Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethan Jones
Hi Ethan, 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?
I studied film and fine arts in college, I double majored. I started with studying drawing and painting and my interest in film grew during my freshman year in college so that prompted me to double major. I do feel that foundation in the fine arts ingrained a discipline in me that helped inform my film work. After college, I worked with independent filmmaker, Boaz Dvir, as an editor for over two years before moving out west to Los Angeles to further my career in filmmaking. Out in LA, I began working primarily on social media videos and advertisements to further build my portfolio. A lot of the teams I worked on allowed me to learn and further advance my skills in many areas, not just editing, but also visual effects and working on set as a DIT. During this time, I was also getting put into commercials and advertisements as a model and actor, which wasn’t something I was necessarily planning on perusing but that interest led me to that as well.
From there, I advanced to higher budget shorts, such as Nadine, starring Grace Caroline Currey and Tyler Posey, which I edited and also had a small role as an actor. And finally, I worked on the feature narrative film, Dr. Quarantine, as an Editor, DIT, VFX artist, and Actor, which allowed me to join SAG-AFTRA.
Looking towards the future, I have several projects in development. Nadine as a short film also served as a proof of concept and is in development as a television series. I’m also involved in the feature film, Loaded Deck, which is being written and directed by Jared Vineyard, who wrote Dr. Quarantine. Both projects I’m incredibly excited about.
More info on Nadine here: https://www.meetnadine.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaejsP3YdJOsbDt-JPaUl7AzoygBA52iTt1lqsHG686z898yVivVv0w2jPcdcg_aem_m-ZDrRFO3x8Dok2DwVeQOg
More info on Loaded Deck here: https://www.loadeddeckmovie.com/
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I moved to Los Angeles in October of 2019 and the COIVD lockdowns hit about 5 months later. Needless to say, the 2020s have been a tumultuous decade not just for myself but for many of my colleagues and it definitely tested my resilience as a person. I think there’s a saying from Jerry Seinfeld who said, if you can do anything else, just do that instead. I can’t. This has been my obsession for all of my adult life and I can’t do anything else. I do think one of the keys to success is a sense of stubbornness. Everyone who I work with feels the same way. There have been hard times for me, but nothing that brought me close to quitting, I love what I do and I work with like minded people who feel the same way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m primarily an Editor and Actor and I’m most known for two of my recent projects, the first being Nadine, starring Grace Caroline Currey and Tyler Posey. Nadine is a live action short film set in the “Studio System” era of the 1950s and follows the main character, Nadine, as she rises up against the corruption of the system. I worked on this project as a an Editor, DIT, Co-Producer, and Actor I helped raise money for its Kickstarter campaign in 2024. We did successfully hit our goal of over $60,000 and went into production late July of 2024. I played a small role as a “Hollywood Fixer” like Josh Brolin’s character in Hail Caesar! We recently completed the short and I’m very happy with the end result. We’re currently submitting it to festivals.
The other project I worked on is the feature film Dr. Quarantine, starring Tara Reid. I served as an Editor, Colorist, DIT, VFX artist, Co-Producer, and Actor on this project. The film follows Jackie Russo (Tara Reid), who has built a successful career as a psychiatrist while keeping her own neuroses secret from her patients. But when the pandemic and its lockdowns hit, her OCD balloons to full agoraphobia while her anxiety and depression spike to panic and despair from her husband and daughter missing in China. Finding help for her family is not her only impossible task. She must also overcome her agoraphobia to leave her home and save one of her patient’s lives. The film has completed its first public screening at the Chandler International Film Festival in Arizona, to critical acclaim, and recently screened at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. This film represents the first time Tara Reid has received a best actress award and I’m very proud to be apart of that.
More info on Dr. Quarantine here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12063966/?ref_=nm_flmg_knf_c_1
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Maintaining the right relationships is so key in this business. Find your tribe who you like working and get along with.
Every time you’re on set, make sure to talk and befriend people who are like-minded. Also, being easy to work with and being able to take feedback graciously is also something I’d recommend to anyone who wants to do this for a living as well. Film is a collaborative medium and you’re very likely not going to start out directing anything while you’re working your way up, so being nice and knowing your place in the hierarchy is key.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ejonesfilm.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ejonesfilm/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanrj/
- Twitter: https://x.com/ejonesfilm
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwRvGpwmjxEvY3AkPVINFug
Image Credits
David Muller
