Meet Nathan Tape

We were lucky to catch up with Nathan Tape recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathan, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

My generosity comes from my parents and the way they raised me. My father, Kurt, has always been generous with his time and money. He always loves to give back to the people that have given to him and also to those less fortunate than we are. At a young age, during Christmas time we made backpacks filled with food, blankets, etc to go and give away to homeless people in the French Quarter here in New Orleans. As a young person I didn’t really want to do this, but my parents made me and I am so glad that I did. It taught me to really appreciate what we have and that sharing what we have is more rewarding than getting some “thing.” I don’t remember what present I got for Christmas that year, but I will never forget the joy in the face of the homeless person who received the gift. My father also lived by the Zig Ziglar truism: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” I have also tried to follow this phrase and I have found it to be very true. The spirit of giving is more rewarding than the spirit of getting. My mother, Barbara, is the most self-less person I know. Her spirit of sacrifice and generosity is unmatched. I remember another story, being a child and going to a gas station. There was a young woman crying her eyes out on the side of the road, my mother said we have to help her. So she went and talked to her and then brought the sad woman back to our house, fed her and let her stay the night. She was a stranger, but my mother did everything that she could to help this young woman get back on her feet. I have always tried to honor my parents by practicing a similar spirit of generosity.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My debut feature film OFF RAMP is about to play in limited theaters and being streaming on TVOD sites on September 6th, 2024. Please go to www.offrampfilm.com to learn more about it. It is a wild film about Juggalos (the rabid fans of Insane Clown Posse), but is really a film about love and acceptance. We are starting a line of merchandise related to the film and can be found on our website. WHOOP WHOOP!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I will share something that the late, great William Friedkin shared with my class at Loyola Marymount in 2005. He said: “To be successful in the film industry you need three things, talent, persistence and luck. And the least important of these three? Is talent.” You must be persistent. Being a filmmaker is a very difficult task, and often unfulfilling monetarily, and you must continue on if you are going to make any headway. Luck is another important element, but I don’t believe luck “just happens.” You have to be prepared for luck to bless you. The more prepared you are, the better your chances are at having luck bless you with an advantageous situation. You do need talent, but you can’t rely only on that. It takes all three to make headway and you can develop your talent, it is not all innate.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

My parents have always supported me and my endeavors. They have filled me with confidence in my abilities and they have been there for me when things didn’t always go my way. Their unwavering support of me and my wild ideas has given me the tools to fight through adversity and to pursue my dreams. They alas help keep me in check and to trembler how far I have come. And to appreciate what has happened for me so far. Thank you Mom and Dad.

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Alyssa Moran

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