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NERD Productions: Promoting a Sustainable Future for Advertising

At NERD Productions, we firmly believe in the harmonious relationship between creativity and sustainability. We strive to minimise our environmental footprint and advocate for sustainable practices at every stage of the production process, ensuring a better and greener future.

Here are some of our top ideas on how the production industry can actively contribute to a more sustainable world:

1. As a production company, we often influence viewers’ lifestyle choices, so how can we encourage our global audiences to adopt more sustainable consumption habits?

  • Create content that showcases the importance and benefits of sustainable living. This content can inspire viewers to adopt similar practices in their daily lives.
  • Collaborate with sustainable brands and organizations to create content that promotes sustainable products and services. This can create a positive association with sustainability in the minds of your audience.
  • Lead by example and ensure that your own production processes are sustainable, minimising your impact on the environment.
  • Engage with your audience and encourage them to share their own sustainable practices and experiences. This can create a sense of community and inspire others to adopt similar practices.
  • Support sustainable initiatives by sponsoring events, donating funds, or volunteering your time. This can create a positive association with sustainability in the minds of your audience and encourage them to do the same.

By implementing these ideas, we can encourage sustainable consumption habits and make a positive impact on the environment.

NERD Sustainability Advocate & Director: Lucas Borras ‘Arrow’

2. How can we best collaborate with communities and organisations in advertising to promote sustainable initiatives beyond internal production processes?

  1. Offer resources: Provide resources and support to help the community/organisation implement sustainable practices. 
  2. Co-create campaigns: Collaborate with the community/organisation to co-create campaigns that promote sustainability. This ensures that the message resonates with the community and is more likely to be effective.
  3. Look for sustainable opportunities: Look for parts of the story or processes that can be made more sustainable. Highlighting these aspects can inspire others to take action towards sustainability.
NERD Sustainability Advocate & Director Rachael-Olga Lloyd ‘Everything InBetween”

3. How can we entice clients and agencies to invest in making production more sustainable, as this usually comes at a higher cost?

Investing in sustainable production is not only essential for a better future, but it can also bring numerous benefits to clients and agencies. However, it’s crucial to entice them to make the initial investment. Here are some ways to make sustainability more engaging:

Firstly, highlight the long-term benefits of sustainable production. While it may require higher costs initially, sustainable practices can result in significant long-term cost savings. For instance, by reducing energy consumption, waste, and improving efficiency, businesses can ultimately increase profitability and create a positive brand image.

Secondly, showcase the business case for sustainability. Presenting research and case studies that demonstrate the financial benefits of sustainable production can help clients and agencies realise the value of such practices. This can include increased market share, customer loyalty, and an improved reputation.

Thirdly, offer incentives to encourage sustainable production. These can be in the form of reduced rates, additional services, or other perks. By offering tangible benefits, clients and agencies can be motivated to invest in sustainable production.

Lastly, encourage collaboration to identify areas where sustainable practices can be implemented without compromising production quality. Working collaboratively with clients and agencies can also help reduce costs and increase buy-in from stakeholders.

NERD Sustainability Advocate & Director: Brett De Vos ‘World Diabetes Day”

4. How to reduce digital pollution? Our starter’s top tips for everyone:

We believe in constantly reevaluating practices to ensure they are effective and sustainable. Simple solutions like eliminating email signature images and avoiding sending unnecessary emails can significantly reduce data usage and your carbon footprint.

Sustainable web design practices such as image optimisation and file compression can further reduce the energy required to load web pages. Using video conferencing and allowing for remote work can save time, money, and emissions from unnecessary travel.

NERD Sustainability Advocate & Director: Hayley Morris “Charlie Banana”
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The Art of Production: Lydia Glanville, NERD’s Head of Business and Talent


Step into the world of Lydia, Head of Business and Talent at NERD Productions, and get a glimpse of the thrill and excitement of the production industry. Getting briefs, catching up with producers & creatives on a daily, nurturing talent and much more. Lydia’s passion for the industry started at the age of 19 and it never stopped!

We managed to steal some time from her busy schedule to pick her brain on how she navigates the industry where personal connections are paramount. We also snatched a few bits of advice for those who are perhaps looking to embark on a similar career journey.

How did you first get involved in the production and what appealed to you about it?

It all started when I was 19 years old and worked as a receptionist at a production company in London. From then on I knew it was an industry I wanted to get involved in.

What about your personality, skills and experience make this position such a great fit?

People say I have always had “ the gift of the gob” and connecting people has always been something I felt I was good at and still enjoy doing immensely. I don’t like giving up, so pursuing the right brief for the right director as well as finding that perfect match for the client is crucial. 

I like to laugh and always say that I can hopefully make people laugh too, it always breaks the tension. Listening to clients’ wants and needs is another quality that I use in my professional life. 

Being spontaneous and picking up that phone to absolutely anyone has always been something that has never phased me and that has led to making great connections over the years.

What piece of advice would you give to someone just starting their career in production?

Go with it, go slow and carefully, and don’t be afraid to push the boundaries. More than that, don’t give up at the first or last hurdle, push on through and do it with a smile on your face. Patience and persistence go a long way.

