Original price was: $2,595.00.$2,345.00Current price is: $2,345.00.
Thursday, September 25th – Sunday, September 28th, 2025
Limit 15 Filmmakers
Save your spot! When you gain clarity to who you are as a filmmaker and you’ll land better gigs. This is a unique opportunity for filmmakers to unlock your intuitive creativity while learning practical skills to level up your career. Workshops cover creative problem solving, leadership skills and practical production tips – taught in a healthy environment of your filmmaking peers on spiritual grounds. This is a truly holistic approach to your filmmaking career.
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Tuition includes all meals, snacks & beverages, your private room and all workshops, transportation into the National Park. You just get there.
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Description
IGNITE YOUR STORY
Filmmaker Retreat Joshua Tree
Thursday, September 25th – Sunday, September 28th, 2025
Limit 15 Filmmakers
What is it?
2025 WILL BE OUR 4RD YEAR! Or new theme is “Ignite Your Story” – as a filmmaker, storyteller and human. This Filmmaker Retreat focuses on your creative leadership and gives you tools to chart your successful career path. I believe when you discover what makes you unique, it helps you win that next directing assignment. We all want better gigs and bigger budgets, this retreat will help make that a reality.
It starts with a 1:1 onboarding & mentorship call, so the experience is tailored to your career needs.
Who is this for?
This program is tailored for those primarily focused on commercials but perfect for all filmmakers needing to re-energize and invigorate their careers. Directors, Producers, Director/DP’s, Editors and Agency Creatives. Immerse yourself in nuts and bolts workshops of pitching agencies and clients, ideation, leading your crew, agency & client interfacing, networking and camaraderie. We also stress the need for personal passion projects and will cover the why and how to jumpstart your next film.
Retreat Alumni get a $500 discount off tuition.
Commercial Directing Bootcamp alumni get a $300 discount off tuition.
Masterclass alumni get a $100 discount off tuition.
DM or email me for the code.
Why a Filmmaker Retreat?
Some of us are starting to find our voice. It’s starting to click and you feel it. I know I’m constantly refining my voice 25+ years. 2015, I started teaching commercial directing and selfishly I love exploring how we can each live and work as our authentic self. It’s the most intangible and mystical element of what we do.
Also, why not? I love hanging out with other creative people and there’s no other place for us to share war stories. It’s why I started the Respect The Process podcast in 2013, to break the isolation inherent to our craft. And I love an excuse to get away. if the drought eased up, we’ll have a bonfire Saturday night. Blankets provided.
Where is it?
The JT Retreat Center is the perfect setting for all this Commercial Directing Voodoo and the perfect place to reconnect with yourself, network and even boost your mental health. My aim is both a professional and spiritual experience.
Fall 2021, I gave a workshop inside the Sanctuary at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center at the Slamdance Film Festival. The spiritually-infused desert grounds are amazing, the modest accommodations are clean, the food is better than decent. Perhaps it was divine inspiration, but I knew that weekend we had to give this a go.
Fall 2022, we gathered and immersed ourselves in all things directing. The sharing of ideas and experiences was magical for everyone. Best of all, lasting friendships were made. Thanks to the feedback of our group, 2023’s Retreat was even more transformational. Can’t wait to see who joins in 2024.
Run Of Show:
Like my popular Bootcamps, the curriculum is fine-tuned and personalized to the needs of the attendees. You and I will do a 20 minute onboarding call, which will help me shape the content of the weekend. That said, here’s the schedule of events, subject to tweaks.
PRE-RETREAT
Starting in June, you and I do a 1:1 onboarding call with me to discuss your career needs.
THURSDAY
3pm Arrival & Check in (Let us know if you’ll be earlier, or later, no problem.)
Group Dinner: Greet & Howdy with Career Objectives
Cohort Showcase: A curated screening of our own spots plus award-winning commercials.
FRIDAY
Group Breakfast & Discussion
Workshop: How To Get Better Gigs
Group Lunch
Workshop: Case Study of an entire Ad Campaign from Director’s POV.
SATURDAY
Group Breakfast & Discussion
Walkabout in Joshua Tree National Park – Leadership
Lunch/Private Time
Breakout Group Discussions
Group Dinner
Talking Stick Session at Faux Fire Pit: Your Voice
SUNDAY
Group Breakfast & Discussion: Accountability
9am Check Out
11am Departure
POST-RETREAT
Optional, but love if you and I do can a 20 minute, 1:1 post-mortem call to check in.
