We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jeremy Max a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jeremy, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
Being a creative is a very complicated lifestyle. I’m happy if I get the chance to create on any given day. I do sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a regular job, but that fantasy slips away faster than I can blink. I am who I am, and even if I had a regular day job, I’d still have to find my “in” creatively, so to speak. But that can’t be part of long-term thinking.
Of course, you need to support yourself, and maybe that means doing work you aren’t entirely passionate about in the interim. But long term, I believe, you need to be developing the building blocks to ensure you can have a successful career doing what you love. There’s a very vague criteria for what that looks like, and it often feels completely random to find success in this industry. But all you can focus on is the ground beneath your feet: keep creating great work, and it will eventually pay off.
In a way, the early years of being a filmmaker are like hazing or paying your dues. But all it takes is one person, one project, to change it all. That’s not to say you should put your eggs into that basket of making a project for one specific person. I still want my work to live in a way where it can be consumed by all. There’s this sentiment of “you made it” that I find difficult to internalize sometimes. Because nowadays, I truly believe we have the ability to create our own industry.
Making it is an arbitrary phrase. For me, making it is being able to build a core audience who I can deliver meaningful work to, year after year. The goal is to do this forever and be given the chance to do so. It’s a very unique and strange life to live, but I do think it is ultimately a very rewarding one if you play your cards right.
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?
I’m Jeremy Max, a New York-based director, writer, and producer, and graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts. My love for filmmaking started at 14 when I saw Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. That film made me want to tell stories. So I set out on doing exactly that. Over the past decade, I’ve forayed deep into the craft, taking part in film programs, labs, and more. I’ve watched thousands of films and have been apart of some really unique projects. I still feel very young for this industry, although, and I’m fired up for what lies ahead.
Within the work I explore, I’m especially drawn to narrative-driven films. Specifically films that dive into the messy, complicated nature of being human. I’ve found that after years of crafting various films, the themes I clutch to revolve around characters navigating identity crises, existentially. My work tends to blend elements of horror, humor, and heart to create stories with the intention of resonating deeply and connect with people on an emotional level. I really want my films to hit you at that gut level. Leave you feeling something you didn’t know you could.
Over the years, my films have screened at festivals like the Tokyo International Film Festival, NewFilmmakers New York, and the Big Apple Film Festival, where my short Dream Girl premiered. Right now, I’m thrilled about my latest project, The Second Oldest Man Alive, which is currently going through the festival circuit. It stars Gerry Bamman (Uncle Frank from Home Alone) and was backed with support from the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant. It’s a really exciting and ambitious project and I can’t wait to get out into the world.
What I find makes my work unique is the way it combines emotional depth with surrealism and catharsis. There’s an unexpected nature to my work that creeps up on you. I want my films to feel raw and unflinching, yet packaged in a way that feels familiar, and at times delicate, with unexpected twists. I’m always pushing my own creative ceiling and striving to tell stories that stay with people long after the credits roll.
Looking ahead, I’m excited by the potential of creating projects that challenge audience perceptions and generate conversation. I truly believe the best films are the ones that instill a deep, resonant feeling. Whatever project I work on, I want to maintain that sense of emotional depth. I’m really excited for what’s next and eager to continue growing as a filmmaker, developing my craft, and honing in my voice.
In terms of what’s next for me, I’m currently developing an absurd yet tragic body-horror short film that will be filming this year. I’m also in the early stages of development on a feature script that would be my debut feature.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Being a creative can be a lonely, isolating, and often rejection-filled pursuit, but what drives you is the desire to create. If that never flails you will constantly be rewarded. I’m regularly surrounded by reminders of what I love, even though I’m not yet at the level of success I expect for myself. Being an artist is truly about creating work that, at the end of the day, you can be proud of. That’s what’s most rewarding, the opinion you have of your own work.
There’s a rush, a kick, a joy I get when I’m on set directing. Something just feels right about it. When I first experienced this rush of euphoria at 14 I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life. That being said, I do love all phases of production, from pre to post, because I’m making creative choices. You don’t get to experience this high very often, so when you’re in the process of creating something, it’s important to savor it.
The experience of building a community through the filmmaking process is also incredibly fulfilling. Working with a team to bring your vision to life is truly fascinating. There are times when you’ll sit alone in an editing bay (not to say that can’t feel extremely uplifting and exciting) and plug away individually. But it’s really in collaboration with others where the magic happens, and you start to feel that adrenaline. At least, that’s how I see it.
And lastly, I just love the ability to create a feeling or emotion for an audience. That’s when all the fruits of your labor come together in a meaningful (and rewarding) way.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
For me, I’m incredibly driven by the intersection of art and entertainment. I create work for myself, but always with the audience in mind. I want my work to be experienced by a wide range of people. As a kid, whenever I went to see a movie with a packed theater you could feel the energy of the crowd. A wave of excitement, horror, sadness or love can envelop over a collective of individuals. That is the power films have. Eliciting a shared emotion among people is incredibly special.
The most unique and memorable experiences for me as an audience member are often watching bold and audacious projects, made by filmmakers who clearly created the works with themselves in mind. When I’m in the theater watching something truly unique and singular, it pulls me in completely. I can focus on nothing but this world and these people and the emotionality of the film.
That’s the experience I’m trying to create for my own audiences: a film where I considered myself the target audience, but also expanded it to reach more disparate individuals. Those who might stumble upon my work and find themselves transfixed by my worlds and characters.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jeremymax.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jeremymax/
- Twitter: https://x.com/_jeremymax
Image Credits
Third photo – Jeremy Max (left) Kyle Deitz (Right)