Thinking back to some of the most challenging experiences you’ve had in your career, what do you think tends to lie at the heart of the more tense or difficult client? 

Leaving the ego at the door can be extremely beneficial for all involved. Working as a team can gain much better results than thinking only about your own creative needs and without collaboration. Working together can definitely be much more productive and powerful!

And what are the keys to building a productive and good relationship?

Honesty, communication, collaboration trust and ambition.

What’s your view on disagreement and emotion – is there a place for it and if not, why not? If so, why – and what does productive disagreement look like?

Having disagreements is ok. We encourage talent at NERD to always come forward and tell us their real thoughts. It can be healthy and can lead to more brainstorming and result in an even better thought/idea. However, being polite and communicative in a calm & mature manner will always have better results.

These days, agencies and production companies do so much beyond traditional campaigns. As a producer or account manager/sales manager you do so much to put all the pieces together – and that complexity can often be mirrored on the client stakeholder side too.
What’s the key to navigating (and helping the client navigate) that complexity?

Communicating in the right way. If there is an issue –  discuss it! Don’t leave it or that can make things worse, reassurance is always important but at the same time be honest and not exceed expectations.

What recent projects are you proudest of and why? What was challenging about these projects from a sales/production perspective and how did you address those challenges? And finally, what was so satisfying about working on these projects?  

To be honest, I am proud of them all! Pain is gain and sometimes you have to push on through the hurdles to get to the other side. Sometimes production, agency or clients can be on different pages but working together, and finding that balance can be really rewarding and have a brilliant result. When you work on something that doesn’t necessarily start off super creatively but by the end, with everyone involved, the end piece will inevitably bring a smile to everyone’s face!

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“You Can’t Call the Same Five Friends”: Addressing Gender Bias in Production

LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to NERD’s Founder Milana Karaica and experts across the industry on International Women’s Day about how production companies can champion female talent, how to break gender bias and why trust is paramount.

Another International Women’s Day comes around, which means another March 8th spent pondering how the world has become better, or how it can do better going forward. A day or month of patting ourselves on the back for giving women space to speak, breathe and exist. The communications industry, as hundreds of other industries, has in recent years realised the painful irony of a day-long (or even month-long if we’re talking International Women’s Month) celebration of women, with the backdrop of the blatantly misogynist practices that still take place on the inside. They could be as small and negligible as office-based sexism, and go through to ruining somebody’s career, or wholly excluding women from work at certain stages of their lives.

So today, we look at how the production world in particular has changed for the women in it and for those trying to enter it. Do production companies make sure that female talent gets the same shot as their male counterparts, not only in commercials about cosmetics or periods, but also in automotive and sports; not only in scripting, but also in VFX, sound and music? We wanted to find out if the back-patting and echoing inclusivity discussions ever escaped the circles they initially began from, reaching C-suites and clients of the industry and ultimately changing minds and practices. Beyond Women’s Day, or Women’s Month, we wanted to know if brands and agencies actually want to trust female directors and other female production talent with their messaging. 

What does fostering female talent mean to the industry?

Back in 2019, according to Forbes, women drove 70-80% of all consumer purchasing decisions, yet somehow the communications world favours male creativity when it comes to selling and branding. “It only makes sense to speak to those individuals in a relatable and authentic way,” says NERD’s founder and executive producer Milana Karaica, speaking about this illogical split. “We can’t do that if their stories are told by men. Equality is really easy to achieve if you actually try rather than just tick boxes.”

Executive producer and partner at Merman Siobhan Murphy agrees: “Without female voices we end up recycling the same, somewhat stagnant stories, told in the same way.” To Siobhan, gender balance within production and the wider advertising industry should be spoken in the same breath as the discussions around ethnicity, sexuality, age and socio-economic backgrounds. 

Milana explains that when the team is looking at folios and CVs at NERD, they tend to remove the names, to be able to pick the person based solely on ‘raw talent and creative ability’. “No matter how extensive the reel or folio is, you can always see true potential if you put away any possibility of unconscious bias.”

The team at NERD are also very much aware of the need for a push when it comes to pitching female and underrepresented talent, so are always prepared to do whatever it takes to equalise the chances with those of more established talent. Milana continues, “We make it our mission to empower and support our young talent, so we can make a difference to their career, not just so we can make the industry more diverse and inclusive.”

Tango, which has, despite its origins in the ‘90s, become quite the female-driven force, also valuers harnessing varying points of view in this industry. “Throughout the years we have had a good gender mix at our company with both brilliant men and women. Having a diversified workforce, either at the office or not set, makes for a good balance and better work,” says executive producer at Tango Julia Bidakowska-Andren. 

On the musical side of production, things aren’t much different. Founders of music agency RESISTER, Hollie Hutton and Hannah Charman are categorical that the hunger for diverse talent has grown exponentially and parallel to the need for it. “There are also a lot more diverse voices in creative and senior roles, so the message is trickling down,” says Hannah. Hollie adds that the appetite for female-led stories has increased, whereby working with women composers feels like an important and natural choice. 