How much does it cost?
$2495 per filmmaker. This includes everything: meals (vegetarian/vegan available), lodging, beverages (plenty water, soda, coffee, protein, snacks, fruit and veggies, secret adult beverages at night), all workshops and mentoring calls. You just get there. We’re holding rooms for you.
Pay in full or in two 50% payments. Note: Deposit guarantees your spot and is non-refundable. Payment in full must be made before Sept. 1st, 2024, but we realize life happens, so if you’re in a pinch, reach out. Your spot is fully transferrable.
$500 DISCOUNT Retreat alumni.
$300 DISCOUNT Bootcamp alumni.
$100 DISCOUNT – Any online course alumni.
Mega Bundle Filmmakers – contact me.
Limit one discount per filmmaker. Couples, teams contact me if you’re going to share a room. I respect that this as a sizable investment in your career, so feel free to reach out to discuss if this retreat is appropriate for you and your goals. Contact me directly at jordan@commercialdirectingfilmschool.com
The Filmmaker Retreat will be held at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, located at 59700 Twentynine Palms Highway, Joshua Tree, CA 92252. Rooms are private with bathroom, very modest and clean. Food is healthy and good. I’ll provide all kinds of fun, premium beverages.
It’s 3 hours from LAX and less than one hour from Palm Springs Airport. Many Filmmakers fly in and out of Palm Springs.
Cancellation policy and legal stuff..
Cancellations accepted until July 31, 2025 for refund, minus $200 cancellation fee. After that, I know last minute gigs come up that may force you to choose, in which case you can transfer your payment to equal value in 1:1 Mentor consultations, online courses or the next Bootcamp or Filmmaker Retreat. Your spot at the Retreat is transferable, so send a friend.
There will be an Activity Waiver and Release form to sign. Safety is paramount so I’ll be reminding us to hydrate and be responsible humans. This is a fully insured event. Wear a sensible shoe.
Chris Salters, Commercial Editor. Your eyes didn’t deceive you, this video editor went to a retreat for filmmakers that’s geared towards commercial directors. Why? Perspective. It’s easy to get comfortable in the post-production world and lose sight of the immense amount of work that occurs in production and pre-production phases of the commercial process. Basically I wanted to learn more about how the sausage was made before it hit my post-production plate.
Jordan Brady showed me his sausage. He also shared the secret family recipe with 19 other filmmakers, covering the proverbial 4 R’s (reel, relationships, revenue, repeat biz), how to get better gigs, pitch winning strategies, and other sprinklings of commercial making voodoo tips. We even had an opportunity to practice pitching, followed by quality actionable feedback in a safe environment – an environment that’s conveniently prolific in drinks and snacks. I especially appreciated the drinks as I had never pitched to an audience before, but thoroughly enjoyed the exercise.
Education aside, Jordan structured the retreat so that you quickly build relationships with the other filmmakers beside you from the moment you arrive. From early morning coffees to gathering at meal times and casual walks in the Joshua Tree desert, the retreat gives you a chance to socialize with other filmmakers and share in each other’s journeys. The retreat’s isolation also gives you the chance to disconnect from the professional world for a bit and enjoy the calm desert surroundings. Honestly that may have been my favorite part. The walkabout in Joshua Tree National Park was an exceptional experience that gave me time to take in the scenery while contemplating the topics we had discussed over the weekend.
As for gaining perspective? I found it here. I gained a deeper understanding of the entire commercial filmmaking process, especially the roles of the director, and that now helps me to collaborate more fully with creatives and agencies while cutting commercials and brand films. So whether you’re a director, editor, cinematographer, production assistant, crafty, whoever – if you’re even slightly interested in the commercial filmmaking world, you’ll gain something from this experience and walk away with a better respect for the process.
Kevin O’Brien, Commercial Director, Writer/Director: Jordan Brady ‘s Commercial Directing Joshua Tree Retreat was one of the best investments I’ve made in my own career. Learn about yourself, find tried and tested processes for winning jobs, and build a community with 19 other filmmakers. Seriously, I’ve never met anyone as generous with their inside knowledge and experience as Jordan is.
If you’re a commercial filmmaker, this is a must-attend.
It’s also a beautiful resort.