June, 2026.- Win Bates directed the Emmy-nominated Monica Lewinsky anti-bullying PSA “In Real Life.” He also directed hilarious campaigns for Doritos and Burger King. Same director. Same approach. Different tone.
Bates does not believe he has to turn off one part of his brain to direct the other. The approach is the same in either case: unique casting and honest performances played straight so it feels real. The difference is in the tone and the ultimate truth you are revealing. A comedy and a trauma PSA share a common foundation: if the audience does not believe what they are seeing, nothing else matters.
In this interview, Bates discusses his approach to improvisation on set. The script always comes first. Approvals come second. Then they play with the performance and lines. If he just started running new jokes without a heads up, he would be summoned to video village within seconds for a lashing. But everyone knows he will be trying alternatives because they are in his treatment and tested in callbacks. He usually goes to video village on his own accord with a tray of parfaits to review takes and high-five.
Bates also addresses the height question. He admits to wearing lifts on set to look taller. He believes that any edge you can get in this business, you have to take. Lifts are reasonably priced and can be delivered to your door within a day from Amazon. For someone already tall, the director’s equivalent of lifts might be something else—confidence, presence, or the ability to command a room without standing on a box.
When asked about directing celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, and Patrick Mahomes, Bates politely declines to rank them. He has been very lucky. Only one celebrity he worked with hated him with a passion, and his therapist really believes they had something else going on that day. The rest were collaborative, funny, and a pleasure to work with.
Finally, Bates addresses his most irrational on-set fear: drinking someone else’s water by accident. He often asks “Is this yours?” while showing a bottle to a very confused sound guy. It has nothing to do with horror movies—though he notes that Psycho was actually based on his great-great-grandfather Norman Bates.
1. Comedy Director in a Trauma World: You directed the Emmy-nominated Monica Lewinsky anti-bullying PSA “In Real Life” and also hilarious campaigns for Doritos and Burger King. Do you have to turn off one part of your brain to direct the other, or does the same skill power both?
This is an excellent question. I don’t know that my entire brain works, honestly, so I think that it’s the same side powering both. The approach is the same in either case though: unique casting and honest performances played straight so it feels real. The difference is in the tone and the ultimate truth you are revealing.
2. The Alt-Joke on Set: You said you like “throwing ALT jokes and ideas back and forth with creatives and talent.” In a world where every frame is pre-approved, how much room do you actually have to improvise on set before someone says “that’s not in the script”?
We always shoot the script first, of course, get approvals and then play with the performance and lines. If I just started running new jokes without a heads up, I would be summoned to video village within seconds for a lashing. But everyone is aware we will be trying ALTs because they’re in my treatment, tested in callbacks… so I usually go to video village on my own accord with a tray of parfaits to review takes and high five.
3. The Height Question: You admitted you wear lifts on set to look taller. Are you joking, or is that an actual tactic to command authority? And what’s the director’s equivalent of lifts for someone who’s already tall?
I think anyway you can get an edge in this business, you gotta take it. Lifts are reasonably priced these days and can be delivered to your door within a day or less from Amazon.
4. Good Behavior as a Fit: You said Pete Marquis’s work “felt like the perfect fit.” What specific quality in his comedy makes you believe you’ll make better work together than you could have made apart?
I think Pete and I have similar sensibilities in casting, and performance. And we both want to have fun and make people laugh vs just make any old thing. That said, I also think he is willing to do anything for money, just like me, and that’s important.
5. Celebrities and Comedic Timing: You’ve directed Snoop Dogg, Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, and Patrick Mahomes. Who was the funniest on set, and who needed the most direction to find the joke?
Thank you for this attempt at getting me blackballed. Honestly, I have been very lucky. Only one celebrity I worked with hated me with a passion, and my therapist really believes they had something else going on that day. The rest were collaborative, funny, and a pleasure to work with.
6. The Bates Motel Disclaimer: Pete Marquis noted you’re “unaffiliated with the Bates Motel” and won’t come after anyone in the shower. But what is your most irrational on-set fear that has nothing to do with horror movies?
Not sure who is doing Pete’s background checks, but Psycho was actually based on my great-great-grandfather Norman Bates. It is true that we no longer own any portion of that business. As for irrational fears on set, I worry a lot about drinking someone else’s water by accident. You will often hear me asking “Is this yours?” while showing a bottle of water to a very confused sound guy.