Admitting the need for equality and acquiring young female talent, however, is only half the story. It’s no secret that many women face struggles climbing the agency and communication ladders, and are more likely to drop out of their career than their male counterparts. Helping mothers return to work after having a baby, for PRETTYBIRD executive producer Paulette Caletti, is of huge importance for retaining women. “When I had my kids, I didn’t feel I could juggle work and being a parent, so I didn’t work. My confidence was low when I returned, but it takes support from production to get you back up to speed.

Children exist and industry has to support mums especially.” And although Paulette admits things have improved from when she had her eldest child nearly 13 years ago, we need to strive for a moment when this discussion becomes irrelevant. Juliette Larthe, PRETTYBIRD UK co-founder and EP however, isn’t as optimistic as her counterpart when it comes to any improvement from 13 years ago: “The situation has got worse in terms of the industry supporting and nurturing female talent. Everyone needs to do better.”

For Helen Hadfield, owner, managing director and executive producer at Snapper, enough people in the industry are aware that diversity is the lifeblood of creativity, so the conversation itself might be getting a bit old – what is left now, is to commit to making it happen. “The popular rallying cry across our industry is to value creativity, so for the sake of its creative health we need to promote, foster and develop the talent to make that happen.”

The question is, how to do that effectively? Last month, Snapper, alongside Missing Link Films, showcased four short films from four young female filmmakers at Havas for interested advertising folk from multiple agencies. “The filmmakers and their films went down a storm,” says Helen. For her and Snapper, gaining awareness needs to be converted into creating opportunities. “This is where the rubber meets the road. We need people to embrace, not just sympathise with a mission. This can only create a stronger, more interesting industry and advertising we want to own up to.”

Production companies need to pass on the love in terms of crew and specialism

Diversity and equality are the key to adequate creative, and action rather than talk is key. Taking that action, for NERD’s Milana, means that you can’t call your five friends every time you’re on set – this is the surefire formula for getting repetitive, boring and samey work. NERD’s anonymity approach when looking at folios and CVs also helps them ensure equal chances when it comes to crew on set, animation crew or music/sound partners on projects. 

Siobhan stresses that many other actions can be taken when it comes to production companies helping women push through in the industry – mentoring, investing and working hard towards a gender balance across production specialisms. “The most important thing is that production companies work towards subverting conventional gender roles within crews,” she says. “As an industry we tend to conform to certain stereotypes and, in turn, pigeon-hole women into pursuing roles that are perceived to be female-centric, such as production, hair and make-up, wardrobe, art departments. It is imperative that women who aspire to more traditionally male-based roles, such as electrical, camera, grip, first assistant director, sound, VFX, etc., are provided with the right opportunities and training to propel their careers and address the imbalance.”

The same applies when addressing the gender imbalance when it comes to directing within ‘traditionally female’ sectors. Although more is being done industry-wide to challenge the stereotypical usage of female talent in healthcare, beauty and fashion, there is still more work to be done to pave the way for women to take part in automotive and sports-based campaigns. “The rise of misogyny and the crackdown on women’s freedom is based on men’s fear,” says Sara Eolin, partner and EP at Tinygiant.

So to combat this trend, we need to “normalise women in all traditional male roles, and men need to embrace stepping into the stereotypical female roles.” And while casting might have come a long way when it comes to portraying the customer, and brands have become better at ‘combatting the haters’, there is still change that needs to be done behind the content. Sara is categorical: “The more you see it, the more you accept it. The numbers of women directors, CEOs, presidents, CCOs has certainly risen, but it is not yet the norm. When it is a norm, we’re more likely to create content that depict our lived reality.”

Agencies and brands giving female talent a fair shot is imperative 

“Even though I strongly feel a director or any other member of crew should be chosen for a project based on their experience, knowledge and expertise and not based on gender, an extra push from big brands or agencies towards choosing a female director is one of the best ways to diversify the industry,” says Tango’s Julia. What she mentions about choosing a director based solely on gender or in some DE&I box ticking exercise touches on the wider topic of tokenism. NERD’s Milana looks forward to the day when production companies no longer see requests for female directors or underrepresented groups or pledges from agencies to have ‘one of those at pitch stage’. These are all the wrong reasons to get women or any underrepresented groups on board and a sure formula to make them feel like a token.

“Let’s just stop worrying about those little boxes and hire the right person for the project without them,” Milana says. “Stay mindful of the fact that not everyone has the endless list of awards under their belt, but you can help them get some and shape their career history if they’re the right person for your project.”

Siobhan from Merman turns to FREE THE WORK (formerly Free the Bid) as a fantastic example of an initiative that provides women with equal bidding opportunities, however is also aware that it is imperative that emerging female directors aren’t just included on the pitch list as the token ‘wildcard’. “It would be great if agencies and brands were to sign-off reels at the shortlisting stage and then base their decision to award the job purely on treatment and budget.” 

She and Milana both understand that it is to be expected that agencies and brands will seek security when picking the right person, or worry that they might be taking a risk, but the reality is, that risk is offset if a new or up-and-coming director is represented by a competent production company. “That production company is adept at developing talent and surrounding the director with highly skilled technicians to guide them through the process,” says Siobhan. For Milana, insisting on diversity is not being painful, but being fair, and means you’re seeking options that could make the project as good as possible. “If you have an up-and-comer on the list, don’t expect to see 20 examples of the same approach. They don’t have it. Hence the ‘up and coming’.”

