We were lucky to catch up with John “Preston” Bounds recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, John “Preston” thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Working on the set of the upcoming indie dramedy Chocolate Lizards (Dir. Mark Lambert Bristol) was one of the most exciting and meaningful projects I’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of. I worked as Rudy Pankow’s Stand-In for a few days in November as production shot at different locations across central Texas. Pankow has made a name for himself playing JJ on the hit Netflix series Outer Banks. This was the first feature film I’ve ever worked on, so when I arrived to set on the first day, I took in every moment with an immense sense of gratitude. After going through COVID testing, I was elated to see Shaylah Connely was working as a production assistant for the film, and she would be in charge of escorting me to hair/makeup and afterward to a ranch where we would begin shooting for the day.
Shaylah and I had spent the last summer competing in the 48 Hour Film Festival in Austin, TX where our team of talented filmmakers produced Fabricated, a coming-of-age comedy involving a cosplayer, two sisters, and a bottle of hot sauce. Blistering heat, sleep deprivation, and an internet outage were only a few of the challenges we had to overcome to complete Fabricated, but the experience affirmed our resolve and our determination. Fabricated went on to win “Best use of Character” at the awards ceremony and placed top 10 by the panel of judges.
When the Second Assistant Director (2nd AD) called for “second team” over Shaylah’s earpiece, she motioned with her hand saying, “let’s go!” and we made our way through the constellation of grip trucks, pop-up tents, and expensive lights where we would call set for the majority of the day. My job as a Stand-in is to, well, stand IN for the main actor and listen closely to the Director and the DP’s (Director of Photography) blocking instructions. As I stand at my mark, I’d hold my eye line so the rest of the crew can adjust their set-up to achieve the look the DP and Director want to execute. A few minutes go by, the lights are set, the dolly tracks are in position, and the camera operators have had the chance to rehearse the shot. The DP looks at the 2nd AD and says he’s ready for first-team.
Over the walkie-talkies, “ready for first-team” rings out to all the crew members and a production assistant walks to set with the principal actor, Rudy Pankow. We exchange a fist bump and he takes his mark where I was just standing moments before. For the moment, my work is done, and I head over to Craft Services to treat myself to a hot black coffee.
When lunchtime came around, Shaylah and I reunite in the cafeteria line. “Can you believe this? We’re working on our first freaking feature film! This is a dream come true!”, I whisper to her as I help myself to an extra serving of Creme Brulee. “I know right,” she says.“ The work is not easy, but it’s so worth it and I love what I’m doing, and the food. The food! It’s amazing.”
We were camping out in a booth at Denny’s a few months ago because we needed their WIFI to upload our short film. Now, we’re working on the set of a feature film with actors we grew up idolizing. The experience of working on Chocolate Lizards is special to me not only because it was my first film, but because I got to share the experience with a brilliant and talented friend. None of this would have happened without Michael Druck Casting. They took a chance on me and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity they gave me.
John “Preston”, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Howdy, everyone! My name is John “Preston” Bounds and I’m an actor and producer raised in Houston, Texas. After graduating from Texas A&M in 2020, I took notice that the film industry was pivoting away from Los Angeles and New York and toward Texas to produce TV and Movies. I took it upon myself to contribute my time and talents to be a part of the new wave of Texas productions. I’m excited to continue to grow and develop my skills to make myself more marketable to potential clients and casting directors.
I began my commercial acting career while I was in junior college. There was a casting call for background actors for an Academy Sports and Outdoors commercial and I submitted for it. I lacked any formal acting training, so I was shocked and very excited when they accepted my submission. The shooting day lasted almost 12 hours and the August sun was torturous, but I got a behind-the-scenes look at how a professional advertisement was made and the immense amount of work that went into making a 30-second commercial. It opened my eyes to an industry that I always thought was out of reach for me professionally. But there I was, working with a creative and industrious cast and crew, making a commercial that would be viewed by millions. I fell in love with the process, and from that day forward I began taking steps to get my foot in the door of the film/TV industry. Since I graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor in Performance Studies, I’ve worked on productions for shorts and student films as well as major studios including HBOMax, Netflix, and the CW.
What sets me apart from others is my ability to connect with people, take direction, and bring the best out of those around me through kindness and a disciplined work ethic. I’ve worked in all kinds of industries from busing tables to selling supplements, and I’ve discovered that no matter what your job title is or who you work with, attitude is everything. Having a positive mental attitude, having a sense of gratitude, and seeing each experience as an opportunity to learn will set you apart from others in the long run. It’s easier said than done. Each day presents new challenges and we all have bad days, but if you can find the strength to be positive, you will attract the right people who can open doors to you that can take you to the next level. This is an aspect of myself that I am most proud of and I believe this has played a massive role in fueling my progress thus far.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
This is a great question for many reasons so I will do my best to provide my perspective. When you decide to work as a creative, your path to success is not clear. Unlike in professions such as becoming a doctor or a lawyer, your path to that profession is rigorous and you have to prepare to sacrifice a lot of time and money. You go to college, you take the MCAT or LSAT, go to medical school or law school, and after more tests. Bam! You can begin working as a licensed professional. The path to becoming an actor or creative is not nearly as linear, the road is not as paved and planned and there is not a guarantee that you will book a major TV show or movie, even after years of auditions and building your resume. It takes many leaps of faith and unshakeable self-belief. You cannot get discouraged after dozens of “no’s”. This path is not for everyone, but neither is becoming a doctor or a teacher. Teachers and doctors don’t stop trying when they’re met with difficulty or hardship; they persevere, learn from their mistakes, and push forward.
