Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackson Van Horn.
Hi Jackson, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hey! Thank you so much for having me today. My story as a filmmaker starts back home in the beautiful Bronx. I know what a lot of people think when they hear “The Bronx”, but honestly, I loved growing up there. I was exposed to so much as a kid growing up in New York City it inevitably helped develop my artistic eye. I have always loved movies and TV. I think growing up, I always wanted to be the one to tell the stories on TV. I pursued acting for several years as a child.
Have we seen you in anything?
I don’t think I ever landed a professional paid gig, and eventually, I burnt out and decided acting wasn’t for me. This was around 2013. I decided to go to YouTube. I created my own channel and did dumb vlogs. I had to teach myself a lot of the filmmaking knowledge I have. Luckily, in the age of the internet, you can learn anything online. So every day after school, I would watch filmmaking tutorials. Around 8th grade, I decided I wanted to pursue filmmaking more seriously. I won my first film festival award that year, and I was like, “Hey… I might be onto something here”. Looking back, it was a horrible film. It was a PSA on digital footprints. But through that, I was able to get my first industry job.
In eighth grade?
Yeah, I became a studio intern at BronxNet Television, and through there, I worked my way up to a director.
And then how did you go from that to attending USC, arguably the world’s best film program?
It wasn’t easy, it was a lot of work, starting in eighth grade. Over the next few years, I worked on my own short films, wrote several pilots, took professional classes, and then eventually, I found my way out to Los Angeles at USC. I am super blessed to be there. I’ve met so many wonderful people.
And in 2022, you launched your own company?
Yeah, I launched Vanmoto Media in March of 2022, and the amount of love and support we’ve received has been phenomenal. I’m so proud of everyone involved. We’ve distributed shorts to festivals and produced some; we also had a podcast, Chai Guys, which was in the 15% most followed Spotify podcasts in 2022. We’ve just been super blessed.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road. I wish it was, but especially in Hollywood, you face so many up and down’s constantly.
It’s also so hard when the industry is full of Nepo Babies.
I mean, listen… I am not a Nepo Baby. Both of my parents work in the industry, but my dad isn’t like, Steven Spielberg. My view on nepotism is that yes, it’s an issue in this industry. Having had to work from the bottom, it definitely can irritate you to watch others get achievements they didn’t work as hard for. But at the end of the day, you being someone’s child is not enough to sustain a career in Entertainment. You need talent, and you need to be kind to people. No matter who you are, if you are not talented and nice to work with, you’re not making it in this industry. I’ve had the amazing pleasure to get to know and work with many so-called “Nepo Babies” and they’ve all been loving, hard-working people.
Were there any struggles moving to LA and going to college?
Definitely. I was so sure of myself and who I was in high school and getting to college that all went away. I found myself being insecure and not knowing myself as an artist. I’ve had to really dig deep and ask who I am as a person. Another thing that caught me off guard was this transition from a hobby into a career. Filmmaking for so long was my passion. It was a way to relieve stress. Now it occupies my whole life, and to be honest, it causes a lot of stress. I think that has been one of the most challenging parts. What do you do when your hobby becomes your work? I don’t think I have the answer to it yet. At the end of my freshman year, I also lost my maternal grandfather, who lived in Los Angeles. I learned a lot of my storytelling skills from him and so that was also a very tough loss.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Vanmoto Media?
Yeah, like I said, we started up in March 2022. Our company has three main pillars, promoting a diverse industry, using impact storytelling, and helping the next generation of creatives. We produced a short film called The One Who Abandoned Me which is now going to festivals. We have distribution deals with other young filmmakers. We prioritize stories by and about marginalized groups.
Recently, we launched the Vanmoto Media Global Roster. The roster is a new way for creatives to connect across the globe. It’s a database that allows you to filter by identities such as ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and more. In America’s political climate, we have seen a direct attack on DEI programs throughout the US. It’s sad, but as a company, we are going to do everything to combat that. Marginalized people deserve a space in Hollywood.
I really envision our company as the model for the future of Entertainment. A place that is welcoming to everyone and has a real impact on audiences.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There have definitely been many mentors and supporters throughout my career. I am extremely grateful for my family, who has encouraged me to pursue an artistic career. Many of my peers have encouraged me and I am grateful to them. Kayla Wong is an incredible filmmaker whom I have had the pleasure to meet during my time at USC. She does amazing work and is always so supportive of me. Darian Ahmadizadeh helped create Chai Guys, which has been one of Vanmoto’s most successful projects. At Vanmoto, we also have Lessly Hernandez, who we could not operate without. She is a wonderful producer serving right now as our Distribution Manager. We also had the privilege of working with the talented filmmaker Faithe, who wrote and directed The One Who Abandoned Me. Mentor-wise, there have been so many phenomenal faculty I’ve met at USC. I can’t even name them all. They’ve all been fantastic. Even my classmates who I work with, they’re great. Shoutout Nani and Ian, for this past semester. We created three really fun projects that I’m super proud of.
Contact Info:
- Website: Jacksonvanhorn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacksonvanhorn/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackson-van-horn-9006a5202
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTStqn2WuRPFfKfiFnwzEUg
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12757788/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Image Credits
Vanmoto Media Mark Burnham
