Daily Inspiration: Meet Chris St. Pierre

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris St. Pierre.

Hi Chris, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Since I was a kid, growing up in Texas, I’ve loved movies—probably more than most. My childhood was shaped by storytellers like Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis, James Cameron and George Lucas. To this day, Star Wars remains the film that influenced me most. After seeing it, I knew I wanted to work in the film industry. To have some part in making that kind of magic.

I graduated from Texas Christian University in 2004 with a degree in Radio, TV and Film, then moved to Los Angeles in January 2005. I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to play some part in the moviemaking machine.

The great thing about film school is that you have to wear a lot of hats—basically all of them. I would shoot and edit my own features, and something about editing really pulled me in. It was a constant puzzle, almost like Tetris: fitting intricate pieces together, shaping something bigger and watching it all come to life.

Once in Los Angeles, I immediately started applying for editing jobs. Right off the bat, I landed a production assistant position at a post-production marketing company called MOJO, where I spent the next seven years climbing that steep ladder. The company specialized in film trailers—the previews you see in theaters, on television and online. During my time there, I cut trailers for Sherlock Holmes, earning a Golden Trailer Award, and both Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films, earning a Key Art Award (now the Clios).

MOJO dissolved shortly afterward, and I landed at Mob Scene, where I spent almost 10 years editing trailers, featurettes and TV spots. Highlights included a Clio Award–winning featurette for Blade Runner 2049, several pieces for Fantastic Beasts and countless TV spots for Warner Bros. films such as The Great Gatsby, American Sniper, The Judge, Gravity, Dune and Birds of Prey.

In 2022, I brought my skill set to Create Advertising, where I work today. My trailer credits there include season four of Succession, The Haunted Hotel, seasons one and two of Where’s Wanda?, IF and The Smashing Machine.
Back in the day, trailers always started with that deep voice saying, “In a world…” Today, everything’s amped up—the shots have to be cinematic as hell, with fast cuts set to driving music. Times have changed. Viewers’ attention spans have shortened, and the studios know it. Turnaround times are tighter and the demands are greater, but I love the challenge.

Working in the industry, I’ve had the chance to meet some incredible talents, including Jerry Bruckheimer, Breaking Bad writer Peter Gould, renowned editor and sound designer Walter Murch, and the man who started it all for me: Star Wars director George Lucas at the The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Golden Reel Awards a few years back. I had the chance to thank him for shaping my youth. This industry really is tiny, and eventually you find yourself in rooms with your heroes. It all comes full circle.

But the dream, going all the way back to childhood and college, has always been to make a film. My partner, Dyana Carmella, is adapting her book, A Walk Thru Neverland, into a screenplay about her 1,200-mile hike across the Pacific Northwest Trail. She spent 74 days hiking through some of the deepest backcountry in the lower 48 states. Having worked as a journalist in the film industry for years, she shares that same desire to make a feature film. We both find ourselves in rooms with some of the industry’s top filmmakers, and we see an opportunity to get this script into the right hands.

We’re nearing the end of the writing process and plan to start pitching early next year. It’s been exciting to watch the script unfold. We have long creative discussions, script reads and I get to draw on my film knowledge—especially the hero’s journey—to help shape her vision. We think this could be one of the great adventure films, taking inspiration from Into the Wild, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Wild.

Once production starts, I’d love to come on as a producer and ultimately edit the project. It would be a welcome change of pace to work on something I’ve helped shape from its earliest concept, then step back and watch a film I helped bring to life. I can envision my childhood self giving me a thumbs-up. That’s what really matters. And Star Wars, of course.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve been fortunate to have been employed my whole career. I can’t complain about too many bumps.

How do you think about happiness?
My job demands a lot of time and creative energy, so when I get some downtime on the weekends, I’m happiest stepping away from the computer. Being from Texas, I love cheering on the Rockets, Astros and Texans. I also play guitar and watch television. Having that work-life balance is incredibly important, especially living in Los Angeles.

Contact Info:

• Website: chrisstpierretrailers.com and dyanacarmella.com