Jonathan L. Bowen: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker

…Don’t Be A Gearhead — Early in my filmmaking journey, because of a sense of imposter syndrome, I became obsessed with having as much equipment and camera gear as I could, almost trying to make up for my lack of confidence with my surplus of stuff. As I progressed, I realized I didn’t have much interest in using the gear, because I just wanted to write and direct. I let creative professionals I hired worry about the gear so that I could focus on storytelling. A lot of great movies are shot on inexpensive cameras with minimal resources, and a lot of really bad movies are shot on the most expensive, beautiful cameras money can buy. It has always been about the storytelling, characters, and human connection, never about just throwing money at a project…

As a part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jonathan L. Bowen. Jonathan is an award-winning feature film writer-director proudly part of the Director’s Guild of America. His music videos, short films, and feature films have played more than 50 film festivals nationwide. Film has been a life-long passion for Bowen, who ran a critical review site for years and also wrote two non-fiction books on the industry before delving into directing. For 16 years, he has run JLB Media Productions, a leading business-to-business video production company operating nationwide that has produced more than 1,000 videos in 47 states.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?

I grew up in rainy Portland, Oregon, attending an artsy liberal school through 8th grade, which highly encouraged original thinking, artistic pursuits, and individuality. In my younger years, I’d bother my mom to take me to various comic book shops regularly for everything from comics and comic cards to Magic: The Gathering and Spawn action figures. Though my dad was a businessman (commercial real estate and senior living), and my mom was a stay-at-home mom, they both encouraged me to pursue my dreams and focus on my passions. I developed an interest in becoming a filmmaker while in high school.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

My interest in filmmaking I mark as starting on February 1, 1997, when I went to see Star Wars: Special Edition in theaters. I remember we went in the early afternoon, but showtimes were sold out until 10:30 p.m. despite everyone owning the movie on VHS. At the time, I wasn’t a “fan” as such, just another kid who enjoyed Star Wars. When we finally showed up to the theater that night, most of the crowd was dressed in various costumes, wielding lightsabers, and cheering at everything throughout the movie. At first, I thought it was a little strange, but then I got these goosebumps just feeling the electricity of the audience. I remember thinking, “If this is how much a movie can mean to so many people, twenty years later, I want to be part of that in some way.” Ever since, I set my focus to film studies and filmmaking.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?

There are always too many stories, many of which might incriminate people, so I’ll tell a small one that’s an example of finding ways to enhance every scene you film with the creative talent around you. On my first movie, Amy Alyson Fans, we were filming a scene where a “friend” (Kevin, played by Jason-Shane Scott) is trying to move in on the protagonist’s girlfriend, Amy (Cooper Harris). They’re sitting on the couch together, reading lines for an upcoming movie, but he’s also making her take vodka shots with the bottle on the coffee table. Between takes, he asks to see the framing of the shot, which seemed a little bizarre in the moment, but we let him take a look. He walked back over to the couch, moved the bottle of vodka, and we all started laughing immediately. He placed the bottle at the perfect spot so it looks like it’s coming out of his crotch, creating immediate comedy gold and just adding to the inappropriateness of the situation.

I never scripted the scene to have the bottle of vodka mean anything else besides just being present, but talented actors will frequently elevate their scenes in myriad ways, from line delivery to mannerisms to prop use. As a director, I’m always trying to find ways to get everyone involved in the creative process because I’m surrounded by creative people, so I want to take advantage of their talents to create the best possible end result. I could give dozens of other examples, but Jason-Shane Scott’s comes to mind as a particularly funny moment on set.

Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?

