We were lucky to catch up with Justin McClain recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Justin, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Is it a totally narcissistic red flag if I think the meaningful project I’ve worked on is actually still ongoing? That project is called Survivng as a working creative. I truly mean that less in the “look at me I’m doing it” way and more in the every project (even the nastiest of them) is meaningful in it’s own way. Every new project adds to the combined sum of all of my successes, failures, friendships, creative projects, good ideas, bad ideas etc…. that get funneled together to help guide my creative process for the current project.
The life long marathon of making a living as a creative does not have a finish line. Or to quote Amy Adams in The Master “This is something you do for a billion years or not at all.” For the record I’m not a scientologist but I vibe with the commitment to creativity across lifetime. It’s not really about all the popular glamour and optics of working with mega superstar talent or global brands that gets me up in the morning… in fact it’s almost always my dog Zelda.
My favorite projects have some commonalities. Moments of pure giggly bliss figuring things out with the crew, A well planned and executed creative idea where no one ruined it with their weirdly hostile attitude. And of course… The most important part of the process…. pay checks arriving on time to all crew members (you’d be surprised how many times producers make the working crew wait forever for payment. That’s Hollywood Baby!)
My overall hope is that when I reflect on the art life (across all artistic spectrums) that I’ve spent the majority of my life living and doing that I think to myself… Wow, you’ve made a lot of suspect stuff….. But that ~INSERT WORTHWHILE PROJECT THAT I LEARNED SOMETHING BY DOING IT WHILE FEELING SOMEWHAT CREATIVELY FULFILLED~ was pretty great. Nine times out of Ten that thought will be because of the collaborators working on the project and the memories we make during the process of creating. It rarely if ever has anything to do with the view count or Brand optics (Though that stuff does help with booking more creative work).
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
So I moved to LA… again! I started at the very bottom of the film industry as an unpaid PA on an independent feature that ran for about 20 days of shooting. I tried really hard and cared a lot about helping in anyway I could… Which was hardly at all. One of my roommate’s at the time literally taught me how to read a call sheet two days before I had to be on set. This lead to me reaching out to every crew member from that initial feature for any and all work at the bottom. I took PA work for a few months until one day in the morning an AD asked “Does anyone want to be an art PA today?” I raised my hand first just to get out of setting up a bunch of tents and tables again and wound up loving it.
Have you ever had to pivot?
To be honest I was very frustrated by the industry as a full time production designer… Then when the stoppage happened in 2020 I had already been spending all my time watching youtubers who’s videos didnt stop and needed to get out of the house. So I went on a little drive….. From LA to AREA 51 in Nevada. I know it sounds insane but Mr Beast slept there for a whole night so why couldn’t I? On this trip I shot a short film of Area 51 on my iphone and sent it around to my filmmaker friends who loved it. It was at this moment I decided I needed to fulfill my true dream of being a filmmaker on my own terms. I’d now had nearly a decade of high level Production Design experience and as a result had an invaluable education in Direction, Cinematography and Producing.
At that point I decided to buy a camera and make a youtube channel. Where I would make so many videos that I would eventually have the skills and CV to book some work as a editor or maybe do some camera operating. My wife and I eloped to Iceland and while we were there a Volcano errupted and we hiked to the peak. Now like a youtuber with a backpack of gear on my back to document it. The next day we went back and I flew my drone over the eruption and had another sort of another eureka moment. Cameras and Drones look insane these days for a consumer level even. At this point why would you need the expensive Alexas and Red cameras we use on set….
What I didn’t realize is that my community would be so intensely supportive of me directing from knowing me as a Production Designer. After a year of consistent Youtube I’d rebranded myself as a multi tool filmmaker and Photographer and started booking small filmmaking jobs along with my day job as a PD. This blew my mind possibly more than all but the craziest production design jobs in my entire career. Once I realized there was a path where I could still be creative in the industry but not have to maintain one role to do it I knew I had to head right in that direction as terrifying as it may be. Sadly I had to stop youtubing but it lead to Directing + Producing for clients across the country and a continued evolution of my creative path without having to stop being a PD. I just get to be a lot pickier with clients in that space. Last year for example I still Production Designed an immersive gallery show, a restaurant and 4 high level commercial campaigns…. but I produced and Directed 14 multi video and photo based campaigns (nearly 50 combined videos) along with having my first legit legal drone jobs. And as my wife will confirm I’m in a wayyyyy better mood all the time :)
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish someone had told me that the most important part of having a successful long term career in the entertainment business is not comparing yourself to a famous impossible success by the time you’re 22…. but actually it’s finding true mentorship and community. I will never forget Richard Bridgland telling me that I could be a Production Designer someday too when I had been a PA at that point and would have never considered it. Nor will I forget Prop Master Andy Siegel taking me to work on commercials and then onto a big giant Star Trek movie (a dream come true) while teaching me how it actually all works. Without these mentors I may have survived the horrors of a life lived in the biz thanks to my firends and community but when you’re coming up it’s smart to listen to the wisdom of the experienced. This business ar it’s best it’s the greatest but at it’s worst well….. It’s probably harder than you’re thinking both physically and mentally. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jsmcclain.com
- Instagram: @justinslademcclain
- Youtube: Justin McClain
Image Credits
Justin McClain, Brandon Dermer, Nicole Swedlow, CJ Mora