Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Johnston.
Hi Jason, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker very early on. Even as a child I always had a camera in my hand. I would make little movies with action figures and my dad’s consumer video camera. I was always humming some movie theme song by Williams, Goldsmith, or Horner.
After high school, I got my first job as a video editor working on many hundreds of television commercials, then later I decided I wanted to try videography. I eventually started working on short films and music videos as a cinematographer and director.
After a while of doing that for other people, I formed my company Fifty Oars Motion Pictures, and haven’t looked back.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Most definitely, the biggest struggle I ever faced was being a small business owner during the pandemic. By the end of 2020, I was blessed with some very good music video jobs which pretty much saved my life. Then I decided I wanted a fresh start, so I moved to Tennessee to be closer to family, and to Nashville. That way, I figured, I could break into doing more music videos and indie films, which I love, and also be able to see my mom more often than once a year! Once I moved, I suppose the stress of moving and the entire change fot to me because I then fell ill with an extremely bad allergy attack, then mom and I got COVID Delta, then shingles, then an uncomfortable abscess. Just tons of stress! But, I persevered and am excited for the new challenges Nashville has to offer.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Fifty Oars Motion Pictures LLC?
Before Fifty Oars I was only a cinematographer for hire. I can still be that on another filmmaker’s project, and I really enjoy it, but I really wanted to head my own projects with people I wanted to work with, so I started my own production company in 2012 and called it Fifty Oars Motion Pictures. I got the name Fifty Oars because it’s a nod to Jason and the Argonauts. Their ship, Argo, required fifty oars powered to propel it through the waters on its adventures.
And my name is Jason, so it all fits! I designed the brand and logo myself, built the website, and manage all of it myself. I’m an army of one. When you pick up the phone to talk to someone at Fifty Oars, you’re calling me and speaking with me directly. I love chatting with new people and coming up with solutions for their needs. Fifty Oars is a boutique visual production company. We produce music videos, commercials, promotional films, independent films, and documentaries, as well as photography and graphic design. I’m the lead creative so all of those decisions come through me which I discuss with the client or agency.
Then we get it all figured out, we hire the talent and crew, and we film. And that’s the best part for me; actually being there on set with the client filming this project that we’ve worked so hard to organize, directing the talent, and leading the cinematography so the subject on camera looks its best. I love meeting and working with people from all walks of life. I’ve discovered very quickly in the independent film industry, that when a bunch of people is working together on a single project, you’re all in it together, and it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from. All that matters is working together to make that project a reality. I love that about this job. Afterward, in the post, I edit the footage, mix the sound, and color the finished product.
Working with the client on revisions and getting that approval means the world to me. When I moved to Middle Tennessee in July 2021, I made sure to bring Fifty Oars with me to service artists and filmmakers in the Nashville area. I’m very proud to be a local hire to folks in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, and all areas in-between. What sets me apart from others is I’ve been in the film industry since 1997, a photographer since 1996, so I have a lot of experience, but my eye and work ethic are at the Hollywood level.
Everything I do has a polished cinematic style, and I can work with almost any budget and produce a product that looks and feels like a million bucks, as they say. Plus, I’m very laid back and easy to get along with. I love collaboration so I get along with almost anyone. People always tell me they enjoy working with me, and that makes it all worth it.
What matters most to you?
Whenever I work on a project, especially a commercial or music video, or even a documentary, I prefer it to be grounded in reality. I really want the actual person, or emotion, or tone, of the film, to come through. I want the story that’s being put on screen to touch the audience, make them think, make them feel a feeling, whether it’s joy or sadness or anger, and to maybe look into themselves and consider what that person on the screen is going for.
I think if the more we people all look at each other as going through the same daily struggles and joys and heartbreaks, we’ll maybe all see each other as being the same, and we’ll respect each other more, and care about each other more, then maybe each of us will stop hating and instead try living a full life.
I know it’s a bit much to think that a music video or a commercial can change the world, but it doesn’t stop me from trying. Besides, working with a bunch of people from different walks of life is a blessing in and of itself, because people are awesome.
Contact Info:
- Email: argo@fiftyoars.com
- Website: https://www.fiftyoars.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonrjohnston/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasonrjohnstondp
- Other: https://www.jasonrjohnston.com
Image Credits
Manuel Gamez, Brenda Villarreal, Paige Williams Harris, and Jacky Buelow