One of the unforeseen advantages of my journey is that it’s encouraged me to be a self-starter, develop multiple sources of income, and network with other creatives continuously. I’m continuing to self-educate and develop my sound design and cinematography skills so that I can produce my own content. I’ve learned that the greatest investment I can make is not in NFTs, Crypto, or even real estate (make no mistake, these are great investments). It’s in myself, and each day is an opportunity to improve mentally, physically, spiritually, and financially.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
It was a few weeks after my graduation ceremony when I left my part-time job as a server, eager to begin a new job with a production company when I received devastating news. The pandemic had done serious damage to the company, and with short notice, they had decided they were not going to hire me. I was heartbroken, and worst of all, I was unemployed. Over the next few days, I dug deep and began delivering food for DoorDash and UberEats to produce cash flow to get me through the month while I searched for another job. One night, while delivering a half dozen burgers from Fat Shack, my girlfriend at the time texted me the dreaded “We need to talk” text. When I arrived at her place, she told me that we were breaking up. Then, on the way home, my engine began sputtering erratically, so I pulled over and called a tow truck to take it to the repair shop.
In the span of one week, I lost my job, my girl, and my car. Needless to say, I was screwed. When it rains, it pours. “I feel like I’ve hit rock bottom, Hannah”, I said to my sister over the phone. My sister had begun working as a photographer for a Dance Competition company owned by her former dance instructor. She told me she was making good money and getting great experience, so I asked, “Could you ask Mrs. Heather if they need another Production Assistant for 8 National Talent?”She immediately responded, “Brother! That would be awesome, we need someone to drive the truck next weekend to DFW. I’ll ask her and she’ll give you a call.”
Mrs. Heather gave me a call and after a brief conversation, the job was mine. I was set to drive a 26-foot truck filled with over $40,000 worth of staging and competition equipment from Houston to Dallas for the upcoming weekend. I was thrilled, but there was one problem. I had never driven a truck that big before. I came to find out, that a 26-footer is the largest truck one can legally drive without requiring a CDL. The pressure was on. This was a huge responsibility. If I were to get into an accident, there would not be a competition.
Early Friday morning, we arrived at the storage unit in Houston and began loading the truck. We had over 500 entries for the competition, so as soon as we arrived we’d begin building the stage as soon as possible, for our first session was scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. After we locked the back of the truck, our executive producer Mr. Rick tossed me the keys and with a smile said, “Don’t screw up, we’re counting on you.”
For the next four hours, my hands were glued to the steering wheel and the road would not leave my sight. I hadn’t driven that carefully since my driving exam when I was sixteen, but I wasn’t taking any chances. Countless dancers and their choreographers had been preparing for weeks for this event and I would not allow a careless error to jeopardize this event. The stress fueled my focus and before long, we pulled into the convention center without a hitch, and when we unloaded the cargo. A wave of relief washed over me when I discovered that none of the equipment had been damaged. Mission accomplished.
After building the stage, rigging the lights, and preparing the marley for the contestants to dance on, we began the first session. For the rest of the weekend I would be in charge of music: Cueing the correct music for each contestant, fading the music in and out, and playing unexplicit pop songs in between routines to keep the energy up throughout the event. It was a blast. Not only was I getting paid to DJ for hundreds of people, I was witness to some of the best choreography in Texas. When we’d return to our hotel rooms, my sister and I would rave about our favorite dances of the day before heading to bed.
The rest of the 8 National Talent crew welcomed me with open arms and answered all of my questions. If I continued to hustle and work as hard as possible for the rest of the weekend, I thought to myself, they’d ask me to continue to work for the rest of the season. After the last awards session, we said goodnight and thank you to all of the contestants, and began striking the stage and packing up the truck to hit the road back to Houston. Some people find driving at night to be terrifying, but for me, I find it peaceful. There’s little to no traffic and with my sister playing music on aux, it was easy to focus on the road and listen to all the music she’d been saving for me to hear.
It was around 1 a.m. in the morning when we pulled into the storage unit to meet with the rest of the crew to begin load-out. I took a minute to examine the truck for any damages and to my relief there were none. As we packed the storage unit with our equipment, Mrs. Heather asked if I’d like to join the team for the rest of the season. With sweat dripping down my forehead, I nodded and said I’d be honored.
My mother used to say when God closes a door, he always opens up a window. In a matter of a few weeks, my plans for the future had been pulled out from under me, my perseverance would be tested, and I needed to keep my eyes open for an open window. Fortunately, that window would appear in the form of a production assistant job with a dance competition company. I want to take a moment to thank my incredible sister Hannah, 8 National Talent, and the best director on Earth Mrs. Heather. Words can only scratch the surface of the amount of gratitude I feel towards them. If you’re reading this, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prestomagic/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preston.bounds/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preston-bounds-8197011ab/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/A4C_4WDpgvQ