Scripting The Ad - with Synchrony Bank

Live on Zoom - Wednesday, May 27th at 12:00PM PST

Brands like Synchrony Bank have evolved beyond commercials and billboards, taking a less conventional and more artistic approach to advertising. Narrative short films such as "Pay Day" allow for unique collaborations between marketing executives and traditional filmmakers to experiment with bold methods of storytelling and redefine what "branded content" actually means. How can you craft a narrative, develop characters, and create quality content that successfully promotes brand values and resonates with both consumers and audiences alike? This panel will deconstruct the creative process behind the award winning film "Pay Day" and explore the trends and techniques that blur the lines between advertising and entertainment.

Hosted by

Tim Nudd

Editor in Chief

The Clio Awards Tim Nudd is a journalist who has covered creativity in business for 20 years. Since 2018 he has been editor in chief of the Clio Awards, leading all content initiatives for the venerable awards company. Shortly after joining Clio, he launched Muse by Clio (http://musebycl.io), a website and daily newsletter of stories and essays exploring the best in creativity from the advertising world and beyond. Prior to Clio, he was creative editor at Adweek for eight years. He lives outside Portland, Maine.

Featuring

Morgan Cooper

Director Morgan Cooper is a Los Angeles-based writer and director whose influences include fine art, photography, jazz, hip-hop, and his experiences growing up in Kansas City, Mo. Having traveled extensively as a commercial director/DP, Cooper is now focused on his passion: narrative filmmaking with substance and purpose; telling the stories of those who are unrepresented, underrepresented, and misrepresented in film. He is committed to using his voice as a filmmaker to positively impact society and inspire the next generation of young black filmmakers. Cooper is represented by CAA for television and film, and by Chromista for commercial work.

Cindy Weisskopf Managing Director, Brand, Promotions & Advertising Leader, Consumer Banking Synchrony Bank Cindy Weisskopf is managing director of Brand, Promotions and Advertising for Synchrony’s direct to consumer banking and is bringing “fun” and storytelling to financial services that promote good savings habits because we believe saving is the right thing to do. Cindy has led the development of award-winning advertising that’s helped grow the consumer bank 7X in size in 7 years. Under her tenure, she’s fused entertainment with banking through multi-year promotions and credit sponsorships with Marvel Studios. A former film studio marketing executive, she’s happiest when she’s ideating and shaking things up. If she had it her way, her career tombstone would read “She had a vision to create change and the drive to see it through.” She currently resides in and works from Paradise Valley, Arizona.

Sam Pezzullo Producer & Programmer

Tribeca X (Tribeca Film Festival) Sam is a Webby, Clio, and Shorty award-winning Producer with a unique background in branded entertainment. He currently oversees programming and production of Tribeca X, a special section of the Tribeca Film Festival that recognizes branded storytelling with a conference, panels, screenings and a juried award in several categories. Previously, Sam spent six years as Producer at Thinkmodo, the world's leading viral video agency. There, alongside the Co-Founders, Sam created videos for clients and brands including Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount, Oakley, Verizon, Amazon, YouTube and others. Collectively, their videos have earned more than 2 billion views on YouTube and Facebook and have generated global media coverage. When Thinkmodo closed in 2018, Sam started Mostly, Inc. to continue creating original and branded content.