This is where trust comes in – trusting the production company to put up diverse, exciting talent, regardless of if they have awards under their belt, and then stepping out of your comfort zone as a brand or agency and choosing who is actually right for the project, not who you have seen before. Milana turns to Havas as an example – “They’ve been a great partner to us when it comes to looking for exciting and fresh talent. They trust the process and our EPs, and a little trust goes a long way.” 

The team at Chromista calls out those brands who talk the talk, with zero walk and those whose messaging has very little to do with their practice. “When you’re brand messaging is ‘Let’s celebrate the joy of being a woman!’ maybe don’t award that job to a non-female identifying director this time.” Their advice is simple – hire women and pay them the market rate. In the case that they don’t know what that is – tell them. 

RESISTER believes that transparency and accountability about suppliers of talent is also to be taken into consideration. “All too often, music agencies won’t get a credit, and if they do, they don’t credit the actual composers and producers behind the work.” This leads to a lack of clarity on where more work needs to be done, and blurs the actual size of the gender gap in the space. “The first step is more transparent crediting and this hopefully would lead to more responsible talent choices,” says Hollie.

Of course, this journey doesn’t end with inclusion, it only begins with it. Showcasing how successful projects can be when they do trust new talent, especially female or other underrepresented talent, according to Snapper’s Helen, can make the world of a difference. “Not only should brands and agencies explore the production landscape for female talent, but develop a strategy which can be judged by positive results, not just intentions.” To her, actively using the talent, not just showing it exists, is what matters more, otherwise we risk lip service with no change. “Until more women directors direct more ads we create Groundhog Day.”

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Producing Tomorrow’s Producers: NERD’s EP Milana Karaica – learning on the job, diversity & inclusivity and getting it done!

Milana began her journey in the production industry at just 17 as a runner and worked her way up to Executive Creative Producer, proving that nothing is impossible when you set your mind to it. But she didn’t stop there. Milana went on to set up her very own production company, one that champions diverse and inclusive talent. Her success story serves as a testament to her unwavering work ethic and her ability to learn and grow from every experience.

And now, Milana is sharing her story and valuable lessons. She wants to inspire and motivate those who are just starting out in the field of production, and help them connect with fellow producers and mentors.

What advice would you give to aspiring producers or content creators hoping to jump into production?

That’s easy! There are two bits of advice that I always share and those are the two things that have never let me down, to this day. Always have a ‘can do’ attitude and do the best you can. Nothing you present or do should be less than your best effort! It is the only way you will truly reach your goals and have a sense of achievement and fulfillment which only comes from doing hard work.

What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?

It really depends on what area of our industry you wish to focus on. Production Producers are very different from agencies’ side Producers, for example. There is quite often this misconception that a ‘Producer’ should be able to do it all which is not the case at all!  It’s actually when things go wrong on production most frequently. 

I would say choose a direction and really try to master that before you start another 4 or 5 others. I know it is trendy to try and be a Jack of all trades these days BUT it just means you will eventually be the master of none. Being able to be that person that is absolutely a must-have on a project for a specific quality or skill is invaluable to your hiring success rate.


What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production – and why has that stayed with you?

I started my career at just 17 as a runner in Soho.. Literally making tea & coffee and dropping off parcels to post houses and agencies. We didn’t send anything on a link in those days… it was a DVD or printed out and you physically had to deliver everything. Seems like a strange concept now!

From there I crawled my way through the ranks and became an Office Manager and then a Producer, followed by Executive Producer. It all happened quite fast for me as I was relentless in how hard I worked and I worked hard. I feel it happened to me very young and even though I had the experience of doing the physical work and being in production I was not a seasoned individual. There came a certain point where I accepted the unfair treatment of crew, and staff, and just thought that was a way of life! I guess it was fear that my job would vanish that never allowed me to question that and put a stop to it until I found myself as a person through some amazing clients and friends.

Don’t get me wrong, going against that grain made me an enemy but it is this that motivated me the most to start NERD and make it a production company like no other! Empowering, nurturing and making D&I our focus to be a  better industry overall.

When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this? 

As a leading D&I-led production company we advocate diversity and inclusion by championing an innovative and forward-thinking company culture that focuses on constantly seeking, nurturing and empowering young talent, female talent and talent from under-represented backgrounds. We don’t have boxes to tick and quotas to meet. This is not how to achieve true diversity. It is simply by treating everyone as equal and giving them a chance at an equal playing field. 

And why is it an essential issue for the production community to address? 

Our consumers are literally EVERY single person on this planet! So as an industry, we need to be talking to all those individuals in a relevant way and with an authentic approach. At NERD we are constantly inspired by the people around us that share the same passion for building an environment reflective of the people that we create the work for – the consumers.


There are young people getting into production who maybe don’t see the line between professional production and the creator economy, and that may well also be the shape of things to come. What are your thoughts about that? Is there a tension between more formalised production and the ‘creator economy’ or do the two feed into each other? 

