Digital executive, filmmaker, and producer, Jay Chaudry knows a thing or two about sports production. Okay, maybe a little more than that. With over 17 years in the industry, he’s had the opportunity to work with all kinds of sports professionals—from championship boxers to NFL and NBA legends, even the President of the United States.
We spoke exclusively with Jay about Ace of Trades. Keep reading to learn all of the juicy details!
PH: Hey Jay! Can you give the readers a refresher of what you do and just how you got into the industry?
Jay Chaudry: Sure, I’m a 17+ year digital executive, filmmaker, producer with a focus in sports content. If I were to really pinpoint my arrival into the sports industry, it would have been with the birth of Break Media Group, a company I founded back in 2017 which focused on promoting athletes careers outside of their respective sports. Been a wild ride since.
PH: What made you get specifically into sports production?
Jay Chaundry: To be honest, the people behind the athletes are what really made me get into this. By people, I mean the fans. I’ve been lucky enough to be on both sides of the bleachers and the growth of fanfare has been truly an awesome sight to see unroll in the new era. Fan acquisition comes in many forms, and for me personally, curated content will always be the key to the hearts of sports fans.
PH: Can you talk about some of your work?
Jay Chaudry: Well for one, I’ve been privileged to work with the likes of world championship boxers, NBA and NFL veterans, all the way to America’s President & VP themselves during one of the most historic elections of our time. There’s been a huge learning curve in all this for me. I’ve always been an independent filmmaker ever since I held my first camera but after being in the trenches with a brand new start-up first-hand, I noticed every move and everything I did began to have meaning. Work is a personal reflection of oneself. I’m happy to be able to see mine shine through the way it’s meant.
PH: Now let’s talk about Ace of Trades! What inspired this production masterclass?
Jay Chaudry: Man, you know what — it’s one thing when you have someone hit your dm with a career request, be it in the form of me making an introduction, or just hooking up a referral etc, but what really excites me are the messages from actual creators – who are genuinely interested in their career path and personal development. To be honest, a lot of creators are just as super introverted as they are super skilled. Many of the times, their ideas might not hit the mark simply because they lacked confidence in the original pitch meeting, or under-delivered on a project because of lack of gear knowledge. You’re either an awesome producer, but lousy salesman. An awesome marketer, but lousy designer. Ideas only go so far, I wanna be able to ignite execution back into the hands of creators. That’s where the passion lies for me. That’s why my class features actual case studies from sets and projects I’ve been part of to show exactly how to get an idea to the screen.
PH: What can people expect from this online film class? Can you give us a breakdown of some of what we’ll be learning?
Jay Chaudry: Everything. Seriously — from conceptualizing projects with clients, athletes and agencies — all the way to storyboarding, development style, technique, gear breakdown – to my favorite aspect of it all, distribution strategies. There’s so much damn noise in the video space people tend to forget there’s more efficient and proactive ways to get your content seen and paid for other than going to the Netflix and Hulu’s of the world.
PH: Word is you also got some pretty cool (and familiar) faces along for the ride. Can you tease more?
Jay Chaudry: Oh yeah. You know how it is, surprise features are my thing. Expect to see (and even meet) some world class athletes and content creators in the classroom who will be breaking down some of the techniques alongside myself. Can’t say who — that’s why you should sign up, hello!
PH: It just launched, yes? How can people enroll?
PH: What’s on the horizon? How (and where) can people learn more about you and your work?
Jay Chaudry: As of now, I’m just in a very cool spot where I’d like to spend my summer giving back to the digital community and do some personal traveling. After that, expect some further announcements on live workshops and brand new series hitting the airwaves. You already know what to expect there!
Check out the official trailer below.
Ace of Trades | Jay Chaudhry’s Masterclass from Jay Chaudhry on Vimeo.