Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathaniel Turner.
Hi Nathaniel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I got involved in film by taking summer workshops. One of my film projects had a unique message to escape the dependency on technology. We titled the film “Unplugged.” It was shown at several film festivals including Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Virginia Film Festival. I was excited to have my work be shown to an audience that connected with the story. I knew from making this story that I wanted to be a filmmaker. I participated in the Adrenaline Film Project 2008-2011. The concept of the Adrenaline Film Project was to create a short film within seventy-two hours and using a prop as well as a line. This was an exhausting and exciting undertaking. There were several categories of award recognition which included the audience choice. Two of my short films “Alone” and “Time Flies” won best actress (Michaela Rothschild and Laura Rikard) in 2010 and 2011. The films were shown at the Virginia Film Festival.
My participation in making films was most gratifying. So I wanted to expand my knowledge of filmmaking and decided to apply to several film schools. Fortunately, I was accepted to Ringling College of Art + Design and earned a Bachelors of fine arts in film. One of my student films, “Let Me Go” won Best of Ringling Juror’s Award in 2015. It also won Ringling Film awards for best junior film, best director, and best production design.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The struggle is getting an opportunity to work. Most people think of Hollywood as just glamour, but in reality it is a struggle to break into the entertainment industry. I had three unpaid internships over the course of my four years with Ringling, and I took two unpaid internships with two production companies after moving to Los Angeles.
My first paying job was an executive assistant at a production and talent management company. After a year, I took a new job at another production company. That is where I learned the post-production process. While I had some exposure to post-production at school, I quickly realized there was much more to learn. Such as the knowledge of the inner workings of various positions, protocols, and structure. I did not know about story producing, junior editors, lead editors, senior editors, image researchers, quality control, folder structure, server maintenance, and several other things. I worked freelance with several companies until I was hired at my current job as a full-time employee.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My current job is a video editor at a marketing agency for branded content, as well as new media for long-form and short-form videos. I wear many hats, from editor to motion graphics, music and sound editing to transcend the writer’s vision on the screen. I also collaborate with various departments, including copywriters, brand managers, media buyers, story producer, post supervisor, assistant editor, as well as other editors. My multitasking capabilities allow me to meet and exceed quick turnaround time.
Outside my work environment, I continue to pursue my passion to write narrative content and make my own films. My primary focus is story development. This year I have ten story treatments and translating them into various formats such as feature films, series and novels. My stories range from comedy, uplifting drama, science fiction, and mystery thriller. My writing process started out with character biographies which drive the story. Their lives shape the plot which I outline and then write the full-length script.
Some of my well-known personal projects are “Let Me Go”, a story about HIV/ AIDS in the 1980s. “Dream” a magical realism film about a depressed artist who discovers herself through a magical sharpie (or so she thinks). “Red: A Fairy Tale” is a dark retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood encountering the Big Bad Wolf and a mysterious woodcutter.
What I’m most proud of are my films that connect with the audience. It is the most rewarding aspect about storytelling. “Let Me Go” was a vivid memory for many people who had friends infected by the HIV virus. “Dream” was a small project, but a big message not to give up on yourself. It won best editor in the LA: Under the Stars Film Festival in 2019. “Red: A Fairy Tale” won best actress award (Kristen Adams), best visual effects (Alejandro Alva), and best thriller for the Hollywood Blood Horror Film Festival in 2020. It won best editor for LA: Under the Stars Film Festival in 2020. It won best fantasy short in Indie Short Fest 2020 as well as best thriller, fantasy, sound, editing, and visual effects in IndieX Film Festival, as well as Independent Shorts Awards. What sets me apart from others is that regardless of whether it’s a professional project or a personal project, I approach it in the same way. I want to tell the best story.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
When the pandemic hit, everyone asked the same question. “Can people get things done working remotely?” I had worked remotely with some other production companies and ad agencies years before COVID-19 pandemic occurred. Currently, the company I work for went remote a few weeks prior to CDC and California state guidelines mandated it. Post-production can be done remotely. In 2020, we produced more content than in 2019. And it was all done remotely. My takeaway is that life is short. We should cherish every minute and connect with people that we love and who help us grow. Success is creating your own story and following it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nathanielallenturner.com
Photo credit by Stir Enthusiasm Photography
Image Credits:
Ryan Robert Minford, C. J. Julian, Stephen Boatright, Stir Enthusiasm Photography
