recent spots for the US Department of Transportation won me further recognition. They were featured in the Shoot Magazine New Directors Showcase, which highlights the hottest (their words!) new directors in the industry. The spots have also won Telly and Mobius Awards.

I live in Manhattan with my wife Jennifer and our bulldog Botticelli. When I’m not directing, I teach film production and run marathons.