We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful J.S. Hampton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with J.S. below.
J.S., thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
How much time do we have? I’m kidding but honestly most of my career as a filmmaker has been built on taking risks. I’ve uprooted my life a couple of times to chase opportunities. I’ve left successful jobs in search of personal and professional growth. Most recently, I transitioned from solely producing to directing and my directorial debut film, The Unseen, will be released this year.
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.
My name is J.S. Hampton and I’m a filmmaker – writer, director, producer. I started out working on narrative projects and throughout the last 14-15 years I’ve moved into branded content as well.
Originally I went to college to play football but deep down I also had the spirit of the kid in little league picking flowers in the outfield. I quit playing football and zigzagged across the country picking up friends, skills, and experiences. A few months here, a year there. Eventually, in my mid 20’s my brother helped me decide to go to film school. One of the professors there, Kevin Willmott, was a filmmaker and allowed me to work on one of his projects. My varied experiences helped me move up to climb the ladder pretty quickly from there.
I’ve always been inquisitive and a storyteller which has served me well professionally. My goal is to connect with the “why” of every project or production I’m a part of. All of the wildly different places I’ve lived and people I’ve met have given me a different perspective and sense of empathy that I bring to every project. It allows me to work with intention and genuinely enjoy the collaborative nature of what I do.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Having someone connect with my work. As artists, we’re completely exposed. There’s a part of me, my soul, my perspective in everything I create. I don’t care how that sounds, it’s true.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Far less about my journey but I believe everyone is creative. Not everyone’s creativity shows in the same ways but it’s there. If you don’t consider yourself a creative, appreciate the people who can tap into it and share. Life would be boring without architecture, design, paintings, music, poetry, tv shows, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: jshampton.com
- Instagram: jshampton
Image Credits
Samantha Levi Adriana Tonga Ann Dean