We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nathan Wilson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nathan below.

Nathan, appreciate you joining us today. It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

I produce, write, act and in our last film The Great Nick D I finally got a directing credit, but in the micro budget film world it’s tough to turn a profit. Since the boom of the streaming services it is very heard to sell physical media such as Blu-Reys and DVD’s, which used to be the way to make money in the independent film world. Now the main way to make money is to give your film to a streaming service and get paid very minimal per view of your films. Streaming services pay so minimal that it’s very hard to make back your budget let alone a profit. Before Covid in September of 2018 we had a film Will & Liz which is streaming on Amazon prime, I believe we were getting seven cents per view, which we actually did okay money wise for a bit. Around that time we were in Minnesota filming our next film Loon Lake. (which was based on a witch legend where I grew up) Once we wrapped filming and post production it was late 2019 and we were excited to get the film out there. Then Covid hit and we thought we could make some real money because everyone would be inside watching movies, but Amazon reduced their price per view from seven cents a view to around two cents per view for independent films. It was big blow to us and the profitability went out the door. We have made back some money, but are still not profitable. There are now a couple other sites like TUBI TV which pay more.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was twenty years old I moved to Los Angeles to become an actor and didn’t really know what I was doing, I wanted to become an actor, but where would I begin, After living in Los Angeles for 4 months I talked to my cousin (who was doing Theatre in Long Beach) for some advise and he told me to start with The Theatre. So, after some thought I moved back to Minnesota to finish my college degree at the University of Minnesota, Mankato and started taking Theatre classes at the college on the side. I was the first non theatre student they allowed to take acting classes. After my first real acting class I auditioned for a play and got the role of Gaurd two, in witch I was on stage with a mask and pounded a poll on the ground in the second act in the musical The Mikado. I continued taking more classes and audition for the Summer stock theatre which I got a couple small speaking roles in the musical State Fair. I was on stilts and had my first lines when the curtains open. It was very nerve racking for me in the because I had never been in front of an audience like that. But I soon got over it and stated having a lot of fun with with shows, my hard work was paying off.

During that same summer I knew what the plays were going to be for the next year and I saw a role I really wanted to do. I read the play and worked on my lines most of the summer. When school was back they held auditions, I was super nervous and had to audition in front of the whole department. I used my nervous energy and had a great audition. To my surprise I not only got a role, but I got a bigger role than I was anticipating. The play was called Escape From Happiness. We ended up getting nominate of a national theatre festival that year where I got to perform in front of 1000 people. I went from my first acting classes in theatre to doing show k front of 1000 people. I was really doing it! I got some great reviews which really helped my confidence. I did one more play in college and after graduating I moved to Los Angeles with more of an acting background to Perdue my dreams..

It took a couple years to really get my bearings. I was taking acting classes, booked a couple small commercials and landed a very small role in a feature film “Loaded”. After that I wanted to get out of acting classes and back to the theatre. I got with my cousins theatre in Long Beach (The Garage Theatre) and started taking Improv classes at the IO West Theatre in Hollywood.. I did both for a couple years to continue my knowledge and experience of acting.

Then one day I auditioned for a role small budget Hillbilly comedy with a kid (at the time) named Ansel Faraj. I got a part shot the film at his Aunts by Mar Vista. But I didn’t care I was acting in a movie and was having fun. After the film wrapped Ansel asked if I wanted to be the lead in another film, which of course I said yes to. It was my first chance to be the lead actor in a feature film. The film was called Doctor Mabuse and Ansel somehow landed some very talented actors the hit show Dark Shadows. It was a blast to shoot and we premiered in Coronado, San Diego. It is a moment I will never forget: I had made one of my dreams come true. I saw for the first time myself on the big screen!

I went on to act, write, produce many films with Ansel and now we have films on Amazon, Tubi TV, Youtube, and you can also buy them on Blu-Rey and DVD. We have gone on to win awards at some films festivals. Our latest film “The Great Nick D” won the Best Comedy and Best supporting actress award at The Real Hollywood Independent Film. I could go on and on about producing, acting and writing these films, but to keep it short I will say, You have to believe in yourself if you want to get things done, no one is going to give you anything so, you have to get out there, work hard and do it. Don’t rely on anyone to make your dreams come true.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When we were in the pre-production on our film LOON LAKE we were trying to find money to make the film. We were calling and emailing companies in Minnesota to see if they would like to donate to our film, but we never got the funds together like we thought we could. One day we were sitting around one of the other producers/actress’s table (Kelly Decker) having a meeting, discussing how we were going to make the film with no money. We all got super down and decided to go for a walk to discuss the options we had in order to make the film. During the walk we talked about what we would do if we didn’t make the movie and how now was the right moment to go and make this film in Minnesota. So, by the end of the walk we decided we had to get the money together ourselves reduce the budget and make the film with the little amount that we could scavenge together. We ended up saving a lot of money shooting at my parents house and where I grew up and taking advantage of shooting in a small town where I grew up. My parents ended up moving off the property a year after we shot the film So, if we didn’t shoot the film that year we would have never gotten the opportunity. We rose up to the occasion and did what we had to in order to make LOON LAKE. I believe we made a great horror film because of our resilience.

Have you ever had to pivot?

A time I had to pivot my thinking about the movie business was when I decided I had to start making my own films. Hollywood is a tough place and if you don’t know anyone or have family in the business it’s very tough to get into. So, realizing that we had to start making our own films instead of waiting around for auditions and for someone to cast me was a huge realization. I started my Production company Round Town Productions and now have three features and two short film under it. We are an awarding winning production company with hopefully more to come.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @nate1wilson and thegreatnickd_
• Facebook: Nathan Wilson and Nathan Wilson & Round Town Productions

Image Credits

Kelly Decker
David Selby
Ansel Faraj
Robert Murphy
Christine Tucker