Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chris Pearson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Chris, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I started around 15 years old and knew I wanted to work in movies. Growing up in a small town people had no idea what a special effects artist is. A lot of my research was constantly renting all different genres of movies and retaining all the information from special features. With the help of some local brothers I started working on independent films which led to going to special effects school.
After completing programs for a special effects and digital film, I packed my bags and with the help of friends flew to Los Angeles. Luckily I landed a job my first couple of days, working in an effects shop, I learned very quickly that nobody cared that I went to school.
The process was backwards, it was harder to get work with having the education. For about 4 years, I bounced around creating products or grip and gaffing on projects. There was still a lot to learn and everyone was hungry for work. I never really did understand how cut throat the entertainment industry is.
You learn very quickly that you work for other people and their ideas. Very rarely do you get an opportunity to create anything of your own.
Coming back to Pittsburgh, I just wanted to work on building new relationships. Currently, this industry is filled with newcomers that have not had efficient set or shop work. It’s a constant battle to obtain work and live off of the money that comes with it.
I am very fortunate to have a strong foundation of friends and artists that have always pushed me to continue. I’ve realized throughout these years that the industry is definitely “who you know” in order to be “successful.” For me it’s always been comfortability. Being able to pay your bills and live on your own is a comfortability that most people do not have.
If you’re going into anything and expecting fame, you doing this for all the wrong reasons. You have to love what you do. People will put you down because they see value in you. It’s taken a lot of failures to appreciate any win.
Keeping a stabilized life will only yield the best experiences and opportunities. I am grateful for a lot of the projects that I’ve been a part of, throughout the good and bad.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Growing up I knew that I wanted to do something in the art field. My father to this day can draw any Disney cartoon character and I was fortunate enough to have an art in my blood. My father and I would watch a lot of movies and one day it just clicked that I want to work on movies.
It wasn’t until I went to a special effects and film school that I understood what I was capable of. The schooling did help me to survive in Los Angeles for a few years. Worked on multiple projects for music videos, television, YouTube, and commercials.
When I came back to Pittsburgh, I just wanted to continue doing the creative. I wanted to make my own pieces. Products that people would want in their homes.
I’m not huge in the mold making and making hundreds of copies and trying to sell them. There’s just nothing special about everybody having the same product. I’d like to think that I offer something different than majority of prop makers. In these past couple of years, collectors and fans alike have really responded to my work.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Non-creatives do not understand why you go through all this struggle with little yield of money to survive. If you’re going into this field for the money you have a misinterpreted vision on how this business works.
There’s a lot of investing of your time and money to make projects happen. A regular job you clock in and out then you get a paycheck. In the creatives field it’s how long is this going to take for me to make the most money.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
This might just be me but hearts, likes and shares on social media don’t really do much. Word of mouth is still pretty strong. It’s the people that you meet everyday that aren’t in your field that will promote your work the most.
If you’re looking towards people in your field to help push you, you’re swimming in a sea of like-minded or copycat artists. A lot of the work you make is for the consumer, not for other artists. Vending at shows that are close to your theme will give you the best interaction. Talking to people whether it’s face-to-face or on the phone is the best communication of what you’re doing and where you want to go.
Contact Info:
- Website: SLEEPINFEAR.com
- Instagram: @sleepinfear
- Facebook: SLEEP IN FEAR
- Twitter: @thesleepinfear
- Youtube: @sleepinfear23
Image Credits
SLEEPINFEAR
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