Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to JR Strickland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

JR, appreciate you joining us today. 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.

The interesting thing about taking a risk is that sometimes, it’s a bigger risk in not trying. When I decided to pack everything I own into my SUV and drive across country from Chicago to LA to pursue my dreams of working in the entertainment industry, I was constantly asked was I afraid. The thought of many was that that it’s competitive and that it is not like having a “safe” job. I did some IT work under my dad for a company he worked for. During that time, the company was bought out and merged. Due to the merger, there were now duplicate positions. Well, guess who’s jobs were discontinued. the ones in the company that was bought out. I realized at that time, there is no true job security. I also look at it differently in this regards. If a doctor moves to a town that is in need of there services, if there are a lot of patients that need tending to, we would not ask if that doctor is taking a risk. We will say that doctor is going where he needs to go to live his mission and purpose.
And that is how I looked at it as. So when I moved to LA, I made a vow to not ever question if it’s a success or not until I did the following. Reached out to every connect I had, got a job, and a place. Breaking in was tough, but I felt that if it’s hard to break in, that means once you’re in, you’re in, so just stick with it. I made the most of the opportunities I was given and was able to solidify myself as an artist and creator.

JR, 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 introduction intro the industry was as a personal assistant for the music producer Kosine. We went to art school together. He was a little older than me. When I moved to LA, I was finally able to connect with him and somehow became his assistant. I quickly learned that I am a creative and had no business being anybody’s assistant. But all of a sudden I was in these rooms with people that I saw on tv or heard on the radio. One of the biggest moments was when Nicki Minaj reached out to him to record. We were in that session for 5 days on the song that ended up becoming “Anaconda.” After I was properly fired because he needed a real assistant, I reached out to a music producer I’ve spoken with occasionally on facebook and ended up meeting in person at a studio session. It wasn’t easy but I convinced him to let me work at his company. They didn’t even have a spot yet. I rose my way up from assistant editor, to editor and lead VFX Supervisor. The first music video set I was on, I was the VFX Supervisor for Ariana Grande. It took a while to break in, but once it did, it started moving fast. But there was no partying that first year, no going out. It was straight hustle and grind mode. Whatever I had to do to make it.

Once I left that company, I had enough contacts and tools to start my own. I started Nocturnal FX, a vfx and post production house. It is very common to use previous work to get more work, and I did to an extent, but it was very important to build Nocturnal’s website with all new work that was just as good as the work that I’ve done with the previous company. So it felt really good when the awards started coming in, including MTV VMA’s!

I became known as an editor and visual effects artist and in going with my company Nocturnal, you were able to get beauty, sound design, and color as well. I was able to work with directors who had super creative visions as well and entrusted me to help bring it to life. It always feel cool when those projects are then referenced in pitch decks that I receive.

I also began to get behind the camera and direct again, which was always my passion. A project I am really proud of is the short film I did called “A-Minor”. You can watch it now on youtube. Shameless plug.

I think what sets me apart is the quality. My goal is to make it looks as good as possible. I study so much on every tool that is out there, that way I have an extensive library in my mind on how to get it done. The more advance you get, the less you can just google the thing. Some of these ideas are being done for the first time. That’s what makes it so cool, but that’s also what makes you valuable. The value is figuring out how to get it done and that requires a wealth of knowledge. A lot of which I’ve been gaining since I was watching behind the scenes videos at 7 years old.

When working under other people, there’s a tendency to feel that you know what they should do differently. Somehow you have all the answers on how the business should be ran. But it’s a lot different when you’re in the driver’s seat, when it’s your own money on the line. The cliché is that there is a log of sacrifices and hard work, and that is true. But the main element is taking care of your mind. If I can go back, I wish I would’ve listened to my girlfriend at the time and gotten therapy. My OCD can be a gift and a curse, and just navigating these feeling can be a lot. Now I’m in a space where I know that that is the most important thing. As a creative, everybody is not going to get your vision and a lot of people don’t even know how to get there. There intentions may be well, but if you’re not careful, their negative energy and beliefs can start to weigh on you. There are definitely times in LA where I lost my confidence. I’ll never forget when my grandma visited me, and as she was leaving she said, “You lost the one thing you’ve always had, your confidence.” So if I were to give advise, it would be to be humble enough to know you need help and analyze what you can get better at, but don’t ever lose your confidence. Because they won’t know it until they see it, and they won’t see it, until you make it.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I believe we need to all see the value in art, truly. People don’t even realize how important art is. When they need an escape from reality, what do they turn to? When they need a way to learn a lesson, what do they turn to? When they need to express themselves in a way where it can be digested, art is needed. I learned in college that there are huge consequences to art not being properly done. But for some reason, when it comes to budget cuts or talking things that are expendable, art is on the shortlist of things to go. Art is more than just finger painting as a kid. It is creating ways to express yourself and evoke certain emotions. And whether you’re trying to entertain or grow a business, it is crucial. And we should appreciate it and cultivate it every step of the way. Often times you’ll hear storytellers say, “Well I’m not curing cancer.” But,maybe a little more indirectly, you are. You are creating something for that patient who is battling. You are creating a much needed outlet for that doctor. World leader’s watch movies and take in their theme. Artists do shape the world.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn how to let go of being perfect right away. I realized through therapy that as a child I got praise for doing something all by myself and I got even more praise for it being amazing. Well, when you’re creating, it doesn’t always start out that way. It ended up paralyizing me, in the sense that when I went to write my first feature script, I was over analyizing the perfection of each word. And that’s not really how it works. There are drafts and the first draft quite frankly maybe trash, but that’s ok. Or it may be decent. But you don’t know until you get it out of your head. Perfectionism can prevent you from ever crossing the finish line. It doesn’t mean don’t have standards. It just means, as hard as it is to say, sometimes you gotta tell yourself, “It’s good enough”. You gotta know when its flips and becomes more harm than good. And the truth is, it may never feel like it’s perfect, which is even more reason to just do your best and create.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: @jrstrickland
• Linkedin: @jrstrickland
• Twitter: @jrstrickland
• Youtube: jrstricklandofficial
• Other: https://nocturnalfx.com

Image Credits

James Dilg, Rena Captures, Lindsey Poy