Talkie Walkie, Episode 1: Ilinca Nanoveanu and Tom Wilson on Directing, Commercials and AI
Some conversations need a studio. Others need to step outside for a little fresh air.
Talkie Walkie belongs to the second category: a new video series in which Ilinca Nanoveanu walks through the city with people from the advertising and film industry, talking about directing, video production, commercials, filmmaking, work, and all those things that are harder to fit into a treatment.
A vlog, if we want to call it that. A talk on the move, to be more precise. An interview without a table, armchairs, or a strategically placed coffee mug in the frame.
The first guest is Tom Wilson, a British director who has been based in Romania for many years, with experience in documentaries, cinema, and commercials produced both locally and for international markets.
What Is Talkie Walkie?
Talkie Walkie is a series of video conversations initiated by Ilinca Nanoveanu, a close and much-loved collaborator of the Parcfilm team.
For three years, Ilinca coordinated our post-production department and was involved in numerous video production projects, commercials, and branded content. For Talkie Walkie, Ilinca wanted a simple, dynamic format: one 360 camera and two lavalier microphones. Two people meet, start walking, and let the conversation find its own path. Parcfilm supports the project by providing the video equipment needed for filming.
Tom Wilson, From Documentary Filmmaking to Commercial Directing
Tom Wilson has a career path that refuses to follow a straight line.
He worked in journalism, radio, and documentary filmmaking before moving into commercial directing. He started out shooting and editing his own work, at a time when a DSLR camera could suddenly open up an entire world for an independent creator. From there, his career took him to large-scale film sets, international campaigns, and productions in many different parts of the world.
We find out how someone can become a commercial director before even realizing that “commercial director” is actually a job. The rest of the story is best discovered in the episode itself.
What Does a Commercial Director Actually Do?
A director needs to understand the brief, protect the creative idea, communicate with the agency and the client, inspire confidence in the actors, and work closely with the entire production team. At the same time, they need to make quick decisions whose impact may only become fully visible during the edit.
Tom speaks openly about the uncertainty of his first shoots, the responsibility that comes with larger budgets, and the delicate balance between confidence and arrogance. Because there’s a difference between leading a film set and playing the role of the misunderstood genius. Usually, that difference becomes clearest when you’re waiting for the agency’s next call.
The Art of Responding to Feedback Without Losing the Film
How do you respond when you receive a suggestion you disagree with? How do you say “no” without getting in the way of the collaboration? And how do you know whether a seemingly minor comment from the client is actually pointing to a real communication problem?
Tom and Ilinca discuss feedback in advertising, the pressure of being on set, and the importance of involving both the client and agency representatives in the process. Sometimes, a comment about a tiny detail isn’t really about that detail at all. It may simply be someone’s way of saying, “I’m not sure you’ve heard me yet.”
It’s one of the most useful topics in the episode for directors, producers, agencies, and clients alike. There’s also a brief dive into the proper architecture of a “feedback sandwich.” A shawarma with everything.
Director, Producer and Editor: Same Production, Different Priorities
The conversation inevitably turns to the relationship between directing, video production and post-production.
The director looks for the best creative solution. The producer has to turn that solution into a feasible plan, with a real budget, timeline, and resources. The editor then receives the footage and discovers what story actually exists between the shots.
Tom, who works very closely with the editing process, has strong opinions about the editor’s role in shaping a film. Strong enough to spark a small professional debate, and convincing enough to be worth hearing out.
We won’t reveal the verdict. All we can say is that after this episode, editors might walk a little taller through the halls of post-production studios.
International Shoots, Children, Food and Trust on Set
Throughout his career, Tom has worked on both local and international video productions, with teams, working cultures, and budgets that varied greatly from one project to another.
In Talkie Walkie, he talks about finding a niche in advertising, shooting food, and the special relationship a director needs to build when working with children.
The conversation doesn’t turn into a list of rules. Quite the opposite: it highlights one simple truth—cinema equipment, lighting, and logistics are essential, but a successful shoot still depends on trust between people. And trust can’t be rented along with the lenses. Although, to be fair, that would solve quite a few production problems.
Artificial Intelligence Also Enters the Conversation
No current conversation about advertising and video production can avoid artificial intelligence for very long.
Ilinca and Tom discuss the impact of AI on the advertising industry, the types of content already being influenced by AI generation, and the difference between low-budget projects and campaigns that require control, authenticity, and premium positioning.
Does Tom have any plans to become an AI production director? Let’s just say his enthusiasm for technology has some very clearly defined limits.
A Video Production on the Move – Watch the First Episode of Talkie Walkie
Give the first episode a try: Ilinca Nanoveanu and Tom Wilson talk about Romania in the ’90s, their beginnings in film, commercial directing, working with agencies, feedback, responsibility, editing, AI, and the culture of the advertising industry.
Plus a few animals, a possible plan for the apocalypse, and enough stories from the set to make the hour fly by.
The full episode and selected clips are available in the Talkie Walkie playlist on YouTube.
Talkie Walkie Continues
This is just the first episode.
Talkie Walkie aims to bring directors and other professionals from advertising, cinema, and video production in front of the camera for relaxed conversations about their work and the industry behind the images we see every day. You’ll find all the episodes on YouTube and on the Parcfilm blog.