Meet Thomas Kelly | Commercial film director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Thomas Kelly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thomas, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think the foundation of my success has always been my obsession with creating strong, cinematic films. What excites me most is turning an idea into something bold and memorable on screen, finding the right rhythm, the right light, the right movement so that an image doesn’t just look good, but feels alive. That consistency of vision has carried me through every project. I never wanted to just “do ads,” I wanted to make films that stand out, that people remember.

From there, the second part is trust. Directing commercials is a collaboration, and the story ultimately belongs to the brand. My role is to take their message and give it scale and emotion, while also listening carefully to their priorities. I think that balance, pushing the creative forward, but also respecting the client’s identity, is why I’ve built long-term collaborations with global names like L’Oréal Paris, Estée Lauder, and Shiseido. These brands operate on a massive international stage, and working with them means expectations are always high. What has helped me is being consistent in my style, modern, sharp, cinematic, while adapting to different markets, whether I’m filming in Paris, Bangkok, Kyoto, or New York.

Equally important is the human side. Film sets can be intense: long hours, big crews, millions invested in a single day. I’ve always made it a priority to create an atmosphere of respect and safety. If something feels wrong, I stop, it’s never worth putting people at risk. I care about my team, and I believe that when the crew feels supported, the energy always translates on screen. Some of my favorite moments are simple ones: sitting at a wrap dinner after days of shooting, when a client says, “See you on the next one.” Those words mean trust, continuity, partnership, and they matter as much to me as the film itself.

Over time, I’ve also learned that consistency has to extend beyond the set. In my early years, I worked nonstop, always chasing the next shoot. It was exciting but not sustainable. Now I make space for balance, time with my partner and family, exploring the cities where I travel, photographing, visiting museums. Those experiences fuel the work. When I feel grounded in life, I’m sharper and more inventive as a director.

So if I had to define the single most important factor, I’d say it’s a mix of vision and trust: a clear creative voice that drives me to make films people remember, and the trust built with clients and crews around the world who allow me to bring that vision to life. That combination has made my career both international and deeply personal.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m proud that my work has taken me across so many different cultures. Shooting in Kyoto feels nothing like shooting in Mexico City or Paris, the rhythm on set, the way people communicate, even the silence between takes. Each place forces me to adapt, and every time I learn something new. Those differences have shaped me as much as the films themselves. They’ve made me more curious, more open, sometimes even more humble.

But it hasn’t been easy. In the beginning, there were long stretches of rejection. You send reels, you pitch ideas, and you hear nothing back. I doubted myself plenty of times. Honestly, I still do sometimes. The industry is competitive, and there’s always someone younger, faster, maybe more “in trend.” What got me through was persistence. I took jobs that weren’t glamorous, I learned on set, I made mistakes and cringed at them later. But each step, even the painful ones, built a base. Slowly, that turned into bigger projects, bigger trust.

What I want people to know about me and my work is that I’m still searching. I love experimenting with tools—motion control, high-speed, even AI, but only if they make the image stronger emotionally. I don’t care about technology for technology’s sake. I care about creating something that makes you feel, whether it’s a shot of hair floating in water or a camera that spins around a performer. At the end of the day, I do this because I’m chasing that moment where the image hits you, and you can’t really explain why.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If a close friend was in LA, I’d want to keep it simple and a little unexpected. I’d start with a walk along the beach between Santa Monica and Venice, it’s the best way to soak in the city without forcing it. After that, I like stopping at Shutters on the Beach for breakfast. It has that classic California vibe, and from there you can just grab a bike and keep cruising down the coast. On another day, I’d switch it up and head to Echo Park. The lake is great for hanging out, and right nearby there’s this Thai spot called Sticky Rice that’s always good for a casual dinner with friends. It’s not fancy, but that’s what I like about it. And then maybe, one night, I’d drive up Mulholland Drive. There’s something about seeing the city spread out beneath you, the lights stretching endlessly, that feels almost unreal. It’s cinematic in the purest sense, you’re inside the movie.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The truth is, none of this would have happened without my family. Creativity was everywhere when I was growing up, my parents are both architects, and my mom especially gave me a sense of design and storytelling. My grandfather loved art and would take me to exhibitions in Paris when I was still a kid. Those moments, standing in front of photographs or paintings, made me feel something I wanted to carry into my own work later. Even my first gift as a child was a camera, it was almost like they already knew where I was heading.

Website: https://www.thomaskellystudio.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/thomaskellystudio