Jamaal Parham is a pretty good Mac & Cheese chef with a clothing collection that is borderline hoarding (and a background in editing.) Bashan Aquart has super-strong opinions on typefaces and used to build his own punching bags (oh, and he's a great graphic designer). But when their powers combine (cue Captain Planet theme song), they become the inimitable directing duo Jams and Bash, and create comedic stories infused with magical realism, soul, and an eye for the human experience.
Jams and Bash have directed commercials for top global brands, including Mastercard, ESPN, Disney, Xfinity, MLB, Vogue, Adidas, Wendy’s, Axe, and eBay, among others. Their love of genuine humor and complex storytelling, combined with boundary-pushing design, take projects from concept to air with enough style to power a Quiet Storm roller coaster. In the process, this has netted them not only some famous new friends but also two Gold Clio’s (one for Best Direction) and a Bronze too, just for good measure.
Their work spans commercials, TV, film, and a Times Square takeover that racked up a national ADDY Award, an Adweek Experiential Award, and the first Grand Clio ever given to a live entertainment brand. They directed two full seasons of HBO’s critically acclaimed late-night comedy series Pause with Sam Jay, bringing their personal touch to Jay’s culturally specific humor (and cult following). Their first feature film, The Day Ones, produced by SoundCloud, was released in early 2022 and they earned a lot of fire emojis on Instagram for it.
This paragraph is reserved for name-dropping (listen, if you worked with some of the best talent in the industry, you would do it too). Jams and Bash have directed Will Smith, Robert DeNiro, Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Micheal B. Jordan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marshawn Lynch, Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, Martin Lawrence, Bryan Cranston, Martin Short, Forest Whitaker, Mindy Kaling, Sam Rockwell… you get the picture.
