Artistic collaboration is one of the hardest things to get right. Creative minds often come with strong opinions, bold visions, and very different ways of working. But when it clicks? It’s magic, pure and simple. When multiple minds come together and truly collaborate, the final result always becomes something greater than the sum of its parts.
This past weekend, I was reminded of that truth at the Art Directors Association of Iowa Awards Show. I found out a brand video we created for Waterfront Seafood Market’s new “Waterfront Direct” service was nominated for Best Video. We didn’t take home the trophy, a very well-done most likely very expensive Iowa State Fair commercial earned that, but just seeing our team’s name on the big screen meant the world.
Especially considering how we made that video.
We had no extra budget. No weeks of planning. We had a morning to come up with an idea, an afternoon to shoot, and a few days to edit. That’s it. No bells or whistles, just pure creativity, hustle, and collaboration.
The day we shot that video, it was me as the director, our excellent cinematographer Connor Botts, our assistant director Olivia Husa, and our client from Waterfront Seafood Market, who, bless him, was as chill and supportive as any creative team could ask for.
I pitched a visual idea right away, something bold and fast and fun. Connor, the gear-loving realist he is, immediately shot it down: “That’s not possible,” he said. “It’ll look like garbage.” I pushed back: “I’ve done it before, it can work.” He didn’t budge. “It won’t look good.”
Enter Olivia Husa . Calm, steady, unshakable Olivia. She didn’t take sides, didn’t fan the flames. She just helped us navigate the tension. She kept the ship moving forward, quietly encouraging both of us. In that moment, she was the glue.
See, I’m a dreamer. I believe anything is possible with enough creativity and grit, (but realistically this has caused me many headaches in music recording, putting on a rock show or film or website production.) Connor’s a technician. He makes everything look amazing, but he’s all about what’s realistically doable. And Olivia? She’s the bridge. She understands both worlds and helps us all meet in the middle.
After some intense back and forth, we decided to try it.
And you know what? It worked. We got into a rhythm. The energy shifted. We found our groove.
The final concept was a 15-second video. A fish flies through the air out of Nick’s hands. A box drops on a customer’s stoop. Message delivered, literally and figuratively. “You don’t have to come to Waterfront anymore. We’ll bring the seafood straight to you.” Short. Bold. Effective.
I’m proud of that video. But more than that, I’m proud of how we made it. The process was messy, heated, and honest, but because we stuck with it, trusted each other, and leaned into our different strengths, scope, and budget, we made something special.
That’s the beauty and the challenge of collaboration. It’s not about everyone agreeing. It’s about everyone committing to the process, bringing their best, and finding ways to make each other better. Super proud of my team Farmboy.
