Jason Satterlund, Filmmaker: We all got into it because we have killer taste and
we also felt like we can do this XYZ thing and then we start to create it
and we realize there's this gap between what we're creating and what we like.
Film Courage: When did you begin to realize that if you poured all of your
energy and passion into your art that one day someone would give you a job?
Jason: When did I realize?
Film Courage: Or that you'd be discovered?
Jason: Yeah...That's an interesting question because
it comes down to the definition of the word “discovered.” What does discovered mean?
I would say that I as a kid and I think probably every filmmaker watching this probably feels this
way you look at whatever Raiders of the Lost Ark and you go “I could do that? I wonder if anyone
else believes I can do that? I know I have to convince the world that I can actually do it
now in my case the people that have believed in me and given me the shot have not been the
people I expected. It'd be like a best friend who just happened to be in a position that they
hire me and it just like came from back here and you're like wait what? You're going to...? It was
one of those things where I always felt like I had something to contribute, something to give,
I was just wondering how long it was going to take for anyone to actually notice. It's almost the
other way around. I think we're all that way. We all feel that we have something special and you're
just waiting for the world to catch up to where we are. That can be a frustrating position especially
if you feel like no one's discovered you yet, But I have always found that when it does happen
and no matter which level you're on it does happen and that that could mean
a movie deal or it could mean getting a nice job dragging a commercial
it always comes from the last place I expected usually a friend or a contact of some sort yeah so
yeah and I think that yeah it comes down to that maddening place of
how long is it going to take for everyone else to discover what I can do this is where
and this is where it's so important to continue to create and put out there stuff that you
can do there's a great quote from ira glass who is the host of or the creator of this
American life and he talks about how when we got into the art whatever it is that we got into
we all got into it because we have killer taste and we also felt like we can do
this XYZ thing and then we start to create it and we realize there's this gap between what we're
creating and what we like and we see that gap because we have good taste and the only way to
close that gap is to continue to create work lots of work thousands of hours and that's the only
way to close that gap and if you find yourself not creating anything and and you're in this business
just toiling away editing reality television for years and years and years and never actually
making anything then you should probably you're never going to close that gap unless you do it
that is how people will discover you because the more you do it the better you're going to get
and eventually live averages says that that is what will happen come back and ask me in
a year and we'll see and Spielberg is called Nash we'll see if that actually pays off but
that's how it's worked so far do you think the notion of being discovered is is
sort of an old term I'm sort of thinking of like a talent show from the 80s where you're going to be
picked and you're going places kid but it almost seems like now they want to see how much work of
your own have you put in without someone picking you it seems like things have changed a lot there
has been a change well the one thing that's changed I think is that the ability to create
amazing stuff is is has come down to other levels where you can reach it because back in the day
to create anything that looked any good you'd have to rent these really expensive cameras
and big lights and stuff you don't have to do that anymore I mean it's just the way iPhone
shoot looks amazing like really amazing so there is still I think the divide between
the the threshold of television movies working with Disney on a thing that people have heard
of there is that little divide so that still exists and there's there's that stuff and then
there's everything else but there is still so much amazing work out there to be had they're still and
you can be I the discovery can happen on those other little projects and that is I think it's
really fun to do it because like for example I do a lot of work with hospitals and hospitals
a lot of times hire me to create these little stories and I'm telling you they are so much fun
to do because they're little short films that are usually really meaningful really heartfelt
you're working with actors and and it is you're making a little movie you get great practice
and it is super super fun and I was discovered from that based on people that I knew and and
just doing little shorts of my own like they would they would see a little short film or whatever it
hits a festival or something and then they go we should hire that guy to bring do our little thing
that's how all that stuff happened so you could call that a discovery
now is it gonna win an academy award no but that's okay there's nothing wrong with that I’m
doing what I dreamed of doing as a kid and it is a blast and people may watch this and go
oh that guy's never made a multi-million dollar thing okay you're right I haven't
but I'm having a freaking great time making and telling stories and moving people it is
it is just it is the most fun career that you can have because you're telling stories and you're
taking audiences on a ride no matter where you're doing it whether that's a wedding video or
completely on the opposite end with a Marvel film you're doing the same job and it is really great
so yeah it's I don't know if that answered your original question about being discovered but I
do think that there is a when they're trusting you with telling the story for their brand or
for their whatever there is a discovery process that does need to happen they need to see that you
have the talent to actually manipulate and tell a story and craft a narrative in a way that wraps
up what they're trying to sell or do or say right so hence the sort of corporate video that was in
jurassic park I think also in blade runner too didn't they have a few like they'd have these
billboards yeah these commercials well that's right I mean most times when you see a sci-fi
act yes stuff like that fantasy they'll have some sort of way to communicate information
that's that's corporate video one-on-one right there and heck what better way to practice if you
are gonna let's just say you could look at your life from beginning to end and you knew that in
I don't know 10 years you were going to get to direct the next blade runner
well wouldn't it be good to practice and that in that blade runner there's going to be a whole time
travel element that you're going to have to fold into it and explain to an audience how it works
wouldn't it be good to like kind of practice that now with your with att client that you have or
or whatever like wouldn't it be good to like kind of maybe because if you mess
that up who cares it's just the corporate video that not a lot of people are gonna see
wouldn't that be much better to do it that way and then by the time you get to blade runner sequel
oh man I got this i've been doing this this is going to be fun and now I have all the money to
do it like that's a great way to look at it why did you see the Apple commercial around
1984 [Super Bowl Commercial Introducing Macintosh Computer]. it's just the one where they throw
the thing into the screen yes I think so right directed by Ridley Scott yeah that that apple
commercial isn't that crazy it has this amazing look this really cool story it never it aired one
time on television I believe this is pre-internet and it made so many ripples and it really made
Ridley Scott's career like from there he went on and did I think I think alien was after that
he might have done the duelist at that point but yeah that was because really
Scott was a commercial director before he became doing movies so.