Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack McCafferty
Hi Jack, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am a filmmaker and comedian. I studied film at Drexel University’s College of Media Arts and Design and I’ve previously worked as a casting associate at Heery Loftus Casting on films like Creed II, 21 Bridges and Glass. I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy. Stand up. Improv. You name it, I wanted to do it. I’ve created many short films and web series that have won various awards at festivals and online venues, particularly in the comedy categories.
Then the pandemic hit. I wasn’t able to go out to the theatres and comedy clubs I wanted to, so I needed a new project. This is when I began working on my first feature film, Dreaming of You. I wrote, directed, produced and acted in the film. I used my own savings to fund the project and when that ran out due to the various fees required to make a movie, I crowdfunded via seed&spark.
Dreaming of You is a mixed media feature film that combines live action and animation. Throughout the film, the protagonist, Miles, has nightmares reflecting upon his life shown as fully animated sequences. Each dream boasts its own unique art style to further mirror Miles’s feelings.
To keep costs down, I had to animate every dream sequence completely by myself. I’m a self taught animator, so the styles are very personal throughout the film. I call them artisan animations as you can really see my fingerprints in the final product. It took me over two and a half years to animate all the sequences in the film. And that’s not even counting all the live action stuff we did.
Our film had our world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatres on June 24th as a part of Dances with Films. I was so happy to have a chance to screen in Hollywood so I could invite all of the wonderful people I’d met while living here. The premiere was a smashing success. We even received an honorable mention for the Grand Jury prize at the festival during the closing ceremony. Not bad for a movie with a barely existent budget!
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?
We didn’t have any money to produce this feature film. So, we had to call in as many favors as possible. The camera we used was lent to us by a friend. My mom did the catering. We shot it in my parent’s garage. The crew members were sleeping on my couch. It was a little like camp. But we got it done. Once we wrapped production, I knew the film would now exist. That was something that seemed like such a far off thought for so long.
The funding issues didn’t stop after that though. Even once the film was complete, we had promotion and pr things to deal with. Stuff other films normally would hire outside sources to do. We didn’t have that option. But people like Lexx Fusco or the wonderful people at Drexel stepped up to help us with outreach to get butts in the seats for our big premiere at the Chinese Theatre.
There are so many moments where someone reached out to us in such touching ways. It was eye-opening to see how many good people there are in my life. I’ve been moved by people donating to the crowdfunding campaign or offering up their talents to the project. Every hurdle we faced was met with another moment of kindness. I owe so many so much.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m most proud of the fact that my films effect the audience. Usually this means getting laughs. These projects take forever to make but once we get them in front of a group of people, the laughs hit hard. Makes the whole thing worth it. I also love to inject my wild style into my projects. I love using different mediums together or getting funky with film techniques. It’s a fun way to touch an audience. I use these wild visuals to put a little bit of myself into my projects. I act in almost everything I do, but it’s even more than that. My emotional truths bleed into the stories I tell. It enhances the humor and connection with the viewer because it’s more honest to who I am. It can lead to things that make people laugh out loud one moment and then cry the next. “I laughed. I cried,” is a cliché review in film, but it’s an honest review I’ve gotten on my films, including Dreaming of You. Not many people can do that.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Anthony Marotta is the first call I make on all of my projects. He’s my cinematographer on all my live action projects. Because I’m usually in front of the camera, I have to have complete trust in him that what we’re getting in camera is what we want and talked about in pre production. I trust him to let me know if something isn’t working as I’m directing blind for the most part. If I didn’t have that trust with him, nothing we make would ever work.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexyjackmccafferty/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/JackMcCaffertyFilms
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/dreamingofyoufilm/
Image Credits
Jack McCafferty
Anthony Marotta
Lexx Fusco
