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Jayden J is an inspiring young student of Film School 4 Teens who is the creator of 42 Hour Film Challenge finalist "Quaran-sync". Haylie and I got the chance to call him and talk about his filmmaking journey, all the best movies, and his latest releases (Heres a hint: Mickey Mouse but Horror!) Watch the video of this Interview HERE!
Haylie:
Hi Jayden! Welcome. We're so glad to be talking with you today! So we're just going to ask you some questions to learn a little bit about you. And then feel free to you know, if you have anything to add on to the questions, like they don't have to be super lengthy or they can be super heart felt, however you want to do this. It's just going to be relaxed, you know, low stress! But anyway, so we're just gonna go back and forth asking some questions. Do you want to start us off?
Sophie:
Well, first of all, before we start, do you want to like tell us a little bit about yourself? Like how you first got interested in filmmaking? Like kind of like a little self bio?
Jayden:
Yeah. So I first became interested in filmmaking when I was about seven or eight. We were visiting friends in Colorado and we watched Hugo with them. And they talked a lot about filmmaking in that movie. And so it just got me really interested. So when we came home, my brother and I teamed up with a friend of ours and we just started making short films and trailers on the trailer templates on iMovie.
Haylie:
Oh yeah! That's so cool. And then I guess, since you said Hugo, the next question is like, which role in film crew is your favorite and which are you best at? Did like any part of the making of Hugo interests you to get into filmmaking or do you just like all aspects of how it was made?
Jayden:
I just liked all aspects of how they talked about just the history of film in that movie. But right now the, the role that interests me the most, it's a tie between screenwriting and directing, because I used to just direct and make shorts that were unscripted because it would just be kind of like improv, and now I've taken a screen writing class at a library with an actual screenwriter for about a year and a half. And and that's become a great passion of mine. And combining that with directing makes it like the perfect path for me.
Haylie:
Wow.
Sophie:
Thats Awesome!
Haylie:
That's so cool. I love that you're taking a screen writing class, like on the side, because you can learn so much from just that!
Sophie:
It's funny, because the last feature filmmaker we did said that he preferred filming and editing, some of the more technical side of it, but it's really cool that you're like the other side. Because for me personally, I like screenwriting and like the actual storyline part of it.
evJayden:
Yeah. I've always loved to write and tell stories. So just screenwriting is just really fun to me.
Haylie:
We didn't list this as one of the questions, but is there any like specific thing that you have like learned through taking that class that you didn't know before about screenwriting specifically?
Jayden:
A lot about character development and the importance of character driven plots vs plot driven stories. Character driven stories are a lot more important and a lot more engaging and interesting than just a plot driven story. Cause if it's plot driven, it'll just fall flat.
Haylie:
Yeah, For sure.
Sophie:
Let's talk about what part of filmmaking you find most challenging and what part you find most rewarding?
Jayden:
The most challenging part is definitely editing. Cause it's just hard for me to stick with something. It's just always been hard, but once I do the most rewarding part is finishing, when you're done. It's like normally I would think that I'd be, 'Oh my goodness, I'm gonna be so excited when we finished', But now it's like, 'Oh man, I'm so relieved that we're finished'.
Haylie:
There's like that typical feeling of like, when you first go to start editing a project and you just have all these disassembled pieces and you have to just like put them together. That's like the least exciting part to get past that little hurdle.
Sophie:
I feel like with some things it's interesting because if you're in a show or like a musical, you're always excited for the end or like, you're sad for it to be over, but you're excited to see it. But like with movies it's like, you're always excited for the end. You're not sad. Well, you're sad to have to be done, but you're mostly excited to be done. That makes sense?
Haylie:
And then also you have like something you can treasure forever, you know? Let's see. Do you have any goals in filmmaking and if so, what are they?
Jayden:
Yeah, I do. My goals are to spread positivity and love, and also to tell stories and make people laugh. Not at me.
Haylie:
Yeah. With you! Make them laugh, you know?
Sophie:
Oh, that's so cool. Do you have any like future goals? Like career-wise with it?
Jayden:
Yeah. I'd like to be a screenwriter and a director, both screenwriter and director, because if I'm a screenwriter, At least right now, I don't know if I'd trust another director with my work.
Sophie:
Ya That's so scary because it can change the whole movie.
Jayden:
Yeah.
Haylie:
Whats interesting is when you're young as a filmmaker, you kind of assume a lot of the roles. I feel like when we're making films with our friends and stuff, it's not like, okay, you're the director, you're the producer, I'm a screenwriter or whatever. So when you get older, I have a feeling like you'll have to start to learn to trust other people or learn how to at least express your vision, you know, especially as screenwriter. But, that's how, um know, working on writing, like from a young age can be really helpful because screenwriting is basically just writing storytelling. What films have been most inspiring or influential to you and why? Obviously you said Hugo...
Jayden:
Yeah, that one, that one. But definitely right now Star Wars and Marvel just, I love the creativity and the great way that they tell stories and that they just connect and intertwine one way or another. And then another movie that I really like is Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightley. And because of just because of the deep emotion and complexity and the transformation of the characters, just like really like strikes me as like, wow, that's a really good story.