As a company, we do actually see a mix of asks for both of those approaches!  To us they do feed into each other and why not?! Again, as influencers and shapers of lifestyle trends, we do need to see emerging trends in culture as something to embrace and not fear. I know this is a concept that our industry doesn’t quite accept on so many levels but the sooner we do the sooner we will have less out-of-touch advertising! 


If you compare your role to the role of the heads of TV/heads of production/ Exec Producers when you first joined the industry, what do you think are the most striking or interesting changes (and what surprising things have stayed the same?) 

When I first started, EPs were mostly at lunch or flying someplace exotic to shoot something super exciting!  It was the dream role for many for this very reason. I kind of feel sorry for the EPs of today. They are often overwhelmed by responsibility, lack of support and this endless expectation that they can and should just do everything alone! Don’t get me wrong, we will still get that afternoon at Soho House but these guys do need a little support. 

When it comes to educating producers how does your agency like to approach this? (I know we’re always hearing about how much easier it is to educate or train oneself on tech etc, but what areas do you think producers can benefit from more directed or structured training?)

It is really difficult to supply structured training for Producers and we do prefer hands-on training. Working alongside our seasoned senior producers and directors is the best and most efficient way to absorb knowledge and gain hands-on skills. Seeing others at work and crafting together is also great for social skills development and gives a sense of team play you can never have in any other approach. 


On the other side of the equation, what’s the key to retaining expertise and helping people who have been working in production for decades to develop new skills?

I think this is covered in the question about EPs. Everyone has their value! Those that are very experienced and have the knowledge to share- we still need to help them keep up with the latest equipment, software etc We must all keep learning and helping each other by sharing that newly learned knowledge with our team. There is always something new to gain for all of us no matter the level of experience. 

Clearly, there is so much change, but what personality traits and skills will always be in demand from producers? 

  1. Being nice! It is really not that hard! Those Producers who are very kind will always get more out of their team. 
  1. Keeping a cool head. As a Producer, you can not afford to be the one creating the drama on set. You need to be calm and zen, smoothing everything out and ensuring everyone else is not feeling the stress. You will have a very successful shoot if your whole crew is supported and able to do their part. 
  1. Being organized! Don’t think I need to go into that one hehe! 
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AirWick Night: A New Take on the Award-winning AirWick Day

From the makers of AirWick Day, AirWick Night comes to a screen (and a side table) near you! NERD Productions and Peter S. send a sense of ease and relaxation over the airwaves with this  stunning TVC  in partnership with Havas.

The new film immerses you in a world of fireflies and lavender, married with a perfect bed of relaxing sound design. So sit back, relax and check out the full spot here.

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The Colourful Multi-faceted World of Mono Ghose

An exciting new addition to the NERD Productions family is Mono Ghose! He grew up playing sports, reading books and watching TV, sometimes too much. But, without a particular taste for science and math, Mono stuck to exploring his artistic side, and here we are.

Interested in football, gaming, reading, and quietly being urged to play the piano, which he never enjoyed, Mono inadvertently fell in love with the Spanish guitar. 

Having Indian heritage, Mono considers Indian storytelling and film tradition a formative part of his upbringing. It’s also a source of his passion for travelling and a diverse perspective. Adding to his already colourful heritage, ‘growing up in the UK and having the experience of being an outsider meant, by will or circumstance, I didn’t have to follow the crowd, which helped me develop a sharp outside-of-the-box thinking and broadened my cultural awareness.’

Mono graduated with a MA in Scriptwriting from Goldsmiths. He studied the best filmmakers from around the globe and learned how to structure and write screenplays across various media. ‘The takeaway was seeing the film as a language for the first time, which has drastically changed how I approach the art form.’

His first industry experience fell on a two-week summer school at Publicis Advertising Agency in Baker Street, London during his Bachelor studies. It was an intensive introduction to the world of ad agencies and how to plan and manage a campaign from scratch. Focused on account management Mono quickly gravitated to the talks and sessions with the creatives, which is where he got the first insight into what was the real direction and this is where he wanted to take his career.

One of the most important lessons he took away since the beginning of his directing career was how to deal with failure and rejection. ‘Whether it’s a pitch, sale or script feedback, I learned to see it as an opportunity to develop my skill set and resilience. It’s also a good test to see how badly you want this as your career including all the ups and downs.’

Mono’s first professional project was a spot for Selfridges with BMB Agency. It was a 60-second spot he directed to advertise Selfridges’ new personal shopping ‘Wonder Room’ area in-store. It was his first big spot and he remembers how everyone waited patiently for Mono to call action, which he eventually did. It was challenging to juggle the different stakeholders from the agency and client-side while maintaining a creative focus with actors and crew. ‘ This balance is something all directors must go through and is a technique I’ve come to excel at and enjoy. ‘


Like nearly every director, Mono had his life/career-changing moment when his short film ‘Lost Bullets’ was long-listed for Oscar. It opened a lot of doors in Mono’s career and got him in front of some industry heavy hitters. The story still resonates with people today and stands up in terms of cinematic quality to other leading shorts.

In directing, Mono loves working with talented people to craft and tell great stories.

‘I want to achieve impeccable storytelling, draw tight performances and create atmospheric, stunning visuals to match the narrative.’ To keep himself fresh and caught up with everything in the industry Mono watches a lot of ads, good and bad from all over the world. Not hitting the skip button on YouTube and varying his tastes, for example: keeping up to date with exhibitions and art galleries, music, world cinema, NFTs and gaming. 