During the course of filmmaking, my first PA gig was on the set of a PSA (Public Service Announcement) for a movie starring Cybill Shepherd, which I thought was cool at the time. Mike Richardson (founder of Dark Horse Comics) is a family friend and attended my wedding; his stories are always fun to hear, everything from making The Mask a reality to working with Pamela Anderson. I loved working with Carrot Top (Scott Thompson), Eric Roberts, and Murray “The Magician” Sawchuck on The Comic Shop, all of whom are such gentleman and frequently hilarious. Scotty had us dying of laughter with his improv scene opposite Jesse Metcalfe, the two of them cursing up a storm in the earlier takes before we got a few “cleaner” versions. I think one of the funniest interactions I had was meeting George Bush, Sr., where my sister and I were posing with him for a picture and without us knowing, he stole the name tags right off our shirts! He asked, “Missing something?” We both looked down, realizing our name tags were gone, but never having noticed him take them. I didn’t expect him to be funny, honestly.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I think for me, being largely self-taught, there are many people along the way who have helped expand my knowledge and made an impact. One who comes to mind is Professor Jon Lewis at Oregon State University, which at the time at least didn’t have a film program, but it had film studies in the English Department. Mr. Lewis has written a number of books on the industry and I couldn’t get enough of his lectures and classes on film history and film analysis. I took every class he offered, which really helped cement my knowledge of the medium from 1890s through present. I remember when he’d assign movies to see, for instance Soviet Formalist or German Expressionist films, I would go find other major movies from the movement to watch along with them to expand my understanding of the movements.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I suppose if I had to choose a quote that has always appealed to me, though I’ve been known to love hundreds of famous quotes, it might be: “Fortune favors the bold.” I have always lived my life taking chances and risks, for better or worse. I will immediately prove my point that a second quote comes to mind right after, “The greatest risk is not taking one.” Whether it’s quitting film school to start my own production company or self-financing feature films, I’ve always bet on myself and felt that sitting on the sidelines wasn’t an option. I have never achieved much waiting for someone else to give me an opportunity, so I’ve always had to seize my own chances when I felt the timing was right.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

In all honesty, I’m laser-focused on promoting The Comic Shop and getting it out into the world to open more doors for me in the industry. That being said, I have a number of scripts I’ve completed and a few more I’m developing, so I have future project ideas but I want to remain open minded to the opportunities that I hope will arise.

Which aspect of your work makes you most proud? Can you explain or give a story?

I think as a filmmaker, I’m most proud that both of my movies reflect my values as a filmmaker and incorporate elements personal to me in their stories. My first movie is about a guy who runs a fan site about his actress girlfriend, but without telling her. I used to run a few celebrity fan sites, one for Jennifer Love Hewitt and another for Vin Diesel (unofficial). In The Comic Shop, I draw from my experiences growing up, visiting comic shops often, and also my own yearning to pursue my dreams and never give up. I believe if you’re incorporating elements of yourself and your own story into your films, there’s an authenticity created that audiences can see and with which they can connect. Ultimately, I watch every type of movie, but I find myself drawn to directing stories that are more in the “crowd pleasing” variety and arguably have a more traditional Hollywood structure.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Refuse to Accept Gatekeeping — Degrees in filmmaking, certifications, even festival acceptances or rejections don’t really mean anything, ultimately. People graduate film school constantly and never do anything with their degrees, others never take a single filmmaking class and make masterpieces. Terrible movies play major film festivals every year, usually because of big actors in them, while many great movies are rejected. Don’t let other people dissuade you from pursuing your passion because you don’t meet some imagined criteria.
2. Expand Your Horizons — Directors need to know a little about everything, so don’t be shy to absorb information that’s far outside of your interests. For instance, I watched Project Runway with my wife in the past, not caring at all about the fashion industry, but I feel I’m able to communicate more effectively with a costume designer because I know proper terminology. I’ve stolen shot ideas from old, classic movies, and I’m not afraid to go down the rabbit hole on Wikipedia to learn random pieces of information. As a director and storyteller, everything you learn can be part of your arsenal of knowledge.
3. “Waste” Time — If you’re always working, learning about gadgets and software, watching movies, and focused on industry news, what do you have to bring to the table as a storyteller? All of my best ideas have come from wasting time, which includes surfing the Internet, reading articles that interest me, and just living my life. I’ve never come up with a single idea when I sat down to a blank page and told myself, “Alright, idea time, what should I write?” Writer-directors shouldn’t be constantly working if they want to be great, in my opinion. They should be living a well rounded, interesting life that includes a thirst for knowledge and desire to understand the world around them. I notice many directors (not the most successful) will turn out a well regarded first movie that gains critical acclaim, but then their subsequent movies are almost a retelling of the same themes, the same story, and the same messaging. The best way to avoid that pitfall is to have many interests, hobbies, and a fascination with the world around you so that you always have something new to say. Even if you’re directing other peoples’ material, you still want to have your own rich background to bring to each project.
4. Don’t Be A Gearhead — Early in my filmmaking journey, because of a sense of imposter syndrome, I became obsessed with having as much equipment and camera gear as I could, almost trying to make up for my lack of confidence with my surplus of stuff. As I progressed, I realized I didn’t have much interest in using the gear, because I just wanted to write and direct. I let creative professionals I hired worry about the gear so that I could focus on storytelling. A lot of great movies are shot on inexpensive cameras with minimal resources, and a lot of really bad movies are shot on the most expensive, beautiful cameras money can buy. It has always been about the storytelling, characters, and human connection, never about just throwing money at a project.
5. Study Human Psychology — I’m not talking about a formal education, though it would be useful, but as a director you need to understand people. Understanding people means understanding how vastly different personalities can be on a film set and learning how to connect with each of them. Some people need you to pick them up, to give them confidence in their toughest moments, but other people need to be challenged, to be confronted with a new way of seeing things. Ultimately, everyone wants to feel appreciated and heard. You are running one of the most expensive group projects that the world offers, which is a scary concept, but the success or failure of any movie is based on how you treat your cast and crew, how they look up to you (or not), and whether they believe you have a vision worth following. You aren’t the king; you’re just a person with a vision surrounded by a lot of very creative people (hopefully). Most of your crew has worked on more movie sets than you have. Give them the respect they deserve, even if it’s just simple compliments and gratitude. There’s a joke in Hollywood that two types of people on set have the least experience — the PAs (production assistants) and the director.

