We were lucky to catch up with Darien Jewel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Darien, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
My business partner, Julian Mercado and I recently complete a project titled Hidden Creek. The story of an aging rancher names Jimmy Tucker who begins to suffer from the effects of Dementia. The plot then escalates into a conflict within the family as they try to sell the ranch out from under him, using his failing mental capacity as justification.
This story deals with a lot of heavy themes, from land preservation to family dynamic but for me the most impactful was the dementia itself. It’s the heart of the story and one that really resonated with me.
Just two years before the project, I was blessed with the opportunity to meet my then partner’s grandmother. A beautiful woman who was loved greatly by her family. As soon as I walked into the door, they regaled me with stories of her past. The spirited women who would care for and loved each of her children. Then when they were all moved out, she did it all over again as she cared for her many grandchildren after school when the parents were still at work. She became a backbone of the family and an inspiration for her children.
When I met this woman, she had a beautiful smile. One that would glow even more whenever she saw any of her family. You could tell this was a person who held a lot of love in her heart, but you could sense a fogginess. The stories I heard spoke of a lively woman, one who would be quick to a joke and always teasing. Now she was much quieter, not quite present but still content.
The real tragedy is the division that began to form within her family. Everyone knew her time was coming and lines in the sand began to form as her children fought not only for her inheritance but more importantly time. Scrapping for the last hours and minutes they can get with her as she faded away. There was conflict for sure, but it all came out of love for this wonderful person. It was a subtle and complicated matter, one that left an impact on me.
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.
After Hidden Creek and many deep discussions, my partner and I decided what the goal of our Company Slabtown Studios should be. We want to tell stories about family and the many complexities that come with it. We have been approached about multiple projects since Hidden Creek and every time we ask ourselves, “Does this align with the stories we want to tell? Ones about family, culture and everything that shapes us.” We aren’t ready to announce our next indie feature, but it will certainly hold close to these themes.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
The key is passion. We come out of the Central Coast of California (Shout out to San Luis Obispo and Cambria) and what kept us going through the good times and the bad is the pure passion that the community had for our work. There’s a lot of fear when you enter into the chaotic world of film. It’s a crazy industry but knowing that you have the backing of your community can give an artist the courage it takes to keep creating their work. We’d like to thank Steve Hearst, Gloria Fiscalini, and Steve Brody in particular for backing us up on Hidden Creek.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
It’s important for other filmmakers to understand that this is career of sacrifice. Working on a large-scale production is a borderline religious experience as you must sacrifice your body and soul for the project. I remember many long days in pre-production and production where Julian Mercado and I would have to spend 18 hours a day working on the logistics to ensure everything ran smoothly on the day of shooting. It did and Hidden Creek became one of the most fortunate productions we have ever worked on but that was because every aspect of the production was carefully prepared and every opportunity for failure was managed. You have to give yourself in to the production, not just for your craft but to respect the craft of your Cast & Crew and the risk that the investors are taking in you. It’s a lot of sacrifice for sure, but sacrifice rooted in love for the art and for the team of artists that you are working with,
Contact Info:
- Website: Hiddencreekmovie.com
- Instagram: slabtownstudios
Image Credits
Images provided by Sabes Melgar and Kyle Plummer