Ep-24: RJ Collins - from viral TESLA spec ad to kick-starting his new Sci-Fi short READY OR NOT
Updated: Dec 17, 2019
RJ Collins had an early professional break as the CEO of a commercial production house (following their Tesla spec commercial going viral). It took a few years for him to realize that running a commercial production company was never his ultimate ambition. His latest step in his journey back into narrative film-making is a kick-starter campaign for his new Sci-Fi proof-of-concept short: READY OR NOT. With only 6 days left, you can still join and help him reach his goal!
Fresh out of film-school, he and his colleagues succeeded in doing something that many filmmakers attempt to do and fail (including yours truly). A spec commercial they made for Tesla went viral after Elon Musk himself retweeted it - turning their newly formed production company Everdream into the hot new branded content company. Although the company doesn't exist anymore, RJ still relies on the many friends he made during those days. He still directs commercials, but has already ventured back into narrative film-making with his series "Simi Valley" (for Black Pills).
Trailer for Simi Valley:
In this episode RJ and I talked about his prolific professional journey, about how goals change over time, and how gained experience can change our attitude towards a collective workflow, and many more things - and we topped everything off by talking about his new short, and what he hopes to achieve with it.
Episode Links:
Dodge Collage ad, directed by RJ Collins:
Opening and closing song: "14 Days" by Akın Sevgör.
Really enjoyed this episode! The part that stood out most to me was RJ's honesty about how running Everdream wasn't his ultimate ambition — it's rare to see someone pivot so deliberately from commercial success back toward personal storytelling. That courage to step away from a proven formula and chase a sci-fi passion project like READY OR NOT is genuinely inspiring. The discussion about how experience changes your attitude toward collaborative workflow was also super insightful. It's a reminder that creative detours don't have to mean you've lost your way. Can't wait to see where this Kickstarter takes him. If anyone's looking to enhance concept art or stills for their own projects, tools like super resolution online can be a…
RJ Collins’ journey is a great example of how a successful career can evolve when your creative ambitions change. Going from a viral Tesla spec commercial to pursuing narrative filmmaking is especially interesting, and I enjoyed the discussion around how experience can shape the way filmmakers approach their work. 192.168.0.1
AI Font Generator came to mind while reading about RJ Collins' Tesla spec ad, and the part about Elon Musk retweeting it into instant fame is pretty surreal. I enjoyed the reflection on how his goals shifted from running Everdream back toward
Interesting to hear how RJ Collins moved from producing commercials back into narrative work with READY OR NOT. For anyone exploring sci-fi visuals on a budget, a pixel art converter can help turn reference images into stylized pixel art with adjustable size, palettes, and an optional grid.
bg remover free is a great resource for anyone looking to clean up images for a project like this. It's fascinating to hear how RJ Collins pivoted from a viral Tesla spec ad back to his narrative roots with "Simi Valley" and now "Ready or Not." The journey from running a commercial house to pursuing personal sci-fi stories really resonates.