The son of Chinese immigrants, Nicholas came to LA by way of Hawaii and Hong Kong. Working as a truly international director, he has helmed global campaigns for brands like Google, Samsung, Disney, P&G, Kia, Dewars, and Nestle, working closely with top agencies such as BBDO, Ogilvy & Mather, and Iris Worldwide. In the music world, he is an MTV VMA nominated director having shot videos for Nick Jonas, Blink-182, Sara Bareilles, Bastille, Snakehips, Jess Glynne, Monsta X, and more. Known for his cinematic, emotional, and dynamic visual language, Nicholas' films often center on character-driven stories deeply grounded in humanity and sensitivity. His work has been featured in most major publications including The LA Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Variety, The Telegraph, The Independent, Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Forbes, Booooooom, Shots Creative, Little Black Book, and many more. When not on set, Nicholas will be found tearing through the canyons in his cars or motorcycle, creating new recipes in the kitchen, or talking watches with fellow nerds. Show Notes: 00:03:04 - The “Three R’s” Philosophy   00:05:41 - Finding one’s voice  00:08:34 - Filtering your work through a personal lens   00:10:14 - Navigating through the music video and film world  00:13:10 - Hardships within directors transitioning from music videos to feature films 00:18:59 - “The new aesthetic”   00:21:06 - Keeping a healthy mindset   00:24:36 - Pattern recognition   00:27:21 - Psychedelics  00:32:27 - The catch-22 nature of technology   00:37:00 - Difficulties and rewards within directing   00:41:54 - Having a balanced ego  00:46:29 - A director’s relevancy in the commercial world  00:49:44 - Nicholas’s first feature film  00:51:27 - The importance of representation   00:53:34 - Redefining the structures within the film industry & Asian American cinema 01:09:38- Wrap up www.artistdecoded.com www.instagram.com/nicholaslam www.nicholaslam.com