Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Lyons.
Hi Jamie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I never had any intent to work in the entertainment industry. I knew I loved to perform, write, and act but, growing up in a Florida retirement town, it seemed like such an unrealistic dream. I went to college with the much more reasonable goal of working in law and reformative criminal justice. I got my criminology degree, started working at a police department, and thought that was that.
Fast forward 4 years and I could not have been more miserable. I dreaded going to work everyday, developed a chronic illness, and my panic/anxiety disorders were at their worst. I knew I had to get out.
As I had been in living in Los Angeles during this time, I had been surrounded by everyday people who worked in the film industry and even acted full time. It felt like a whole new world had been opened up to me when I realized that being a working actor did not go hand-in-hand with being extremely rich and well-known. There are thousands of people making a living being background actors, guest stars, costars, and doing theater. You may not know their names, they may not live in a mansion in Malibu (in fact, they probably live with 3 roommates in Stuido City) but they get to do what they love every single day.
After much consideration, I quit my “safe and stable” government job and dove head first into my journey as a working actor. I have no film school experience, never took a drama class, couldn’t tell you the first rule of screenwriting or directing, but my passion and drive have allowed me to get here.
As the first ever film I have made (and starred in) is closing out on a successful festival run, I have never felt more excited about life and the future.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The uncertainty and instability of the film industry is always going to be a struggle. The biggest eye-opener I had of this was when bookings were staying consistent and I felt like I had a really good momentum going and then, all of a sudden, the strikes of 2023 put everything to a screeching halt.
While the future of the industry felt so uncertain (and honestly scary), it created a wonderful opportunity for me to begin writing my first short film. This allowed me to stay focused, creative, and, best of all, bring my out-of-work friends together to collaborate behind the scenes and on screen.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Last year, I officially launched my own production company, Violent Lyons Productions. I am a lifelong horror fanatic and after 3 years of acting and never getting the opportunity to be in a horror movie, I was sick of waiting for my chance. I had written my first short film during the strikes (a found footage horror film) and was ready to take my passion for horror to the next level.
My first film, Ghosted, is what inspired me to create my own production company specializing in the genre. The horror genre is so embedded with the exploitation, sexualization, and trauma of women, yet, there are so few women actually MAKING horror movies. It seems insane to me. I am determined to be an outspoken supporter of more and more women behind the scenes in the horror genre and I’m looking forward to seeing how Violent Lyons can help achieve that.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
As someone with no experience or knowledge in professional screenwriting, WriterDuet has been such a huge help to me. They format my scripts automatically and make suggestions as I go.
I also cannot recommend the ColdRead app enough for self tape auditions. It’s a teleprompter app with camera enabled so you don’t need to struggle to find a live reader for every self tape since you can record at any time and save. Plus, you don’t need a separate device to read the lines and record at the same time!
Canva and Instagram have great marketing tools and ideas which I use a lot.
Voyage LA has honestly been super inspiring as well. Being able to read about the many different ways people have found success is so inspiring in an industry where it can feel impossible to get anywhere without money and connections.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.violentlyons.com/
- Instagram: @JamieDeeLyons
