We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nathan Weidner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nathan below.
Nathan, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I would have to say that my resilience came initially from watching my mother create something out of nothing. She was a children’s minister at church, and she began putting on elaborate puppet shows for the children since as long as I can remember. The stages and props for these shows were eye-catching, but they often started as pieces of something she discovered in a neighbor’s trash. She was able to see the intrinsic beauty in the most basic of items, and she created masterpieces out of them. If she had a vision to create something, she always found a way to bring it to life. As I grew up I began to emulate her in this respect.
In college I was doing an internship at a church in Nashville, Tennessee, and I began work on a large production that soon became overwhelming. I approached the pastor and told him that I didn’t think I could continue, but he told me that I should never give up on what I have started. He asked what I needed from him to assure that I could complete the program, and he gave me everything I asked for. In the end the program was a huge success. I have never forgotten the lesson that he taught me, and it has solidified my resolve to complete anything that I begin.
In my lifetime, I have endured a number of situations that have tried this resolve. I had a daughter who was born with severe special needs, I went through a divorce, my children were moved out of state, and I lost a child to murder. However, my faith helped me to carry on and to make a beautiful life out of the mess that was left behind, just as my mother had done with those things she found in the neighbors’ trash.
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 Ohio filmmaker, which on some levels is not saying much, but on many levels it says a lot. I had to decide early on whether I was going to remain here and be a moderately-sized fish in a small pond or move to Los Angeles to be a small fish in an enormous pond. I chose to remain in Ohio because this is where my support system lives, and the technology to create compelling films has become exponentially more accessible to the average filmmaker over the past two decades.
I teach high school video production and shoot independent films during the summers. However, it took 12 years for me to get the nerve to actually begin shooting my first passion project. I had spent years reading books and speaking to others about what it takes to create a film, and like many filmmakers I was reluctant to begin anything without six-figure funding and a known star attached to the project. However, that all changed one day when a student of mine turned in a music video that was visually compelling. I asked him what he had used to shoot the footage, and he told me that he had shot it on his iPhone. I determined then to ignore all my pre-conceived ideas of how a film is “supposed to be made.”
In the summer of 2021 I shot “A Story For Winter” for just $3,000 using the iPhone 12, and by December of that year the film was streaming on Amazon Prime Direct. In retrospect, I am astonished that it worked out the way that it did, but it encouraged me to keep pushing forward and going with my gut. The following summer I organized a group of college film students to shoot “The Name of the Sun” in Whitefish, Montana. The film was created complete by the students under my supervision, and it is now on Amazon and Tubi. I am so proud of what they accomplished. After this I shot my third film, “Chasing Glamour,” which we are in the process of getting released to a streaming platform.
Over the past three years I have grown a lot, and my vision for filmmaking has come into focus. My ultimate goal is to create films a with a positive message, while offering opportunities to emerging filmmakers to work on their first feature films. I want to help my actors and my crew to advance in their careers, and my hope is that they go on to achieve bigger and better things. I also want to feature Columbus, Ohio in my work, because it is my home town, and I am proud to live here. I have shot a number of scenes at Columbus-based businesses, including Third Way Cafe, York Steakhouse, Canal Wigwam, Harris Lane & Co, and Josie’s Pizza.
I frequently network with other Ohio-based filmmakers, because I am always on the lookout for people who have a shared vision. Not everyone is necessarily onboard with my style of filmmaking or the process I used to shoot films, so it can feel a bit lonely at times. We shoot so many horror films in Ohio, which I understand is a popular genre and one that is easier to shoot, but I feel I have a duty to create stories that offer hope in a world that is already so dark. I know I am not alone in feeling this, and I am slowly finding “my people” who are willing to share this journey.
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?
I believe the first quality was looking for the good in others. I learned early on that we all tend to hide behind facades so that people only see the best versions of ourselves, whether or not these versions are true. However, some of my greatest successes in life unfolded because I looked past the surface of the “wrong people” and gave them a chance.
The second thing was learning to forgive people and not write them off at the first instance of wrong or hurt. I used to do this, but I eventually learned that practically everyone hurt me on some level from time to time. We cannot write everyone out of our lives, so it is best to foster an atmosphere of grace and allow others to make amends if they want to so that you can continue your partnership. My relationships that have survived such instances have been some of the strongest and most fulfilling.
The third is not simply looking out for my best interests but also acting in others’ best interests. There are those in this world who will use others up and discard them without a second thought. However, when we approach others with the purpose of growing together and helping each other to reach our goals, we create the most beneficial partnerships and relationships, ones that will endure and continue giving back throughout our lives.
The best advice I could give is be for others what you would like others to be for you. It may not always be reciprocated, but it will always pay off.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I would have to say that, currently, my students are the ones who inspire me and encouraged me to push through and keep going. They are some of my biggest fans, and they often ask questions about the most recent film project I’m working on. The wonder and excitement that emanates from them ignites something inside of me to keep going. They keep me young and help me to continually see the challenges before me through eyes that are ready to take on the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.prausmedia.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prausmediafilms/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NJWeidner
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCurfx_UvVDP7rQH4Aa0o8RQ
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5988453/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_nathan%2520weidner
Image Credits
These are all candid images taken either as selfies or by cast/crew on set with their phones.
