We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jared Drake a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jared, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
When I was 18, I joined the Marine Corps and it was always preached to improvise, adapt, and overcome. This is a lesson that i’ve carried with me throughout my life. I’ve found that in filmmaking and just being a creative in general that things don’t always go according to plan and being able to pivot and being flexible is an underrated skill to have. I’ve seen some people absolutely crumble if there is a slight deviation in a plan but the Marine Corps has helped me keep my composure in stressful moments.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’ve touched on it a bit that I was in the Marine Corps. I served 9 years and upon my discharge in 2014, I pursued my bachelor’s degree at DePaul University’s School of Cinematic arts double majoring in Television Production and Media and Cinema Studies. While in undergrad, I filmed my documentary “DD-214” that won several awards at smaller film festivals across the country that really lit a fire up under me as I graduated. It created this burning passion inside me so much I decided to quit the software job I was working at, to pursue film full time. I co-wrote and directed a short film “My Immortal Love” with a close friend (Jarrale Daniels) from school. This experience really stretched the lengths of my knowledge as I wore multiple hats during the entire process.
I knew that I wanted to focus more on being in a Producer role but I was aware of the gaps in my knowledge at this point. Being aware of this, I decided to go for my Master’s Degree in Creative Producing at DePaul University. My eyes were really open to an entire side of the process I was unaware of and it completely changed my trajectory. I like working with people from my Alma Mater because I get to see and be apart of their growth in real time. I’ve been able to find life long collaborators that share the same vision and passion for storytelling. I’ve launched my production company 16 East Productions and is currently producing a short film titled “If Only” with director Davea Holmes which is currently in post-production as well as the preliminary stages of pre-production on my first feature film “Detoured Destiny” with writer and Director Annette Galloway.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Solid Foundation and Seeking improvement: When I was in the Marines I was always told practice makes perfect isn’t necessarily a good thing. That practice makes permanent. Establishing good habits early on and building on those foundational building blocks is key. I think one aspect people tend to overlook in general is really knowing yourself and identifying areas of your craft where there are either gaps in knowledge or areas you may be weaker in. Identifying those areas and actively seeking to be better in those areas which in turn, will make you more well rounded.
Consistency: No one is good at something when they start out, but being consistent in your art/craft will eventually pay off in knowledge and experience. I think back to times when I started something, and think had I stuck with whatever it was, I’d be much better off. It is easy to get discouraged when you see what other people are doing, but comparison is the thief of joy. Stick with it until you no longer love it.
Being Personable: Being personable has served me well in all of my years. I people I collaborate with generally end up being in my inner circle extending well beyond just the work. By being a genuine person and caring for the come up of my colleagues, has put me in a position to be thought of when opportunities come their way. Most of the professional jobs I’ve gotten have been because of someone else I know and are really cool with. Burning bridges is the quickest way to making your career path difficult. Networking is important but be genuine and yourself.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking at people to collaborate with. The most important trait in someone that I want to work with is being genuine. We can get along and have the same taste all the way around but if I get the feeling that someone is being disingenuous it is a red flag for me because generally those types of people will step on whoever to get ahead and that is not what I am about. People with good communication skills and the ability to improvise thinking outside of the box are people that bring intangibles to the table and I could learn something from that. I like working with people who have different points of view but never lose sight of the common goal which is to create art and pleasurable working environment. If anyone would like to reach out to me to collaborate they can either DM me on Instagram @gentlemandrake or email me at [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/gentlemandrake
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drakejaredt/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@16East
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