We were lucky to catch up with P.J. Starks recently and have shared our conversation below.
P.J., so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Creativity, when you have the drive, stays alive within you at all times. It doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing, new concepts are constantly materializing. It can be inspiration based off my environment or I might be lost in thought which spurs an idea. Ultimately, the absolute best way to keep it thriving is by doing. Every effort, even the ones that fail disastrously, helps sharpen your skills and shape your creative voice.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
While I do write and direct on occasion, I’m primarily a producer. I’ve dabbled in many different genres but horror has always been my first love. Together with my friend and producing partner Eric Huskisson, I co-own Blood Moon Pictures, our Owensboro, Kentucky based independent production company. Because collaboration is such a fun and engaging aspect of filmmaking, it’s what I’ve grown love most about the craft. Another cool attribute is taking the written page and brining it to life. That’s definitely one of the more unique components. Being able to see what you’ve written go from paper to the screen, because so many talented people have breathed life into it, is an unmatched sense of accomplishment. Eric and I have produced four of our own features via BMP, with out latest being New Fears Eve, and the journey so far has been a surreal one between all the traveling and working with Hollywood talent.
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?
The three most important qualities which have served me best are perseverance, cooperation, and communication. You cannot be afraid to fail. This goes for just about anything in life, but having failed is the only true way of realizing success. If you’re too scared to fall on your face you’ll never try and that’s worse than failure. On every project, collaboration is a key element because I’m never the only creative entity in the room. Realizing others have ideas has been a major benefit, especially when working with likeminded talent where we’re all moving towards the same goal. I’d be stupid not to accept an idea that’s better than mine and because I do, has made me and the projects I produce stronger and more well-executed. Being able to communicate your vision is paramount. If you can’t articulate what you want to achieve it’s only going to hurt the production. Sharing ideas and planning is very important, especially during the pre-production process because it’s coordinating everything you plan to put into action. Being ineffective in this can severely damage, not only a production, but a partnership as well. If you feel weak in any of these areas don’t be afraid to express that with others and learn to hone these skills. Then actually implement them as you move forward. Most times you only get better at something the more you do it.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
For many years when I would serve as a producer on someone’s film, it was mostly behind a computer helping mainly with marketing and promotions. Because of my home life I was unable to be on set or spend more time in a creative capacity. Now that my life situation has changed in many ways it has opened up more opportunities where I’ve had the ability to work with other filmmakers with a more resourceful and idea-driven proficiency. Lately I’ve been far more hands-on helping with script rewrites, doing more extensive graphic design work, all the way up to helping with securing financing, locations, cast and being able to travel to set. The Boy from Below, The Barn Part III, Half-O-Ween and The Last Sleepover are recent examples of projects I’ve been far more engaged with. Typically I’m an executive producer but I’ve been serving as a full producer on a lot more projects which has been fun and challenging.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bloodmoonpictures.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starks.pj/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodmoonpictures3299
Image Credits
Brandon Scott Hanks / Blackbird Images
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