Story & Lesson Highlights with Josh LaCount of West Hollywood

We recently had the chance to connect with Josh LaCount and have shared our conversation below.

Josh, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day right now is basically a mix of creative problem-solving and building. I’m in full pre production mode for Coldemere, so every day looks a little different, but everything revolves around shaping the world of the film and keeping things moving forward.
Some days I’m out scouting locations that naturally have the atmosphere and tension the film needs – whether that’s actually being out and about, or digging online and making calls. We’ve pretty much locked the location now, but in the early phases that was a huge part of the process. Other days I’m in meetings with producers, putting the team together, and making sure everyone’s on the same page with the vision. I’m also deep in casting conversations, which has been one of the most exciting parts – the characters in this film are so emotionally grounded, and finding the right actors to bring that to life has been incredibly energizing.
I’m also trying to set up meetings with executive producers and financiers for the project. In this ever-changing film industry landscape, one of the positives is that independent films can actually get financed and made more affordably than they used to – if you bring together the right team and everyone’s aligned and pushing in the same direction.
There’s a lot of hands-on creative work happening too – choosing lenses and camera systems, talking through shot ideas, figuring out what we can do practically versus where VFX makes the most sense, and spending a ton of time storyboarding to map out the visual language of the film.
And then there’s the producing side – working with my line producer, breaking down logistics, speaking with potential partners, and making sure we’re positioning the film in the strongest way as we finalize funding and keep building the crew.
And yeah, it sounds like a lot for one day, but right now it really is just a mix of everything – all the pieces moving forward together as it all takes shape.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a film director who writes, produces, shoots, and acts – all depending on the project. I like being involved in every part of the process, and I’m big on collaboration and working with people who bring their own ideas and energy to a project.
Right now, my main focus is my new feature, Coldemere. It’s a suspense-thriller period drama that’s very character driven and rooted in mood, tension, and adventure. I tend to get really locked in when I’m building a world like this – in a good way. It’s something that’s constantly on my mind because I genuinely love the work.
At the end of the day, I love making films that feel real, immersive, and emotional – and doing it with a team that cares as much as I do.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
When I was a kid, I remember watching Mary Poppins and seeing her fly around with an umbrella. So naturally, I thought I could do that too. I climbed up on the roof, jumped off with an umbrella…it immediately flipped inside out, and I went straight to the ground.
Surviving that made me feel pretty powerful – like, “Okay, if I can get through this, I can get through anything.”

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Honestly, no. Giving up or having a plan B never really crossed my mind. What I do and who I am kind of blend together, so it never felt like something I could just walk away from. I’m always thinking about storytelling – whether it’s things I see on the street, music I hear, a movie score, even a random conversation can spark something. I’m constantly inspired, and that’s what keeps me going. Because of that, quitting was never really on the table for me.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Well, I’d have to say my mind is currently on the most recent project, ‘Coldemere.’ It’s a feature film, a suspense thriller drama with heart, adventure, and thrills. It’s a period piece set in the late 1940s about a lighthouse keeper dealing with five shipwrecked survivors, who are in for a world of surprise when they realize there’s much more to the island, the lighthouse, and the keeper than they initially thought.
It’s going to be a huge undertaking, but I’m so excited to be making this. We’re in the early stages now – the financing stage – but I’ve already done a bunch of pre-production, from scouting to some casting to storyboards, etc. I believe in just figuring out how to make it. I don’t like waiting for something to happen before I take action; I definitely believe in forward motion and creating the thing that might seem impossible at first. You just do it – and this is a project I’ll keep pushing forward until it happens, one way or another.
I’m so excited to tell a story like this, at this scale, in this time period. I’ve always been fascinated with stories like this one, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
Yes – pretty much every day it feels like. Honestly, I love making movies. It’s everything to me. It’s probably all I think about every day, all day. Right now, I’m doing a lot of storyboarding with ‘Coldemere,’ and the level of emotions I go through while doing that is so much fun.
I listen to movie scores while I work, whether it’s writing or storyboarding, and it makes me feel like I’m watching the movie as I’m creating it. It just comes to life, and that’s the most exciting thing to me – that, and being on set. Seeing and feeling the characters jump off the page or the actors becoming them, to the point where they actually feel real, like they’ve somehow affected my life, is the most exhilarating thing I can imagine.
So yes, I have so much fun every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joshlacount.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlacount
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshlacount
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/joshlacount