Relevance is a loaded topic for anyone with creative aspirations. That goes double for members of the Instagram Generation seeking to forge a directing career on screens big or small. And multiply that to the power of three for anyone and everyone working in advertising.

The relevance of relevance certainly is not lost on Zak Marx, a current student in Art Center’s undergraduate Film Department who happens to qualify in all three of the above categories after scoring a coveted gig with American Apparel directing 12—count ‘em, 12!—commercial spots central to the brand’s image overhaul under its new CEO, Paula Schneider.

Landing a contract to create a dozen commercials for any major brand would be an enviable achievement for any seasoned ad agency. But for a film student to beat out the competition for such a high-profile series of spots is a testament to Marx’ outsized talent and tenacity, not to mention his insights into how the once controversial brand can reestablish its relevance and appeal to members of his generation.

“What makes Zak’s story with American Apparel really interesting is how a major brand, who I am sure is constantly being courted by ad agencies, awarded this business to a student, based on the merit of his work and thinking,” recalls Art Center Film faculty member Andrew Harlow. “For a major client to approve an ad campaign after years of highly controversial advertising is politically fraught and really speaks to Zak’s talent as a student who is going places.”

Judging by his full workload this summer—toggling between American Apparel and an editing gig with Nike—Marx is already well on his way. In the midst of what’s shaping up to be the busiest season in his nascent career, Marx filled us in on the pivotal influences and insights guiding him toward a promising future behind the camera.

Who/what are you most reliable sources of creative inspiration?

Movies excite me more than anything. You often hear about how TV is better than film at the moment. While TV may be in the middle of a “golden age,” when a film is great, nothing else comes close. Beyond that, I’m mostly excited by design—title design, graphic design, packaging, film marketing, sports jersey design. I love walking through the graphic design section of the student gallery at Art Center.

What keeps you passionate about your creative practice?

Having relationships with teachers and students who are equally as excited as you are about your projects. Being at Art Center and only having to worry about making short films and commercials is a pretty good deal. I worked a bit before I came to Art Center. So coming here and having the opportunity to create and experiment on anything and everything is something that I try not to take for granted.

What are your biggest “extracurricular” passions outside your creative/professional pursuits?

Family and basketball. I grew up in a very sports-centric family. I’m a closet jock in an art school.

Was there a particular moment in your early life that made you realize you wanted to pursue a creative path?

I was lucky enough to grow up just before the obsession with screens. I spent most of my time as a kid drawing and never really stopped. I was obsessed with the details of sports figures and would spend hours drawing logos and jersey designs for fictitious sports teams. My entire family has been violently encouraging of any creative interest I’ve had since.

What are you working on now?

I’ve been editing a series of projects for Nike that follow the training process for different Nike athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and Paralympic athlete Blake Leeper. I’m starting work now on a piece to coincide with the launch of a line of shoes for LeBron James.

What have been the challenges you’ve encountered in your current project?

I’d like to be directing these projects.

Describe a creative breakthrough that helped you with the above?

I’ve always tried to make every project or assignment as good as it possibly can be so that I’ll get the call to direct the next one.

What’s your most and/or least favorite part of the creative process: conception, ideation, iteration, completion? Why?

Completion. The hardest part of any project is saying that you are absolutely done and satisfied with your work—simply because that moment never comes. I was told at a very young age that, “no project is ever finished, it is only abandoned.” This plagues me. I have projects that I shot during my first term at Art Center that I still tweak and have yet to complete.

What are you watching, listening to, reading and/or looking forward to seeing right now?

I’m looking forward to seeing what the Lakers do in free agency. Beyond that I’m really interested to see where all of it goes. Film/video/media/commercials/music videos/content—all of it. Right now, everything looks AMAZING. You’re on Vimeo and everything just looks perfect and is done well and the sun is setting. We all have access to everything and can edit in our underwear, so it’ll be interesting to see what’s next once everything looks beautiful and no one really cares.

What artists are doing the most interesting work in your field right now and why?

I want to be on the field with Paul Thomas Anderson. His work tricks me into thinking it’s been compromised for no one. He manages to go into a different direction with each film that excites me like no other filmmaker. When you walk wide-eyed and full of naivety into film school, he’s the kind of filmmaker you dream about becoming.

What does it take for you to stay relevant in today’s rapidly changing digitized world?

This is such a loaded question that I think has most kids focused on trying to get likes and views and regrams more than focusing on the work itself. As much as we’re told to think about how to brand and position ourselves in the marketplace, I try to just focus on making the best work possible. I don’t know if that guarantees me relevancy in a digitized world but it’s more rewarding than time spent on a feed. When I started at Art Center, a classmate said to me: “Good luck being a filmmaker without Facebook.” I don’t think I’ll read that on a plaque one day.

What’s your favorite analog object in your space?

Toilet paper. Has it ever changed? Talk about staying relevant.

Can you describe one (or two) recent project(s) completed in the last 1–3 years that have been especially noteworthy?

I recently directed two commercials for American Apparel. Being creatively involved with a major brand’s efforts to shape their image during a very public transition has been a wonderful experience.

Who are your biggest creative influences or mentors?

I’ve been lucky enough to have had many mentors growing up. Two stand out: Bob Pflugfelder and Roger Tonry. Bob Pflugfelder is a teacher and family friend who took my casual artistic interests and shaped them into traits to apply to every part of my life, while always managing to keep the process as fun as possible. Roger Tonry is an Art Center Film alumnus (BFA 81) who I started working with as an assistant editor in high school. He’s the true definition of a craftsman. Seeing his hard work and appreciation for every detail of not only the filmmaking process, but also life itself, has been the ultimate lesson. And perhaps a curse.