David Carrizales has been an executive producer and director for over a decade. Since 2008, he has produced and directed campaigns and content for Netflix, HBO, Nike, Paramount, Nickelodeon, Sony Pictures, NBCUniversal, and Disney for European, Latin American, and Asian markets.

How many years have you been a judge?

This is my first year!

What excited you about judging for the Telly Awards?

Being part of a community that gives visibility to relevant and innovative audiovisual work

What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?

Motion graphics artist at a boutique studio in Sydney back in 2002.

What project are you most proud to have worked on?

A campaign for Paramount+ as well as two animated shorts of mine.

What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?

It’s ever changing nature and, most recently, the advent of AI.

What do you look for to determine excellence in video?

Distinctive craft and original storytelling

What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?

Executive producer & director. How much one learns and evolves while bringing a project from ideation to completion as well as the connections you make along the way.

What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?

Two features (a thriller and a comedy), two documentaries, two live-action shorts and an animated short.

Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?

To go out and observe people and places; to work out regularly; to read books, watch films and listen to music.

What inspired you to pursue your career path?

I’ve been addicted to music since my early teenage years, so when latin MTV exploded and I started watching music videos for the first time in my life circa 1995 (I was 15), I knew I wanted to devote my life to create moving images and visuals.

In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?

AI, undoubtedly. Don’t fall prey to the extreme FOMO that’s making so many people run around like  headless chickens.