We were lucky to catch up with Jack Amico recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jack, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I do wish that I had pursued filmmaking sooner but I don’t regret it either. I was a cook in the Navy 2012-2020, when I started film school I was 26 and most of the school were kids right out of high school but at the end of the day were all just people passionate about storytelling. What I lacked in on-set experience and entertainment knowledge; I made up for with enthusiasm, leadership and drive.

Jack, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Jack Amico, I grew up mostly in a small town called Effingham NH. I joined the Navy at 18, my first 4 years were good to me but the next 4 were just too miserable, back when I used to endlessly watch YouTube videos in my barracks room I would start watching how movies were made and how they were shot and director interviews and one of those prolific directors said “I don’t just want to make good movies; I want to make movies too good that other people will want to make movies”. From that point on everything was clear, I wanted to be part of that world where you take the audience to other worlds and tell them a story that inspires them or makes them feel something or teach them something they never would have learned without seeing the movie. After separating from the Navy I moved to Los Angeles with my big brother Vinny, he is pursuing music, and it was so nice to have a partner in crime for this adventure that is my life. I attended the Los Angeles Film School and got my Bachelors degree in Film Production, graduated back in Dec 2023. I have been developing/ writing 10 stories over the years, all of which take place in the same world, all different genres, with these stories I aim to inspire future filmmakers like those before me have done for me. I will continue to develop/write my stories until I believe they are ready to be made, Toy Story 2 taught me “you can’t rush art”. I will continue to take every opportunity that comes my way and keep working productions and climb the ladder to the point that I can make whatever I want. What may set me apart from others is my background and my experiences, no one else has had my exact life and wanted to become a filmmaker, audiences will be looking through how I see the world and laugh at what I find funny or find connections to the characters that I want to explore and learn about an aspect of life that I had experienced, exploring all of those relationships just might inspire someone and if I succeed in that then I am fulfilled.

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

When I was considering leaving the Navy many people (mostly higher ups) would discourage the idea of getting out the Navy and going to film school, they would keep repeating the same lines “there’s no jobs out there” and “you know it’s a tough industry?” but learning something that interests me and and pursuing a career that actually creates things and makes me happy outweighs the idea of waiting til retirement in the military. My thought process was able to completely eliminate any doubts in what I was doing and I would keep replaying what my friend told me, “there’s no risk in going after your dreams”.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is when someone watches something you made and it makes them laugh or cry or puts a knot in their stomach, when the audience feels something I know that we have made something special. When you create something that you like or something you’ve always wanted to see and other people share your taste/ style and then you both want to collaborate on future projects, that relationship building is the best part.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamico___?igsh=YzAwZjE1ZTI0Zg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jack-amico-2a01a0174