The creative industry, like any other, is full of good and bad. Mono is not a big fan of the “traditional” route to becoming a commercials director. This is changing with directors coming from other disciplines and backgrounds. The industry could also take calculated risks in storytelling and casting.

On a positive note, the creative industry has never-ending opportunities to tell stories across new formats and media. ‘I’m excited about working with brands open to fresh ideas and storytelling methods.’


Everyone takes their inspiration from somewhere, for Mono, some of it comes from his favourite director Bong Joon-ho. His movies are on the list of those you want to watch again and again to see what’s running underneath (literally in ‘Parasite’) and feel like you’ve been in a filmmaking masterclass after it’s over.

Outside of work, Mono likes keeping fit, reading, playing the guitar and indie games when time permits. Apart from directing, Mono takes time to perfect his travel photography, creating his own game and poetry. He also particularly enjoys the following creations that you might take a note of:

Film: Bong Joon-ho. His stories are thought-provoking and original. 

Ridley Scott. A master of blending visuals, music and story to create iconic cinematic moments. 

Books: George Orwell and Milan Kundera: 

They write in an accessible style which is also ironic, prophetic and timeless. 

Gaming: the creators (Playdead) of the games ‘Inside’ and ‘Limbo’. These indie games show how the atmosphere and a mysterious style with little to no dialogue can carry an entire story.



Lastly, ‘I’m sure, like most artists, I’m driven by the impulse to create a great piece of work that resonates both with the audience and personally.’ We hope you enjoyed an insight into who Mono Ghose is and are looking forward to seeing what NERDy things he creates in the future.

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The New New Business: NERD Productions PART 1


Meet a few of NERD’s Talent & New Biz team – Lydia Kaufman, Maria Leal and Lorena Perez!

They are responsible for discovering new talent, executing NERD’s new business strategy and pitching to our agency & brand partners across the globe. Let’s dive deep into how they work their magic and help make NERD what it is today!

What was your first new business win?

ML: My first win was with a lovely team from an agency in Spain around 12 years ago. While it was my first ever project and I got a little stressed, everything went swimmingly and to this day the team from that agency are good friends!

LP: It was around 12 years ago when I was working on breaking into the Spanish market. It was a job for the local government in Barcelona and my first ever win! I remember how frighteningly exciting it was, and even though I felt a little anxious I soon realised that everything was going fine and there was really nothing to worry about.

LK: My first ever business win was on a job for Sony with the team from Saatchi and a directing duo called Si & Ad. It was my first job in the industry, and it was their first job too – overall very exciting and a great start to doing what I love!

What was the best piece of advice you got early on? 

Everyone: Do your best, be honest and never give up! Persistence is key.

How has the business of ‘selling’ in the creative industry changed since you started?

ML: Budgets used to be bigger and the projects were less fast-paced. Nowadays we have to work quicker and with fewer resources but in a way that’s had the added bonus of making us even more creative than before 😉 

LP: We are presented with plenty of new opportunities as businesses adapt to the needs of the market – a bigger online presence with new platforms like TikTok and other forms of social media. Working from home in a way has made things easier as you can connect with just about anyone from around the world. 

LK: The main change happened with the rise of digital- these days we can just send a link with a showreel! When I was starting out one had to visit all agencies in person, find a TV to show the work and make sure everything is in working order.


How do you usually find new talent, is there a secret NERD recipe to it?

LP: I always think about creativity, diversity, passion and innovation. We need to be at the top of the game if we want to do well in the market!

LK: There is no secret recipe for finding new talent. I always look at various publications, socials, and awards, as well as just explore new work from everywhere. I also like to look into different festivals where up and coming directors usually come from.

ML: When I think about NERD’s talent, I think about freshness, a very open and receptive mind, bold and adventurous creativity, and of course a huge dose of professionalism and heaps of team spirit.

What are your thoughts about the process of pitching that the industry largely runs on?

ML: I think pitching is ok as it’s a way of communicating creatively with the agency and the client, sharing with them how we see their “baby” materialised. 

LP: Clients are trusting us with their brands and they want to make sure we will take care of them. NERD’s approach is bespoke and carefully crafted for each creative brief we receive. 

LK: I always thought that every company pitching for something should get a fee out of it – it’s people’s time, money, effort and I have always said that. However, we all know – you’ve got to be in it to win it!

How do you tailor your approach according to the kind of person or business you’re approaching?

ML: You always need to adapt your approach – either creatively, economically or even technically. It’s a kind of psychological test and an opportunity for you to learn and grow. 

LP: I do some research on the client, the work they have done and then I choose to present what is the best for them. Then you adapt and learn to prepare for the next round. The main advantage we have is the sheer volume of visual styles and approaches for almost everything.

LK: Research and tailoring for each specific brand – every time, all the time!

New business can often mean hearing ‘no’ a lot and quite a bit of rejection – how do you keep motivated?

ML: Never take things personally. Motivation comes from being with a team and trying to bounce ideas between each other. I also find it good to do explore things outside of my professional life which helps me to remain passionate about all aspects of life. 

