Becoming a Director by Following the Human Story
Sometimes the best work happens when you ignore the traditional playbook.
When the Urban League of Essex County asked me to create a film for their annual Red Gala, the request came with one condition: don’t make the usual fundraising video.
No glossy highlight reel.
No sweeping drone shots.
No executive testimonials.
Instead, they wanted something real.
That simple request became my first experience directing a film—and it led to one of the most meaningful creative projects I’ve ever been part of.
At the Urban League of Essex County, the “why” begins with a simple but powerful belief: every person deserves equal access to the resources they need to reach their full potential.
When program director Kevin Jones first approached me about creating a film for the Urban League’s annual Red Gala, the goal was clear. The piece would serve as both an inspirational film and a call to action—something that would help raise funds to support the communities they serve across Newark, New Jersey.
But Kevin also had a very specific request. He didn’t want the traditional “capabilities film”—the kind often built around sweeping drone shots, sentimental music, and testimonials from senior leadership. He wanted something different. Something more human.
As Curated’s agency director, I remember thinking immediately: this is right up my alley.
I rarely follow traditional paths in the work I do. Sometimes that instinct gets me into trouble—but more often than not, it leads to something far more meaningful than the conventional approach ever could.
That day it felt like a little voice sat on my shoulder and said, “Well kid, you’re a director now. Figure it out.” So that’s exactly what we did.
Instead of creating a polished promotional piece, we chose to dig into the lived human experiences behind the Urban League’s work. We wanted to tell stories—not statistics.
And just as importantly, we knew what we didn’t want to create.
We didn’t want a film built on what some call “poverty porn.”
We didn’t want to reduce people’s lives to hardship in order to inspire donations.
If the goal was to raise funds from both individuals and corporations, we knew we had to aim straight for the heart. That meant honoring the dignity, resilience, and gratitude of the people whose lives have been touched by the Urban League’s programs.
The film focuses on the extraordinary work of the organization’s servants and staff, while giving space to the voices of those whose lives have been changed through their efforts.
From the early creative concept and art direction, to pre-production interviews with our incredible case study participants, and finally to filming inside homes and community spaces across Newark, the experience was deeply moving.
Every person involved brought generosity, vulnerability, and honesty to the process. In the end, the Urban League of Essex County and the National Urban League reached their fundraising goal for the evening. But for me, the project delivered something even more personal. For the first time in my life, I got to call myself a director. And perhaps more importantly, I got to participate in telling stories that matter. You can learn more about the work of the Urban League here:
https://nul.org
https://ulec.org
Curated Artist's: Clayton Boyd for Hugo Boss X Spencer Phipps
German fashion house Hugo Boss is getting environmentally friendly with US designer Spencer Phipps on a new gender-less campaign and capsule collection shot by Curated’s Clayton Boyd and we couldn't be more excited for this work. Clayton spent a day hiking on the mountaintops of California’s Roof Crack in Box Spring’s Mountain Reserve Park with Spencer to test his endurance on these cliffs and held up pretty well from what we can see. Thanks to Studio Lou for the tireless production efforts to see this up-cycled, sustainable and culturally diverse campaign brought to life. Here is a little link to the fashion film.
From the pages of Vogue
The diversely cast, desert-shot, and digital hit fashion show—with over 30 million YouTube views and counting—that was Boss’s recent Dubai activation featured one especially surprising model: Spencer Phipps.
Now menswear’s most progressive peak-climbing pogonophile has partnered with the German giant once again, this time on a two-drop collaborative collection that launches today. According to Boss, it marks the first time the company has partnered with another fashion brand. True to the smaller brand’s practice, the collection is chiefly upcycled from existing garments and deadstock fabrics and where not—as in the pineapple leather retro climbing sneakers—uses sustainable materials.
Boss-wise, the chief architect of the collection was Marco Falcioni, who recently assumed the mantle as Senior Vice President Creative Direction at the brand. Falcioni, whose beard is every bit as big as Phipps’s, said: “I love what we’ve managed to create. Our clashing aesthetics create a beautiful contradiction—one that has environmental responsibility at its heart.”
Photographer/Director Clayton Boyd for "One Plus" High-Desert Handset Campaign
Recently, photographer/director @_claytonboyd_ was contracted by @oneplus to produce a two-week loop through the Mojave desert in California and Nevada for their latest handset to demonstrate the beautiful images it can capture! Clayton being a formidable rock-climber and nature enthusiast was jazzed by the idea of creating a high-desert narrative that took us all on a journey of incredible sights to be found in our nation’s west coast! #ad #shotoneoneplus @oneplus #naturephotography #desertphotography #highdesert #mojavedesert #oneplus10pro
Tom Kubik - More From The Visit Florida #lovefla Campaign
“Whatever you're imagining, you can make it real here.” That is the tag line from the new Visit Florida campaign urging people from across the country and the globe to come visit and indulge their wanderlust within the cultural riches of this wonderful state. Explore the wide-open beauty of Florida with the exceptional cinematography of Tom Kubik in his #visitflorida #lovefla campaign. Tom spent about a week in the Florida panhandle photographing everything from wolf preservation parks to lakes, rivers and streams. We couldn’t be more excited for him as he got to take out his drone for a spin and the results are fantastic!
Photographer/Director Tom Kubik for Visit Florida
“Whatever you're imagining, you can make it real here.” That is the tag line from the new Visit Florida campaign urging people from across the country and the globe to come visit and indulge their wanderlust within the cultural riches of this wonderful state. Explore the wide-open beauty of Florida with the exceptional cinematography of Tom Kubik in his #visitflorida #lovefla campaign. Tom spent about a week in the Florida panhandle photographing everything from wolf preservation parks to lakes, rivers and streams. We couldn’t be more excited for him as he got to take out his drone for a spin and the results are fantastic!