[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage: What does being an independent filmmaker mean to you?
J. Horton, Filmmaker/Youtuber/Podcaster: I think an independent filmmaker is in the broad sense, it’s just being independent of the studio, which there’s such a breadth of different types of movies that are made that could be considered independent.
I usually (and it’s semantic) but I usually use the term Indie for what I do as opposed to an independent film. I’ll say I do indie films because it feels a little smaller and personal because I’m making my narratives now, I’m making them for a little over 100 grand [$100,000] but I think that’s minuscule in the grand scheme of things. I’ve made them much cheaper and they’re just a different level of movie.
To me that means:
-Making movies faster
-Making movies cheaper
-Making movies more personal
-Owning my movies.
I own pretty much everything I make now. What it means to me, like it doesn’t mean that to everyone but for me that’s what it is.
Film Courage: How can you dispel the myth that you have to be middle-class or upper-middle-class or have come from that background to make money with film or be in this business and have a job?
J: I dispel that by I am the template (not to sound egotistical) but I am from no money. I am from no connections. I came from Fort Wayne, Indiana, [a] single mom, trailer park, lower-middle, lower-lower-middle class. We lived very, very, very modestly. I’ve never had someone…no one discovered me. No one said Hey kid, we’re making your movie. I was working part-time at Starbucks. I was making whatever minimum wage was then and some tips…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
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BIO:
Filmmaker, Youtube Creator and Producer of many feature films and documentaries, J. Horton is known for boldly crossing genre boundaries and ‘getting it done.” In addition to his prolific work in the film industry, he’s gained a lot of traction in recent years as a Youtube personality. His Channel The J. Horton is a go to spot for filmmakers wanting to learn more about the business side of filmmaking.
WATCH J. HORTON’S MOVIES
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