Sophie:
Yeah. I think that with Star Wars and Marvel, those are such like good world-building, which is like something that we talk about in FS4T.
Jayden:
Absolutely!
Sophie:
Yeah. And like, those are incredible because it's so detailed and, it's like, even if they're just doing one movie, think about what's going to come in the next like seven movies, you know, that's a super hard thing to do. I feel like a lot of people don't give those movie a lot of credit for the cinematic one, because it was a book and stuff, but I think the movie's take on it was really cool too.
Jayden:
It's a really good movie.
Haylie:
You seem to have great taste.
Sophie:
So do you have any special memory from a filmmaking experience that sticks out to you?
Jayden:
Yeah, I actually a recent memory, just the spanned about four months. And it ended two days ago.
Haylie:
Okay.
Jayden:
So my brother and I just finished our biggest project yet and it's called The Horror of Mickey Mouse. It took four months to write, film, and edit.
And, we made one about three years ago. It was about maybe three minutes long, but it was just kind of just a funny comedy-thriller where Mickey mouse attacks my brother.
Sophie:
Oh, this is the best.
Jayden:
We would tell a bunch of our friends in classes about it. And after we would tell them it would be all they would talk about. So because of that, we decided to do a remake of it and it's about 10 and a half minutes. And we've just finished it two days ago.
Sophie:
Oh wow.
Jayden:
And posted it on YouTube. So,
Sophie:
Oh my gosh. That's incredible. That's so cool.
Haylie:
Do you feel like, do you feel like relieved to be done with it? After, what? Like four months?
Jayden:
I do. We did take a couple of weeks off just cause it's like, okay, you need to refresh.
Sophie:
Oh yeah. You need a brain break. If you're going to take four months to do anything, Now is a great time. I don't think I could spend four months on one thing if it wasn't during this time, you know. I have like a kind of bunny trail question. Do you and your brother worked together a lot when you're making films or do you guys like work separately at all?
Jayden:
Yeah. We've worked together on like everything and, that's just what is so fun about it. Cause if it was just on my own, I don't think it'd be as fun without him. So yeah,
Sophie:
For sure. I think collaborating is one of the most exciting parts of fim. Does your brother do more on a different side of it or do you kind of collaborate on everything? Like, cause you said you like to screenwrite and direct. So does he more act in film or like...?
Jayden:
Yeah, he's the actor and but I don't think that that's what he really wants to be. He really likes to do it with us, but he loves to write stories, screenwriting, screenplays, and novels.
Sophie:
That's a really good hobby and it doesn't have to be everyone's thing. Like neither of us would probably do anything with it, but we do do it on the side!
Haylie:
And finally, we're just curious, do you feel like FS4T has helped you grow in your skills and if so, how?
Jayden:
Yeah, it has. It's just exposed me to a lot of knowledge about filmmaking that I didn't know before and especially like how important lighting and camera angles are. Because before I took the course, I had never really thought about camera angles or lighting that much. And it also opened up my mind to a bunch of different movies that I never would have watched before. And so and watching those movies, I really liked the secret life of Walter Mitty that made me laugh really hard the entire time. And when we watched it altogether and we were just laughing so hard the entire time, it was really, it was a great movie. I think I watched it when I was like nine, but I didn't understand it. And Watching it again, It was like, YES!
Sophie:
I feel like it's one of those movies that every time you watch it, you see something else, and you're like 'what!?'. Like the different underlying lessons and cool things and stuff.
Haylie:
If you could give advice to other young people who want to make films or young filmmakers what advice would you
Jayden:
Watch study and practice. Because these three things are really important to becoming a good filmmaker. And if you like movies and film and filmmaking in general, then two of them should be easy. But the study part might be a little bit challenging than the others. But if you hunker down and focus and push through, then it will make you a better filmmaker and you'll be proud of what you've accomplished. Yeah.
Haylie:
And if you really love what you're doing, then it's going to be a lot easier.
Jayden:
Yeah. It'd be a lot easier if you really love it.
Haylie:
So if you would like to you can share like your YouTube channel, if you want people to check it out or any social media that you have or anything.
Jayden:
Yeah. I'll share a YouTube. It's called Imagine Big Productions.
Haylie:
Okay. Imagine Big Productions for all of you watching, check them out anyway. So I guess that's going to be all for today. It was super fun talking to you. Good luck on your journey to being awesome screenwriter. Because I think that's a really good path to take.
Jayden:
Thanks for the opportunity. I had a lot of fun.
Sophie:
We loved hearing your insight and you're very, you're very smart and have big things coming.
Haylie:
You have a great day. This has been so fun thanks forJoining us. Bye!!
Jayden:
Bye!
We loved talking with Jayden and we are blown away by the talent he has to share with the world through his filmmaking!
To view the video of our Interview with Jayden click HERE!
If you want to see some of Jayden work, check out his Youtube channel HERE!