8th Street

Co-founder of 8th Street Productions, Nowak never planned to start another company 13 years ago. After folding his first banner, Uncle Forehead Filmworks in 2006, he followed the traditional path — sign with a company and wait for scripts to roll in. And so it went, but when things got quiet, something felt… off.

Nowak came to advertising through independent film, where filmmakers hustle to make things happen. Watching commercial directors sit on rosters, waiting for a bid invite, he wondered who that system really served. Was it the filmmakers? How could it be, when they weren’t allowed to seek work elsewhere — even with the mortgage overdue?

When a director is hot and the company’s busy, it’s great. But when it slows down, then what? Make a short, a spec, a feature, sure — but then what?

After leaving the roster of his first company, Nowak went freelance. He connected with producers, creatives, and worked on award-winning projects. But then a roster called again. Signed, he didn’t work. Unsigned, he did.

Then he met producer Steve DeVore. Together they landed Target, Best Buy, Xbox, and more. They quietly launched 8th Street in 2012 just to manage those projects — never planning for it to last.

A few years later they leaned in with a mission: run it like a traditional company, but with no roster. Provide treatment support, reels, reps, mentorship — but only with directors they knew and trusted. Relationships mattered.

From day one, integrity came first: directors see exactly what they see, from budget to every other relevant detail. Every submitted director is cleared. And the only work on their site is what they’ve produced.

Today, 8th Street is one of many companies with this model — which is great, because there are top-tier freelance and non-exclusive directors everywhere.

And yes, Nowak still freelances.