IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit 'Industry' Creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay
Mar 2, 2026
Konrad Kay, a writer-director who draws on finance and filmmaking experience, and Mickey Down, a writer-director who brings personal finance-sector perspective, discuss turning season four into a conspiracy thriller. They cover tonal influences, bold stylistic choices, tightened character density, shocking moral downfalls, and Yasmin’s radical transformation.
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Trojan Horsing Personal Obsessions Into TV
- Industry's creative rule is to 'trojan horse' what excites the creators into the show.
- Mickey Down and Konrad Kay strapped their characters to a conspiracy-thriller engine inspired by Michael Mann and The Insider to sustain season-long momentum.
Favor Density Over Stretching Scenes Thin
- Pack density and velocity into episodes rather than stretching little ideas across many hours.
- Mickey and Konrad write through excess, then condense assemblies (often 85 minutes) into ~58-minute episodes to keep momentum.
Exploit Your Creative Edge While It Lasts
- Lean into the creative impulse while you have it; edge and inexperience can energize a show.
- Konrad and Mickey intentionally 'go for it' on tone, accept some unwieldiness, and avoid prematurely shaving off edges.