We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jesse Aultman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jesse , thanks for joining us today. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

One trend all filmmakers should pay attention to is the media consumption habits of young people. According to the LA Times, “Much of Gen Z’s viewing time is dedicated to user-generated content — TikTok influencers and amateur YouTube creators — rather than traditional longform stuff (i.e. movies and TV shows). Nearly half (48%) of video watched by Gen Z-ers was made by content creators outside of the world of traditional entertainment professionals.”

I remember first thinking about this in 2021. I am the oldest of my siblings by eleven years and the only one who isn’t Gen Z. After reading about these trends, I decided to call my sister (who was fourteen at the time) and ask her who her favorite actor was. She couldn’t answer. She didn’t know a name. However, when I asked for her favorite YouTuber, she quickly recited a list of people she followed.

So, what does that mean for us as filmmakers? Firstly, it’s important because as these kids age, they will eventually become the primary audience range for most of our movies and TV shows. They are our future audience, but we are losing their attention to social media content. Because of that, we will see some dramatic shifts in how young people view traditional moviemaking.

Secondly, it also presents us with an opportunity. I am an independent filmmaker, working outside of traditional entertainment. There is an opportunity now, more than ever, to not just reach a larger audience but also sustain that audience online. In essence, while the landscape of entertainment continues to evolve, so too must our approach to storytelling and audience engagement.

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.

I am a writer, director, and producer interested in exploring ideas about the American South, religion, and mythology. Originally from Alabama, I fell in love with the horror genre through urban legends and campfire stories. For me, these stories fostered a deep childhood fascination with what remains hidden outside of human view – the mystical, unknowable, supernatural. Through my work, I attempt to create a visual campfire story — an urban legend that compels us to come to terms with the idea that maybe, even in the age of science, myths still exist.

I graduated from the University of Southern California with an MFA in Film and Television Production and was the recipient of the Fox Fellowship Scholarship and the Irving Lerner Endowment Finishing Fund. My senior thesis, “The Spirit Became Flesh,” was an official selection at Screamfest, Dances With Films, Telluride Horror Show ,and many others. The film was also acquired by Alter and has acquired over eighty thousand views on their platform. I am also an author in “Haunted Reels Vol 2,” which was curated by David Lawson Jr. and is set to be released in October of 2024.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had looked into grants sooner. I am fortunate to have produced and co-wrote an upcoming film titled, “Neither Donkey Nor Horse.” We received a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and it really allowed us a lot more creative freedom in terms of what we could put on screen. “Neither Donkey Nor Horse” is about the outbreak of the 1910 Manchurian Plague and how a young Chinese doctor defies prejudices of both the East and the West to champion his groundbreaking theory about the disease’s deadly evolution. It worked perfectly with the Sloan Foundation’s mission of influencing the next generation of filmmakers to tackle themes of science and technology through their work.

Before that experience, I often assumed grants were out of reach and dismissed them as a viable funding option. This isn’t to say it’s easy, but it’s certainly more possible than I originally thought. If I could go back, I would research which grants could possibly align with my past projects, knowing now the immense impact they can have on a film.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the journey of transforming ideas into tangible, visual narratives on screen. There is something incredible about having an image in your head for months, maybe even years, and then seeing it for the first time on the monitor. The other aspect of filmmaking I love is how you have to communicate your vision to others. It’s a team sport. Everyone has to be on the same page, working towards the same goal. And when it works, when everything comes together, it can be very rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesse.aultman/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-aultman/

Image Credits

Joey Reidhead, Jonathan E. McCormack