Meet Jon Bass

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Bass.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, so I had a city upbringing in the Midwest. I was playing in the street, very active and it was great growing up in my neighborhood. Omaha’s got a great arts scene and the largest population in the state but still feels very small and communities have little degrees of separation. From a young age, I enjoyed the arts, movies and music, writing stories, etc. This passion escalated when I joined a TV Journalism program in high school, where I was introduced to DSLR cameras. At that time, the quality you could achieve in such a compact form factor absolutely blew my mind. With my Canon t2i, I started making silly shorts and skits with my friends, capturing whatever mischief we found ourselves in while passing the time. One of my favorite memories was attaching a rope to the back of a car, hooping on a saucer sled – and doing donuts in empty parking lots when it was iced/ snowed over.
Encouraged by teachers and my parents, I continued to pursue film in college, even though I had no clear idea of what a career in film entailed. Prior to starting school, I got an internship at Torchwerks, an Omaha local production company – where I learned an immense amount of the summer. I really started looking at filmmaking from a technical skill and craft mindset, one of the many things I learned from the owner, Ben Drickey. He taught me a lot and that knowledge gave me a head start before I even started college. I still have the notebook I wrote all the terminology in- now common language, during that summer, my knowledge felt like it was drastically multiplied, which I’m very grateful for.

College was a huge developmental period for me, I finally was around like-minded people that also loved film, and we all helped each other out if we could, and it was a small, supportive environment where I learned a lot and made good friends while staying close to familiarity by staying in Nebraska and saving money to move out. My parents expected the move as well, so although tough, they still supported my unpredictable journey into this career and I can’t thank them enough as I know in the Midwest community, that’s not always the case.

Although nerve-wracking, I always knew that LA was the next step. I saved up money, and in August 2019 traveled for three days to Glendale, CA with some colleagues from our program – we didn’t even have an official apartment lease until a day before we arrived! The adjustment was tough, but it really felt like a leaf turned over. I saw film production trucks everywhere I went – and felt how LA really is the place for me and my dreams.

Starting to look for freelance work instead of an office job, most contacts I had didn’t initially have many jobs to pass along, which I started to get nervous about how I’d break in. That being said, it felt like divine intervention when I landed my first big camera job. Right place, right time, all based of who I knew and my connections back to the Nebraska film community.

I was recommended for a month-long B camera Operator position on a doc-style production surrounding the U.S. Army Reserves for a Medical Exercise happening in Northern California. To this date, it’s one of my favorite experiences, filming C-130’s up close on the tarmac, eventually traveling inside awhile filming us fly to other bases. I was allowed to go where no civilian is typically allowed and filming the Army do a massive training exercise. That trip solidified my love for capturing moments on the fly, finding compositions, and embracing a documentary-style approach. Filming the military in action was truly exhilarating! It was the longest job I had at the time, and living on the road in a suitcase and doing what I love for so many days straight – it was extremely rewarding and starting my LA experience on a high note.

The Covid-19/pandemic was a challenging time for me. I took on lighting department jobs to work for more experienced DPs, learning as much as I could from them and applying that knowledge to my own projects. Despite the difficulties, I’ve continued freelancing in various areas of the film industry. Over the years, my network has expanded significantly since I moved here, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to shoot in diverse scenarios, drawing from past experiences, mentors, and production companies that have supported and believed in me enough to give me these opportunities.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think anyone fully has a smooth road to anything, especially someone in the arts. It’s a mixed bag, so in one sense, yes, I’ve had a decent amount struggles but also great opportunities and support on my journey that not everyone gets. When March 2020 happened and the industry/world changed, I had only spent a few months in LA, so I didn’t have a solid foundation to launch from, apart from the Army documentary and my previous portfolio from college. Initially, I felt that my journey was stunted due to COVID. However, my faith has always been a significant part of who I am, and God has truly guided me through it all – even during the months when I wasn’t working as a Cinematographer on set.

Like many others, COVID posed significant challenges for me. The effects of it lingered on from the time I took those G/E Job positions for extra income, which altered my “brand” and caused people to perceive me more in that department rather than as a Cinematographer/Camera Department. Realizing the need to re-establish my priorities and remember why I came to LA and my goals was a significant step. I learned that growth in this industry takes time, but if I continue to shoot and create meaningful stories, the work will speak for itself, and job opportunities will gradually come my way.

As a DP, your career largely depends on others hiring you, which is essentially beyond your control. Even now, I sometimes allow the stress of the unknown to affect me, but even still, my faith continues to ground me, helping me let go of the stress associated with things I cannot control, and I remain thankful to God for providing work, even when I’m unsure about the next steps.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
So In my work in the film industry specialize in cinematography or being a Director of Photography (I’ll abbreviate as “DP”). I’m known for working long hours and doing whatever it takes to get the shot for a director. I usually operate the camera as well, and in pre-production I chat with director / producer to get an idea on how to visually tell the stories they want to tell. Being a DP you’re in charge of camera and lighting department – in my background climbing the ladder, I gained a lot of Grip & Electric (Lighting) Department experience, so I pull a lot of inspiration from what I worked on and the camera rigs I’ve built. In some circles, I was as the “car rig guy”, because of how many car rigs I’ve built. My friends in the industry would call me for help on their camera rig or how to complete a specialized shot. For a while, I was known for being using a ton of lighting / grip gear so I could perfect shots and I always was tweaking right before we roll. Now, sometimes that’s applauded because commercials need to look as close to perfect as possible. But over time, I learned how to match my lighting footprint to more accurately match expectations and work within time constraints with small footprints. I’m always slowly figuring out my voice as a filmmaker and I think each year, I get closer and closer to expressing that voice in the creative process.

I think people that choose to work with me do so because of my easy-going attitude, lighting knowledge and my work ethic on projects. Overall, I’m most proud of my journey thus far and the people I’ve met, I think people are a main reason that this industry is so great. I love shooting and sharing my experience with others and helping people with solutions. A large part of the job is problem-solving, and a large part of the reward is solving problems with peers /collaborators and having something you couldn’t complete just by yourself.

What sets me apart from other DP’s is my background in G/E & and the creativity I have, knowing the tools I can work with. I think also just being an easy-going yet focused person helps a lot.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Most important has been that things take time. And that everyone starts at different places in the industry, but it’s better to focus on what you’re doing and making the right next step for you instead of focusing on other people’s steps. Comparison is the killer of joy, and on the other hand- gratefulness for how far you’ve already come – that is the secret sauce to keep going and working towards growth. You can’t be bitter or discontent when you’re constantly reminded by how far people have helped you and how many people you have to thank because of that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jonbassfilm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonbassfilm/