Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Satterlund.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have loved film making ever since I can remember. Like so many, those early Spielberg films hypnotized me with their magic. At the time, there was no way to watch his films at home and very few opportunities to go to the theater. So, after I’d see Close Encounters or Raiders of the Lost Ark, I’d lock myself in my room and run the film through my mind so I wouldn’t forget what I saw.
However, unlike so many of my colleagues, I had no access to super eight cameras or to anyone who knew anything about film. It wasn’t until I could drive that I was able to get cameras from the local public access TV station and start playing with stories.
I was determined to figure out how to work in film. It wasn’t easy. I had no mentors. I didn’t know a single person who worked in this industry, so I floundered for many years. In my 20s, in a blind attempt to break in somewhere, I moved to Nashville, TN to see if I could find work in music videos. This is where it all began.
I spent several years working up through the ranks on music videos, TV shows, documentaries and eventually feature films. This was my developmental phase. I worked in the basement of countless productions, learning everything from gripping to cinematography to editing to visual effects. I was able to carve out a respectable living and finally was able to direct my first feature film for a whopping budget of $12,000.
Once my feature was done, I moved around the country building my career on commercials and features and eventually found myself in LA. I took the longest route to get here, but it worked out really well. It turns out have a nice body of work before arriving here is very helpful.
Now, I work as a director on projects all over the world. I do feature films, commercials and documentaries, and I absolutely love it.
Has it been a smooth road?
My road to this point has not been easy. Growing up without any mentor to give me direction in this business cost me years. I feel like I have been belly crawling, inch by inch, across a battlefield full of mines.
I’d say the biggest challenge by far has been lack of contacts in the industry. Every business is a who-you-know business, and that is the engine for a career in film. Each contact was hard-won. Every friend I made was through extraordinary effort. It has certainly paid off, but none of it came easy.
I will say it got significantly easier once I moved to LA. The people you need to meet to gain employment are much fewer and far between in other locations. In LA, there is a much greater percent of the population that is in need of what I can provide.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
First and foremost, I am a director. I am often hired out as that for producers, ad agencies and other clients. I direct feature films, commercials, music videos and documentaries.
I love this job. I have worked my entire life to get into it, and there is no better place than to be on set.
I specialize in crafting narratives that move people. This comes in many shapes and forms. Obviously, if I am working in film or television, that is just part of the job. However, I use this skill all the time in the commercial/corporate space. I have carved out quite a niche as a narrative storyteller for corporations.
Usually a corporation will hire me to craft a film that either tells a story of an actual event, creates a narrative training film that educates in an entertaining way or makes a film that sells the company/product through an engaging story. For example, I recently completed a five part, choose-your-own-adventure series that was used in a health care network to educate patients on how to deal with diabetes. It was the largest project they had ever done and was an absolute joy to complete.
This kind of approach is very unique, and it is what sets me apart as a filmmaker. Corporations love doing it because it ties a deep emotional connection to the company or product. I use the skills I developed making movies and apply it to their films. Usually these projects are meant to inspire employees or customers.
What’s even better is these projects can be in many different genres. The choose-your-own-adventure series was a comedy, I just completed a short film for a ministerial convention that was an adventure film, I’ve also done thrillers, action, and gut-wrenching dramas as well. It all depends on who the client is and what message they are wanting to send.
It is the best job on the planet.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
That’s an excellent question. If you work in film, most people will tell you you should live in LA. LA has been fantastic for me, and it definitely has its advantages. Everything you need to create projects is here. You have the best equipment, people and sound stages. Everything is within reach.
I think LA can be a wonderful place to start, but because it is so large, it can be intimidating. The best of the best live in LA. If you don’t know anyone, it can be a challenge to get started. You also have a lot of competition in LA. This can be good and bad. It can be good because it pushes you to be better at your craft, but it can be bad because the competition is much higher here than anywhere else I have lived.
I love it here because after living all over the country, I have finally found myself surrounded by my people. Other artists who love telling stories as much as I do. Obviously, there are things that could be improved. LA is by far the most expensive place I’ve ever lived. Because of the high taxes and rigorous permitting process, it can be difficult to film low budget projects.
I also think a strong film incentive would be a huge benefit to filmmakers. The reason so many projects are filmed in other places is because those states offer fantastic incentives to producers. I think LA has some of that, but it needs to greatly expand if it wants to keep more filmmakers local.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jasonsatterlund.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jasonsatterlund
Image Credit:
Photo credits: Headshot photo by Quavando, Geekie Awards – Tanya Musgrave, The Suppression – Tanya Musgrave, One Click Away – Levy Moroshan
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