This week, we chat with director Kristian Mercado. Kristian is currently solidifying himself as one of the top directors for comedians to hire for their comedy specials, with the release of “Aida Rodriguez: Fighting Words” on HBO Max. Kristian has also directed specials for Phoebe Robinson, Hannibal Buress, Ilana Glazer, and Michael Che. His psychedelic animated short, “Nuevo Rico,” debuted at the 2021 SXSW Festival, garnering the prestigious Animation Jury Award. On the music front, Kristian has directed content for artists such as Billie Eilish, Bad Bunny, and De La Soul. We discuss all that, how directing stand-up differs from other genres, what he loves about filmmaking, and much more. Photo credit: Storm Santos