Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Eberle.
Hi Matthew, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
While I am a California native, I split my youth between the Bay Area and Toledo, Ohio. Somewhere in the crossroads of these two places came a love for both storytelling and filmmaking that I just couldn’t shake. Both as escape for my own anxieties and an avenue to explore my various creative interests.
I first started college as an undergrad in Chicago, working on a degree in writing for television. While I have always loved the idea of film and directing, I wasn’t sure I had the knowledge or resources to pursue that path as a career. Something about writing felt more approachable at that time in my life. However, about halfway through my degree, I had the opportunity to study film in Italy for the summer. While the class itself was not focused specifically on making films but rather study the history of Italian cinema, our final project tasked us with shooting a short film inspired on the ideas and movements of the films we had spent the summer studying. The opportunity to work and study in the locations where these incredible films were made had a lasting impact on me creatively and ultimately led to my career pivot from writing to directing film.
I have now lived in Southern California for several years and have a Master’s degree in Film Production and Directing from Chapman University. I have had the immense pleasure to work with an ever-growing list of equally talented and aspiring actors and film creatives across an often challenging, but always rewarding industry.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Nothing ever really seems to be a smooth road, and certainly not while you are on it. I can say that I have gotten closer to where I want to be professionally, but it is still a long road ahead. The hard part in making a career in film is being able to stand out and see what you can offer creatively that another director or writer can’t.
I have worked other jobs outside of film, and through some of those jobs, I have been able to make contacts and network with other filmmakers; it can still be a struggle knowing you aren’t doing what you love.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Since graduating, I have had the opportunity to be creatively involved with several short narrative films in the past few years. In particular, I was able to bring a passion project to fruition in the form of my graduate thesis, James Joyce’s The Sisters. An ambitious adaptation of Joyce’s short story from his first work, “Dubliners,” where we had the opportunity to shoot both in Ireland and, with the help of an incredible art crew, were able to construct multiple periods sets on the stages at Chapman’s Dodge College.
While the pandemic had brought its own set of challenges and obstacles for everyone, I spent the time refocusing on my work and new projects to tackle, including writing my first feature script. Most recently, I wrapped post-production on a short film where I had the pleasure to work with the always-talented Kelley Mack. We are in the early stages of festival submissions and hope to bring the film to audiences soon. I also recently produced a short film that shot in Georgia this past summer by the incredibly talented Yelena Krivosheyeva called The Magic Ticket, which has recently been accepted into a number of film festivals.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I believe risk-taking is, in a lot of ways, intrinsic to success and something most creatives continuously face. Pursuing an artistic career can feel incredibly risky due to the immense amount of vulnerability that can go along with it. Each time I write a script or shoot a film, I’m putting a piece of myself into that film and asking any number of strangers, “Hey, I think this is good, what do you think?” Am I nervous every time I put a piece of work out into the world to be analyzed, interpreted, and reviewed… sure. But it can be both rewarding and exhilarating at the same time.
Many people will doubt you, and a lot of times, you may even doubt yourself, but the risk of a creative career is trusting your instincts.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://matthewjameseberle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthewjameseberle/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7329007/ https://vimeo.com/eberlematthew