LP: Always be positive and take the learning opportunities – always keep the relationships with the client open and continue to pitch to them. It all works, as well as the importance of understanding that there are so many reasons for not moving forward and you should not take it personally.

LK: There is always a risk of rejection, worth remembering that it is a numbers game and the good will come.

How important is the alignment between the talent and client in your opinion?

ML: It’s absolutely key, talent and client should be completely aligned! There should always be a dose of differing opinions, as this is a sane way of evolving a super creative project, though, they should always have a sense of alignment between them.

LP: If the client and talent are not aligned the project could be in jeopardy. The talent will advise the best way of achieving the results but the client needs to agree on the concepts. Teamwork makes dream work!

LK: It is vital! We have nothing without the alignment between the talent and client, the best work is created by having a perfect match.

The advertising and marketing industry often blurs the line between personal and professional friendships and relationships… does this make it easier or more difficult and delicate for you?

ML: If you act and work with honesty and integrity it can’t be difficult. 

LP: You need to learn how to separate the personal and professional. Always be transparent and honest so you don’t generate false expectations. 

LK: If you are friendly and can build good relationships it makes it all easier. It is always nice to know someone more personally rather than keeping it strictly professional.

NERD is known for its diverse and inclusive roster, what goes into matching the talent and client briefs ensuring you make just the right pairing?

ML: There’s a delicate balance to be struck when it comes to finding the right talent for a brief. There should be a combination of the right styles and techniques, but also there are specific briefs that require shared values and ways of seeing life – that’s when finding the perfect pair make all the sparks fly!

LP: The important thing is to really understand who is the right talent for the brief – and having diversity in the team helps bring very different ideas and perspectives.

LK: It is all about understanding what the client really wants and what their brief is about. To have the best pairing, I look at the personalities and their creative brains. A lot of it is also about gut feel – when I see a script I always have some directors pop up in my head as I am going through the brief.

In your view, what’s the key to winning projects?

ML: I think the key is trust. Your clients always need to feel that they are in good hands.

LP: The clients always need to know that we have the right solution for them and that we will do anything we can to make it work! 

LK: Remaining professional, being honest, approachable and knowing that you are going to give it your 100%.

What’s your advice for anyone who’s not necessarily come up as a salesperson who’s now expected to sell or win new business as part of their role?

Everyone: Truly believe in what you are selling and try your best!

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Women and their allies at NERD on IWD2022

NERD has always been a creative bunch full of diverse talent with strong values at our core and we are on a mission to help our industry be a more diverse & inclusive one for all!


We’ve seen the power of diversity and varied perspectives in our own NERD team and talent roster – more than 75% of our squad is female – but wouldn’t it be great if we could live in a world where this number is not something impressive, where it is just normal? For us IWD is all about breaking the bias, supporting the underrepresented and being surrounded by the proud allies of women!

At NERD we believe that our differences make us stronger! This International Women’s Day we would like to share our thoughts on what this day means to each of us:


Margaux, Social Media Assistant :

‘IWD lets us reflect on the successes of women throughout the years. This is the best day to celebrate and appreciate everything women have achieved and are still trying to achieve.

At NERD, we celebrate women everyday. We celebrate the talent, the passion, and the dedication of the beautiful women that are a part of this team.

The IWD has never just been celebrated one day out of the year. It is celebrated everyday because in every day, there is something for us to celebrate and appreciate in the women around us.’


Lydia, Head of Talent & New Biz:

‘I’ve worked in media sales for over 20 years representing some incredible female directors. At NERD it is so exciting to see so much female talent rising up in animation & live action. A great example to young women making their way through what was a male dominated industry. Keep going girls!!!  I am excited about what is yet to come #wehavegotthis’


Maria, Head of Talent & New Biz Europe:

“IWM is a good moment to remind us of the huge importance of feminine presence in leading roles in society. 

We will always need the equilibrium of masculine ideas, but with all things happening in the world right now, it is evident that the planet Earth is urging for the compassion, sympathy, loving essence of the feminine forces. The world needs us now as leaders!

NERD’s team, including our executive producer, Milana, is a reflection of what compassionate and mindful leaders are, even in a tough industry as advertising could be”


Ira, Creative Producer –  proud ally of women everywhere:

‘International Women’s Day is a great time to celebrate all the courageous and persevering women of the world who endlessly strive to do good and make the world a better place against all odds. 

I see it as the perfect opportunity to be still and reflect on all the women who’ve shown me love and helped me become everything I am today. My heart goes out to my mum, my grandma and all my titas (aunties) and ninangs (godmothers) – today is for you!


Viktoriia, PR Executive:


‘On this day I would like to say THANK YOU to every woman who made a difference in my life. International Women’s Day is after all, just like any other day – a reminder to show your love to everyone and everything around you. I love being a part of a strong female community and on this day, I am insanely grateful to be working in one myself!’’

Shay Hamias, Animation Director & Talent Mentor:

I love finding opportunities to make change happen in the industry, often by simply helping clients discover the importance of inclusion and diversity. I find there’s a benefit to everyone involved!