When you create a film, which stakeholders have the greatest impact on the artistic and cinematic choices you make? Is it the viewers, the critics, the financiers, or your own personal artistic vision? Can you share a story with us or give an example about what you mean?

For me, I have to say it’s my own personal artistic vision but that’s a biased response as I’ve funded both movies myself, so I never had to answer to anyone else. I think at the end of the process, of course I want audiences to connect with the movies, to enjoy watching them, but I think bad movies are made by focusing on “what audiences want.” Nobody really knows what audiences want. If they did, filmmaking wouldn’t be so risky. Thus the old quote from famous screenwriter William Goldman: “Nobody knows anything.”

As an example, when I’m directing a scene, I can’t be thinking, “Gee, I wonder if these hypothetical audiences who see the movie will prefer X, Y, or Z elements?” I have to focus on my vision and trust that if I’m true to the vision, people will connect with that authenticity. I have agonized over different creative decisions at times, but I know if I choose what feels right for the movie and for my vision of the story, at least I can stand behind my work, rather than read negative reviews or comments and think, “I tried to please everyone, but I should have just stuck with my gut!”

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would start a movement to encourage people to be original thinkers and challenge all “established” knowledge. As a big fan of Nietzsche in college (I majored in philosophy), the greatest value I gained from his teachings is to question everything. An enormous amount of our supposed knowledge is based not on our own personal experiences or even established research, but merely passed down as truth. It may be true, but the truth should stand up to any level of scrutiny, and by questioning even the most deeply held truths, you will find a stronger resolve that you were, in fact, right about them. In your process of questioning everything, you’ll develop better reasons for why you believe what you do, and you’ll discover you don’t believe in some “truths” you were told to hold onto as sacred.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)

For me, that answer has to be George Lucas for almost the last 30 years, just because his movies had the greatest impact on my journey as a filmmaker. Even minor things like watching the movies dozens and dozens of times trained me as a director for watching my own movies 50, even 100 times during post-production. Lucas created a universe that means a lot to millions of people, but he was also a very successful businessman. Very few people can manage both artistic success and business success, which is what makes him a role model and someone I’d love to meet.

How can our readers further follow you online?

I maintain a Website with updates about my work and portfolio samples at DirectorBowen.com, but I also try to keep my Instagram updated with personal and professional posts, which is @DirectorBowen.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!