Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jason Sanchez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Jason, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
Alongside my film-making work, I have a regular corporate advertising job that pays for the essentials. I’m grateful that the company has a generous PTO policy, so I’ve gotten a lot better in the last year about taking more stay-cations, as in time off without any specific destination or goal in mind, sometimes even just staying home. I highly encourage others in a similar position who may have a bad habit of only taking time off when it’s attached to some major life event or reason (wedding, holiday, etc.). Now I make a point of just throwing random time off on the calendar, forgetting about it, and then being pleasantly surprised when the time comes.
In the past, visiting family back in Texas for the holidays was my annual window each year to recharge from LA, restore the soul a bit and come back refreshed, but now I’ve managed to give myself additional increments throughout the year. On a weekly basis, I’m part of a large group chat of a few dozen guys that meet up every Sunday for basketball at a park, and this has honestly become one of the highlights of my weekly routine. It’s a chance to be social (without any networking pressure), a bit competitive, and to get in some cardio exercise that I wouldn’t otherwise. I hate the treadmill, and anyone who uses it for self-care is not to be trusted.
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?
I am an independent film director and screenwriter, operating as the CEO of my own production company: JSanchez Productions, LLC. For now, I’m focusing on projects that I write and direct myself, but the long-term goal is to expand the company’s scope so that it can serve as a production powerhouse for underrepresented voices. While I am a Mexican-American artist, I envision the company providing resources and nurturing artists of all backgrounds, gender identities, sexual orientations, and religious beliefs.
For the latest project, we’re hard at work in post-production for ‘Sink or Sin!’ a short horror/comedy film about a twisted game show in the afterlife. We partnered with the awesome Owong Productions (https://www.owongproductions.com) and are hoping to complete the film in Q1 2024.
Then, looking ahead to late 2024/early 2025, we are in the writing and concept stages for an action-thriller/comedy set in Houston, Texas (my hometown), that will be my directorial feature-length debut.
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?
1) Self-Discipline: Particularly if you live on your own, maintaining some sense of self-discipline is absolutely essential if you desire to achieve any goals in a timely manner. I don’t just mean writing every day or trying to watch X amount of movies every month. Self-discipline can extend to all facets of life, whether that’s going to the gym, cleaning up the dirty dishes, or saving money. Once you commit to these acts of self-discipline and they became second-nature/muscle-memory, extending the philosophy to art will be a less daunting task. For those earlier in their journey, I recommend building those self-discipline muscles by starting with your own daily clock. For example, if you want to take a nap, commit to exactly an hour and then continue on with your day. If you treat yourself after several hours of work, but still have more to do, perhaps try monitoring your reward time and committing to a specific window, such as 2 hours of TV and then back to it. This can also apply to general planning for the week such as: I’ll enjoy Saturday with friends at the beach all day, but then Sunday I have to go to a coffee shop and get this work done.
2) Openness to Art and Experiences: This is less of a skill and more of a philosophy to embrace. In discussions of modern media, film is often held as the highest audio-visual art form in terms of cultural legitimacy. (Ex: Note how critics describing a TV show as ‘cinematic’ is a compliment, but saying a film looks like it was made-for-TV is often derogatory.) However, I genuinely believe that consuming all forms of media and art are essential to creating a well-rounded artist lexicon. Try comic books, video games, anime, etc., and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what ends up inspiring you with ideas for film. But this doesn’t just apply to art – this philosophy can also extend to just enjoying life and trying new things. A new restaurant, meeting friends for drinks, all of these experiences matter and can be a great source of inspiration later down the line in unexpected ways.
3) Treating People like People: I know everyone says to ‘be kind,’ and yes, that’s important, but I want to take it a step further. I often say that what makes my film sets unique as a director is that I just treat people like people, and I make sure everyone on set is doing the same. I don’t care if it’s the intern making a coffee run, or my cinematographer wanting to block out a scene. If you treat people like they are just people, it will astound you how pleasant the entire experience can be. Remember that you are making a FILM together – a work of art! You should be having fun on set, and if you are not, something may be wrong. When emergencies pop up, work through it together with your team, and there is never a need to talk down to or disrespect anyone. And particularly for the role of director, I am hyper-aware of the needs of each team member, ensuring they are safe, healthy, and happy during our time together.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I’ll make this specific to filmmakers or artists who also have a regular day job. When everything is picking up – you’re ramping up for shooting week, but your day job is also busy, it can all feel like it’s crashing down on your shoulders and it is exhausting. All the work is bleeding together and you’re losing track of time, your energy is low, etc.
My solution was to essentially block out designated time for the two worlds, and then commit to preserving a designated rest period as a sacred window that is to be prioritized for your mental health and sanity. In the case of ‘Sink or Sin!’ that we shot in March, I would wake up several hours before my day job started, knock out all film-related emails and production needs, start my regular day job, finish, and THEN my evenings were completely free. I forced myself to avoid any and all work emails (both film and day-job related) after 6pm, and it became a daily ritual that would allow my brain to just enjoy pure silence for several hours each night. I would not have survived those last few weeks of pre-production otherwise.
And if it truly becomes too much to bear even with this strategy, you’ve got to step away from it all. Turn off the phone or computer. Even the TV. Drive to your favorite restaurant and enjoy a meal for yourself in silence. Maybe take a day trip to a hiking spot for some fresh air. I hope this helps whoever is reading!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jsanchezmedia.com/
- Instagram: @JasonSanchezHTX
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-sanchez-60454511b/
- Twitter: @JasonSanchezHTX
- Other: Vimeo link to the ‘Sink or Sin!’ shooting week BTS video: https://vimeo.com/814678667/b319d68232
Image Credits
Karolina Bryner (Stills and BTS Photographer) Asher LaBostrie (BTS Videographer)
