Meet Jackson Winters

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jackson Winters. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jackson below.

Jackson , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

Growing up with my group of friends skateboarding, I was always the slowest to get around so I was usually tasked to be the kid to hold that camera and the next big capture trick. Over the years I began to love to see the world through a camera lens. I later found myself seeking out as many photo opportunities in school I could find. Taking loads of photography classes and peeking my interest into video with a TV/Radio class that would teach me my first editing software. After high school I went after a degree in broadcasting where I met a number of great mentors and colleagues. I was able to learn how to run full news and talkshow broadcasts. How to run a freelance drone company. I even go lucky enough with the chance to build the Cape Catfish baseball production team. All opportunities that helped pave foundation of my now path in running my own production company Universal Drone & Editing here in St. Louis. It took a long time to find a place in what kind of media work I wanted to be in. After a decade with a camera from graduation photos, filming weddings, commercials work, drone coverage, headshots, real-estate, sports, promos, and live performance I’ve experienced my fair share of camera work. Getting to use a camera is like having a golden ticket into anything you love. You can go anywhere with it but if it’s not a thing you love to capture, it won’t be work worth showing. Now having spent three years doing it. I can finally say I found a home in the world of standup comedy and capturing the art.

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?

After five years I can finally say I’m slowing down on the wedding work after finally reaching number 150 in my career. It’s been a great deal on my camera work and I’ll still keep in touch with a few here and there each year but finally changing my focus to my live performance work. I now mainly spend my nights in whatever comedy venue is might be open around St. Louis but am now exciting to say I will be hitting the road soon to expand ,your work in a number of different cities this year all around the country. I was very lucky to have the highlight of my career this January to work my first big show at the Pageant with Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes. Getting that chance and a good amount of friends I’ve got to make that work in the industry. I have great opportunities for future work.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Greatest quality all though annoying to some is question everything. Learn as much as possible and learn when to keep your mouth shut and when the right opportunity to open to will be. Take in as much information as you can because it can only help you in the end. Seek the next challenge don’t seek out comfort. Keep striving for that next oppurtunity to learn. The second quality is Practice, Practice, Practice. A lesson we all learned growing up is practice makes perfect but I didn’t see true results of this in my work till spending years of time at. Going in multiple days a week improving those basic skills. It is like going to the gym you just have to get those reps in. Week by week for years at a time to see great changes. Last quality is simply be a nice person. It goes a long way in this industry is you’re just a good sole and do it for the sake of the art and not the sake of a pay check. I’ve got to work with great artist who are terrible people and I’ve got to work with great artist who are awesome people and its generally those who get remembered and get call backs/references.

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

Embed a strong work ethic in my life. My parents have both worked in corporate business and private freelance but none the less I’ve watch them work hard my whole life. When I was eleven I wanted a TV of my own and I was told if I wanted one I’d have to get a job to pay for it and so I did. That was the summer I started to earn my first pay check and started cutting my neighbors lawns for cash. Ever since then I’ve always had a job in my life and never looked back. Keeping a strong and reliable name in my work has always been a core pillar in what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.udestudios.com
• Instagram: @Jacksonwinterswork
• Facebook: Jackson Winters

Image Credits

Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes
Sara Sherman
Will O’Donnell
Max Pryce
Steve’O