Jesse Harris, Filmmaker: They basically looked at it and said Okay, Lucy Hale, this script, we think it’s this much money we can make off of it. So this is what we’ll offer to you. Even then they don’t give you the money to go make it. You then have to still find someone else to usually finance that contract, basically it’s almost like collateral you use to kind of then go make.
Film Courage: If we took your pitch [for Borrego movie], how much of it was about the idea of the film and how much was about the return on investment?
Jesse: I think it’s probably a 50/50 kind of pitch in terms of the creative side and the financial side. I mean obviously it depends on who you’re pitching. When it’s an actor or something like that it’s all about the character and all about the story. When it’s an investor, it’s much more on the financial side but hopefully the people you’re working with do care about making a good movie and that was the case in my case. But ultimately making movies is a business and unless you could finance it yourself, you have to kind of work within that system. I felt confident though that this film could be financially successful because it wasn’t some sort of quiet indie drama, it was a really compelling kind of commercial film but with a lot more to it. If you look at the trailers that the distributors made, it’s a very commercial version of the movie. There’s actually a lot more depth than in the film when you actually watch it but they are able to market it as a broader kind of commercial action movie and that’s going to bring people in. When they watch it they’re going to hopefully be pleasantly surprised. There’s actually so much more to it. It’s not so much that. It really is a much deeper, complex film…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
BIO:
Jesse Harris started his filmmaking career early, writing and directing his first feature when he was 17. He opted against college and used the money to fund his feature that he wrote and directed, which was eventually picked up for US theatrical distribution and by HBO Europe. In 2007, to support other young filmmakers, Jesse founded NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth), which has grown into the largest and most prestigious youth film festival in the world. Jesse put his filmmaking career on hold for several years to support other young directors and build a premier showcase for aspiring directors. Variety named Jesse one of 25 talents who transformed youth entertainment and was named one of City Arts Magazine’s Top 50 Culture Makers. His feature was shortlisted for the 2004 Independent Spirit Awards ‘Someone to Watch’ Award and was one of 20 features invited to the 2004 IFP New York Film Market. Jesse’s recently been named a Global Shaper, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, built around young entrepreneurs and do-gooders. Jesse returned to filmmaking in the commercial world, now bringing years of experience crafting beautiful stories for brands. His commercial work has been seen on TV around the world, working with clients such as Volvo, Microsoft, Disney and more. His 2018 short film, Wind in the Night was one of seven films selected for the 2019 Prix SNCF du Polar in France and picked up for distribution in France, Asia, UK and USA. The film was a proof of concept for his next feature, Borrego (available January 14, 2022).
WATCH ‘WIND IN THE NIGHT’ (Proof Of Concept Short Film)
CONNECT WITH JESSE HARRIS
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