Meet George Simon

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

George, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I grew up in American Samoa making movies with my brother, Joe. I’m from a big family (7 brothers and sisters) and we would always show our movies on VHS when they were finished. We always got positive feedback, especially from my mom (thanks, mom!) and that allowed us to be creative and develop our storytelling and sense of humor in a really positive environment.

When I was in high school, we made a movie for the Christmas talent show. It was the first time we ever showed our work in public and the entire school was in the auditorium. At the very end of the show, they announced, “Last up, we have a film by the Simon brothers,” and a giant screen descended from the ceiling. A popular girl in the row ahead of me turned around and asked, “Is this you guys?” I nodded my head and immediately began sinking into my chair and wondering, “What have we done?” Once the movie started, people began laughing and we ended up getting a huge ovation when the credits rolled. That experience of creating something and being able to share it with an audience and have them respond to it is both exhilarating and validating. Each opportunity to share a film with an audience is a gift and I have been very fortunate to have positive experiences like that that helped grow my confidence. I’ve had a handful of times where a film did not connect at all, but the positive experiences are like a bedrock that reminds you there are people who value the stories you tell and to keep on creating.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I work at an amazing school called John Paul the great Catholic University. I oversee the film program and get to mentor and collaborate with filmmakers as they grow as storytellers and disciples of Jesus. My primary professional passions are writing and directing narrative films.

Two years ago I spearheaded the launch of a new program that integrates making feature films into the university’s curriculum. This program has empowered our students to produce two feature films (O, Brawling Love! & No Reception) and we are working on a third film titled Pickle for Pickleball.

Outside my work at the university, I recently directed my first feature film, Don’t Get Eaten, a zany family comedy set to release this Fall! I made this movie in collaboration with my brother, Joe, and my wife, Melinda, and am so grateful to them and to our crew that worked so hard to bring this film to life.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three things that have been most impactful in my journey as a filmmaker are a life-long desire to continue learning, the desire to serve and genuinely care for others throughout the creative process, and, by far the most impactful, was meeting and marrying my wife and having a family.

There is so much information and opportunity to develop new skills through online classes and tutorials. Anyone who is beginning their journey as a creative and/or entrepreneur should take advantage of these amazing resources and strive to be constantly learning new skills and developing knowledge that can empower you to achieve your goals.

In my own journey, I strive to have a servant’s heart, and I think that grows naturally out of gratitude. When I direct a film, it is so humbling to see the amazing talent and hard work that each person on set is contributing to the project. Making a movie is a gift. I am so grateful for every opportunity to do this work and I always want to honor my collaborators by serving them and helping them have a great experience and do great work whenever I can.

Lastly, I think it’s so critical to keep things in perspective. No amount of success or failure in my creative and professional projects can compare to the joy and gravity of raising a family. My advice to someone who is beginning their journey is to surround yourself with people who will support you, help you, challenge you, and love you.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield has had a major impact in my creative journey. The most valuable insight I take from the book is that there are powerful forces of resistance that creatives face, and that the only antidote is to do the work. For a creative, doing creative work is life giving and essential, and this book is all about finding ways to overcome your internal struggles and to do the work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://commonfilms.us/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonsmakemovies/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-simon-b2643a46/