Jon:
From Los Angeles, based in Tokyo. Former toy industry professional turned creative producer. Founder of a content production company specializing in commercials, photography, and design for leading toy brands.
Tell us about your background
Originally from Indiana, I started a small company in high school, sold it after graduation, and later spent about ten years in the toy industry working with brands like Disney and Nintendo.
Eventually, I launched my own studio, which evolved from design into full content production for family-oriented brands.
What brought you to Japan?
We decided to move to Japan for both our son and ourselves. My wife’s Japanese and had lived in the U.S. for much of her life, but we visited Japan often to see her family, especially after our son was born.
When we moved back to Los Angeles from New York, we found ourselves missing that city energy. With a family in Nagoya, and Tokyo offering such a safe, clean, and inspiring environment, it felt like the perfect place for our son to connect with his Japanese side and learn the language.
Did you notice any cultural differences?
When I first came to Japan, it was a huge culture shock. Tokyo was the first place I visited in Asia, and everything felt so different—especially in business.
Working with Japanese companies was almost the opposite of what I was used to in the U.S.—much more formal in meetings and hierarchy. But in the end, it turned out to be a great collaboration.
How do you manage your projects day to day?
Most of my projects are managed remotely with a trusted network of contractors. We sort of just developed a process where I do all of the Pre-Production creative stuff here and then if I need a physical set for the shoot, I hire a team in Los Angeles that will build out the set based on whatever I sent them.
When it comes down to the actual shoot, we have a system where we set up a Google meeting with the client, who might be in let’s say Florida, the other side of the U.S. I can get a feed from the camera, or the video camera, and the client, who is also on that feed might be seeing and hearing everything all at the same time.
Then the photographer or director will just wear an earpiece, and for like 12 hours straight, I sit there and I’m watching, and we’re just talking, it’s kind of like virtual directing right in a weird way.
Do you feel like there was a shift between pre and post Covid?
When Covid first hit, Los Angeles completely shut down—you couldn’t even legally film because FilmLA stopped issuing permits. That brought production to a standstill, but the toy industry still had to keep moving.
Since in-person trade shows like Toy Fair were canceled, companies suddenly needed ways to showcase products virtually. That’s when we started producing a lot of CG and animated videos to replace live shoots.
Once filming was allowed again, it came with strict testing rules and restrictions, so clients often joined remotely instead of being on set. Over time, that just became normal. Now, even when we’re shooting in person, many clients attend virtually—it’s changed the way the industry operates for good.
What keeps you motivated?
When I was in the toy industry, I wanted to make something a kid would look back on years later and say, ‘That was awesome.’ I grew up on shows like Transformers and G.I. Joe, so that kind of lasting impact always inspired me.
Over time, I also fell in love with production—the challenge of connecting design, story, and product in a meaningful way. Now, what keeps me going is trying to reinvent something that’s been done a million times. Toy commercials today aren’t that different from the ones in the ’80s, so it’s about finding new ways to make them feel fresh.
What made you choose to become a monthly member?
Before we moved to Japan, I’d come for a few months at a time and work from random spots. Once we settled here, I wanted somewhere I could go every day—basically a coworking space.
When I was searching for places to work, I found that most coworking spaces opened really late—around 10 or 11 a.m.—and that just didn’t fit my schedule.
I needed somewhere with working hours that truly matched my own lifestyle. .andwork was the perfect solution because it opens early. This location is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., which allows me to come straight here and start my day productively.
Beyond the convenient hours, the quality of the environment was a major factor. The Wi-Fi is excellent; it’s consistently fast and stable for my creative work. The space is comfortable, easy to get to, and the overall environment just feels right.