Meet John Mathis of Non Linear Films in Glendale

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Mathis.

John, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started making home movies as a kid growing up in a small, country town in North Carolina. I’m one out of seven kids, and I’m the youngest of five boys. We did not have cable, so I mainly grew up watching films from the local library. That’s where I started to obsess over cinema. I would get the neighbors’ kids together and we would shoot these films on my parents’ DV camera. I was known for spending ungodly amounts of time on them. For example, when I was nine years old, I spent an entire year shooting my version of “The Lord of the Rings” because I had to wait for the seasons to change in order to get the correct look. When I was 14, I opted not to go to public school and instead got an internship with the local TV station and completed my school work remotely. While interning there, I traveled with the crew, which gave me many experiences that I would draw on in the future.

Once I graduated high school, I started working as a DP/camera operator for small indie productions. Those were some of the best times of my life so far. It was pretty crazy going out of town for a few weeks at a time and shooting these projects. I was 17 at the time, and everything was new and exciting. I remember being on set and feeling like I was home. The crew was my family and that’s honestly the first time I felt that connected to those around me. It was on one of those films that one of the producers, Ryen Thomas, told me about the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) and encouraged me to go.

After a long process, I was accepted into UNCSA, which is an arts conservatory and the first public arts conservatory in the nation. During my time there, I studied film and after two honestly brutal years, I got into the directing program. While at the university, I wrote/directed two low budget features with my classmates. We would shoot the films over our spring breaks. That sort of gives you an idea of how intense this place was. While our friends were partying at the beach, we were shooting for 12 hours a day for nine days straight. Those were the kind of students that went to my college. It was an insane time, and I would not trade that experience for the world.

After school, I moved to LA with a backpack and that’s about it. I’ve lived all over the city and done all kinds of jobs to stay afloat. From a camera rental house to working on a golf course for a few days here and there. It’s been about staying here no matter what. Thankfully, the hard work I’ve put in has paid off! We sold the feature, “Midnight Runner”, that we made in college. It’s now available on Amazon Prime. I’ve started to direct music videos for the label Nettwerk Music Group, and my new horror feature film, “Where’s Rose”, is in development at Night Fox Entertainment. The growth that I’ve experienced just from my two years of living in LA has been exponential. I really love the energy here. It’s amazing to be living in such a melting pot with so many artists and dreamers. 

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been incredibly tough, but I think that’s what makes it worthwhile. I moved out here totally on my own, so it has been a grind to pay the rent every month. Part of being in the arts is being rejected over and over again. But at the end of the day, that’s just part of life. If you really believe in something, then you will keep going no matter what.

Non-Linear Films – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am incredibly proud that we keep creating and developing concepts. It’s so easy to say, “Well, the money is not there, so there’s nothing we can do.” But I don’t believe that, and neither do my creative partners. We have made a feature that has sold and is on Amazon because we willed it to happen. No one came to us and said, “Here’s money, now go make your dreams come true.” I’m also very excited about the music videos that we have been creating and to grow our relationships with various music labels and commercial houses. I’d say that I’m most looking forward to our new horror feature film, “Where’s Rose”. I can’t say too much about it right now, but there are some really incredible people attached to the project and I’m thrilled to be making it with them.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Keep creating and learning as you go. That’s all you can do. I hope that what I do touches people and that in some way I make their day a bit better than it was before.

Pricing:

• We make music videos on the cheaper end of the spectrum. Between 5-20 grand. So feel free to reach out!

Contact Info:

• Phone: 818) 795-5423
• Email: [email protected]

Image Credit:
Photo Credit: Jared Sprouse and Justin Boswick

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