Conversations with Jon Stevenson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Stevenson.

Hi Jon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey in filmmaking started with my father, who was a cameraman for the local news station. He used to bring home his huge TV camera and make home videos with us. It started as simple clips of us jumping on the bed or being silly and evolved over the years into making short films. He’d also take me to work with him all the time. I’d get to watch him light an interview, or shoot a scene, or edit together a story for the 5 o’clock news. I remember sitting in the editing bay with him and just absorbing all of these techniques and methods and finding it all so interesting. The whole art form really pulled me in, particularly when looking at it from a technology perspective. I was always drawn to science and engineering and had a natural curiosity towards what makes things tick.

I bought my first camera at 13 years old, having saved up cash from a summer of mowing lawns and washing dogs. I made short films with my friends throughout high school; Jackass stunts, Blair Witch parodies, even Matrix-style fight scenes with wire stunts and crash pads. By the time I was in college, I was filming weddings, sports highlights, and freelancing wherever possible. I used the money I was making to attend Colorado Film School and continued to round out my skillset.

Fast forward to my 30’s, and I was operating a multi-million dollar production company that did commercials, branded content, and documentary films. Having stepped away from that business to pursue narrative film work, I directed my first feature film, Rent-A-Pal, in 2020 (available on Hulu). These days, I’ve got several projects percolating and I’m just going where the inspiration takes me!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are so many obstacles on the journey of “pursuing your dreams.” Of course, there’s the people who tell you “no,” the people who don’t believe in you, and even the people who physically try to stop you. I’ve definitely experienced my fair share of all of that. But more than anything else, the biggest obstacle has always been “myself.”

I suffer from severe imposter syndrome. I have the hardest time believing in myself and my abilities. I’ve often ended up self-sabotaging an opportunity simply because I believed that I wasn’t the person for the job or because I felt someone else deserved it over me. I’m also a serial people-pleaser, which often means that I might not pursue an opportunity because I was afraid of how it might affect others or how they will resent me.

So many times, I’ve simply felt selfish for pursuing my dreams or feared being judged or criticized. It’s taken so much self-work and growth over the years to overcome these fears. These days, I’m finally starting to believe in myself and know that there’s nothing selfish about chasing after the things that bring you joy in life.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m very lucky that I’m a multi-talented, multi-faceted artist. I can light, edit, shoot, direct, produce, and even act! There are many weeks where I have a camera job on Monday, an acting job on Tuesday, and am editing a piece at home that’s due Wednesday. I never get bored because I am always switching hats to a different job. And being multi-talented lends itself to the main reason why I love filmmaking so much…

In my opinion, filmmaking is the BEST art form, simply because it is a combination of ALL art forms! Photography, music, acting, design, fashion, and almost any other discipline you could think of. Each unique job position on set is driven by artists, each extremely talented in their own right. And everyone is working together to create a single piece of expression that is greater than the sum of its parts. I can’t think of any other discipline that shares this quality.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I really enjoyed watching movies. Many people credit their love of movies to something like Star Wars. For me, it was Stargate, which I first saw when I was six years old. I remember that film just blowing my mind and opening a whole new world for me outside of kid’s shows and cartoons. When I was 11, I saw Terminator 2. And although I was MUCH too young for that movie, it captivated me in a way that only a few movies have done over the years.

I’m also fortunate to be someone who is very curious. I think curiosity is one of the most important qualities a person can have because it leads oneself to discover so many incredible things in life. My curiosity has driven me to explore so many things, and it’s the main reason why I find myself doing what I love today. My penchant for figuring out how things tick as a kid has carried over into the human experience, creating a desire to explore why people tick too.

Contact Info:

• Website: jonpstevenson.com
• Instagram: jonpstevenson

Image Credits
Jenae Lopez