Editor’s Note: “The Reel Black List” is our annual spotlight of brothers and sisters in the worlds of advertising, film, TV, music, radio and media who are making a difference through their contributions and creativity daily. For the next 29 days, you will be able to celebrate wonderful human beings, like commercial director, Justin Plummer III.
Justin, a commercial director known for his work under the moniker “Plummer/Strauss” alongside co-director Martin Strauss, hails from Oakland. His early exposure to the world of film began with a job at the local video store, igniting a passion that has shaped his career.
With a DVD collection numbering in the hundreds, Justin harbors a dream of creating his own private video store in his basement, despite his wife’s objections.
Plummer/Strauss is celebrated for its distinctive style, characterized by a fusion of captivating visuals and profound emotional depth. Their films are distinguished by meticulous camera work and a subtle infusion of humor. Constantly pushing creative boundaries, their partnership thrives on a foundation of mutual trust and a shared artistic vision, resulting in compelling and resonant storytelling.
Let’s meet Justin!
What’s your origin story?
I spent summers as a kid hanging out at the video store around the corner from my house in Oakland where my dad, Justin Plummer Jr., worked. I would spend hours there watching movies with my younger sister. It’s easy to fall in love with filmmaking when you spend that much time enjoying the craft with your family.
How did you get into the entertainment/film and television industry?
Started making spec ads with my college roommate, Martin Strauss. One of our specs made it into the Young Director Awards and the AICP Awards, and we were able to leverage that recognition into getting legitimate commercial work.
The first real agency we worked with was Mekanism which led to us working with reputable clients and it kind of snowballed from there.
What did your parents think you would be?
I’d like to think they thought my high school punk ska band was going to take off. Honestly, I was one of those kids that always had a video camera with them recording everything from family dinners to vacations (my mom eventually gave me her camcorder because I would constantly play with it).
Early on they knew the direction I was heading and they’ve always been supportive.
Who were your mentors?
Never had a traditional mentor, but I spent a lot of time as a kid listening to the director’s commentaries on DVDs. (It helped that I’d get free rentals through my dad’s video store.)
I played the hell out of Sam Raimi and Terry Gilliam.
Bravest thing you’ve done?
Once, a family was getting assaulted at my favorite burger spot and I got the attacker to back away while holding the paper straw of my vegan milkshake.
Also, I’m lactose intolerant and ate half a lasagna when I first met my in-laws. One of those two probably.
How do you handle failure?
Failure can be hard for me because I never want to let people down. I think I get more upset about that than anything else. When I do fail, I often internalize it. My friends and family are super supportive though, which is invaluable.
That support gets me to a place where I can look back and see what happened, what went wrong, and what I can do better next time. And then I try again.
Who is a talent, actor, director or writer, you are dying to work with?
Working with Daveed Diggs would be amazing. It seems like he brings such positive energy wherever he goes.
There’s also an actor named Lou Wilson I’m a huge fan of. He does great improv and I can tell he’d be a lot of fun to work with.
Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon is over-indexing on Black and Hispanic audiences. Why?
My dad always talks about the importance of diversity in film. To the point where he won’t watch certain films due to their lack of diversity. His stance is if the filmmakers don’t care enough to tell stories with a cast he can relate to, there’s no point in listening to them. We have a lot of discussions about it. He grew up Black in the south during segregation and I grew up biracial in Oakland, so getting his perspective is always insightful.
Ultimately “Rebel Moon” had a diverse cast that resonated with a lot of people—it’s really validating to see yourself represented. I think it also helped that the BIPOC characters were killing space Nazis.
Lunch, Happy Hour or Dinner
My great-great-great-grandfather Adam Plummer (1819-1905) kept a diary, which is now in the Smithsonian and one of the only written accounts of slavery written by someone while enslaved. He was a smart man, so I’ve always wondered how much he’d censor himself in his diary, just in case he was caught. Would love to spend a whole day worth of meals with him, and hear his stories uncensored.
You would give up your career to go on tour and perform with what singer/band?
As one of the last remaining people still holding onto ska, I’d have to say Streetlight Manifesto.
Colman Domingo is a national treasure. Yes or No.
Treasure for sure. It’s about time he’s getting the acclaim he deserves.
Nosebleed seats for Beyoncé or front-row tickets for Taylor Swift?
I get spontaneous nosebleeds already so getting one while experiencing Beyoncé live would be a win.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Root beer floats. It’s such a perfect dessert. I feel like most places just do a scoop or two of ice cream, and that’s wrong. The ratio needs to be much more like that of a milkshake—thick and mixed up. Also you should be using River City Root Beer, it’s objectively the best brand.
What’s brewing for your 2024?
Strauss and I just joined the roster at SixTwentySix in the U.S. Stoked to be a part of a team that shares our passion and dedication. We recently shot a spot for Salesforce that took us to Japan and Brazil, which will be coming out shortly.
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