I usually suggest considering portraying women as heroes, and not just picture-perfect glamorous models but actual women with real body types, skin tones and gender identities. Advertisers and agencies are slowly but surely catching onto the benefits of being more inclusive and forward thinking but it is also our role as creators to help shift perspectives, spark new ideas and allow hearts and minds to grow in love and understanding.


Milana, Executive Creative Producer & Founder:


‘I never had female role models in advertising, I also didn’t notice more than a handful of ethnic individuals in senior positions or those that came from ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds. Bearing in mind that I’m all of those things, my inspiration stemmed from many male-dominated meetings and my fondness for craft and filmmaking.

Together with our male counterparts – there is no reason why we can’t make the industry a more equal one for all talent! As a woman, I don’t want to take away anyone’s opportunity, just an equal chance to try for the same.’

This IWD we are celebrating NERD as a female founded business and pledge, once again , to empower and support women. We encourage you all to celebrate this day or simply say ‘Thank you’ to all the incredible women in your network, from partners and family to your lovely clients and team members.

All illustration by Esther Lalanne.

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The Black Cop: a villain, a victim and a hero. 5 Questions we asked Director Cherish Oteka

Exploring the complexities of identity, authority and community with Cherish Oteka, director and producer of BAFTA-nominated “The Black Cop: a villain, a victim and a hero”.

NERD: Gamal’s story is about the complex challenges that ethnic minorities sadly have to face to this day. How did you come to know Gamal’s story, and when did you realise that this was something that everybody needed to hear?

Cherish: I first heard about G when I attended a workshop for LGBTQ+ people of colour. During the workshop there was a breakout session to discuss role models within the community and G’s name came up. While I didn’t actually know the details of his story at the time, I reached out to him to generally make contact. G and I built a friendship from there and along the way he shared details of the challenging parts of his journey. He was keen on sharing his story in the hopes that it could help and inspire other people. I knew that this was an important story of overcoming self-hatred and that is a universal journey that could connect with audiences.

NERD: Gamal is proud of who he is and has taken ownership of himself, his past and his identity – all of which he now uses to help better the lives of others. How has his story impacted you personally, and what impact do you think it will have on others?

Cherish: I hope the impact of hearing G’s story will be the same for others as it was for me. While G’s story is shocking and triggering in parts, making the film and meditating on these themes have been healing for me. His story provided an opportunity for me to reflect on pivotal moments I’ve had with my identity and the impact they have had on me. I think everyone can relate to being told directly or indirectly that there are parts of who they are that aren’t good enough. The intention behind this film is to make conscious what is largely unconscious when it comes to self-hatred.

NERD: Race and gender identity are common themes in your work. How do you tell stories to people who have so few touchpoints with the issues facing minorities?

Cherish: Identity as a whole is an area that I am interested in and we all have a sense of self. My approach to storytelling is to tell specific stories in universal ways. In that way, whether someone can directly relate to the struggles of marginalised communities or not is less relevant. It’s ultimately about the emotions that drive our collective experience of humanity and those feelings transcend race, sexuality, class, gender etc.

NERD: There’s a clear exploration of identity, as well as a rallying cry for equality and inclusion. Why did you choose to centre the story of an individual rather than a group of people?

Cherish: G’s story alone touches so many important moments in recent British history. From the Black communities’ resistance of oppressive policing, to the push for LGBTQIA+ equality and the aftermath of the West African ‘farming’ phenomenon, where white families took care of Black children outside the remit of local authorities. There were so many important touchpoints in his story alone that allowed us to speak to several bigger societal issues. Because of this, I didn’t feel like we needed more voices to tell this story. Some of my favourite films are ones that tell big, complicated and nuanced stories through one persons’ perspective and that is what I sought to do with The Black Cop.

NERD: Gamal’s story is inspiring but heart-breaking. Do you have a message for all the young people of colour out there who are silently internalising many of the same conflicts that Gamal faced growing up?

When we think of racism or any other form of bigotry we think of the big events and give little attention to the daily subtle comments and actions that can negatively impact self-esteem. I want us to acknowledge those events, the impact they have and begin or continue a journey of healing.

Want to see more from Cherish? Tap here.

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Diablo II: Resurrected – A real labor of love and respect by Billelis

Diablo II: Resurrected is a remastered port of the classic dungeon-crawler and we got to craft some truly spectacular labors of love for Blizzard’s iconic franchise.

​While working on this fiery set of artworks, Billelis focused on the importance of the franchise’s heritage, its lengthy history, and endless fan love while also managing his own creative needs and ideas. The combination of all these elements has shaped Bill’s voice within the artwork itself.

Billelis was an obvious choice for this project as there’s no one better suited to portraying such recognisable characters in this distinctly dark, mysterious, and powerful visual style!

The key visual art took around six months to create as there was a lot of back and forth communication with the client to make the piece true to the brand’s vision and legacy the game already has. Blizzard’s original artwork was created over 12 years ago and Billelis nailed the rebirth of the artwork shaping it into a whole new, contemporary style. 

For NERD Productions it was one of the most exciting projects that Billelis has worked on and we were extremely excited to support the creation of such iconic pieces. Once again, an unbelievable collaboration with the artist who truly loves the franchise and his craft.

See more from Billelis here.