Images of Josh Weathers courtesy of Brock Lefferts, @acloudforclimbing.
I first met Josh in the Fall of 2011. A native of Arizona, he is a filmmaker of over 10 years. We were living in the same apartment complex and I got to know him enough to know he stayed busy with creative projects. Now seven years later, I decided to check in and see what he is up to. The guy is a wizard with a camera, and he has an eye for light, color, and visual storytelling.
From his personal website comes some accolades for recent films: “Ties the Room Together, was selected by the Utah Arts Festival as the 2016 Utah Short Film of the Year. The series Gerda, that I shot and edited, has been featured in The New York Times and Slate. Recently, Gerda was chosen as a Finalist in the 2018 Online Journalism Awards (in the Excellence and Innovation in Visual Digital Storytelling, Small Newsroom Category).” Check out a short spot on Gerda below.
So we’ll get to it now! Our Q&A with Josh ‘Weatherman’ Weathers!
Tristan: Alright alright alright. First things first, what is it that you do right now?
Josh: I graduated from BYU with a film degree. I had the opportunity to work on a documentary film team called VideoWest (the team is now known as RadioWest Films). The team consisted of myself, a couple producers, and a director. I handled all of the shooting and editing. I was lucky enough to spend a year and half with the team and it will always be one of the most influential times of my filmmaking career. I learned so much and had so many opportunities to meet amazing individuals and tell their stories.
After VideoWest, my next opportunity was to join a creative marketing team at a software company called WebPT in Phoenix, Arizona. I joined the team as the videographer. WebPT is a great company to work for. I get to make a wide range of videos and they’ve helped me continue to expand my skills and creativity.
I also do freelance video work on the side. This consists of wedding videos, real estate videos, and corporate promotional videos. I also really enjoy doing this work. I have a couple documentary ideas that I’m working on as well. Those are more in the category of passion projects that don’t pay the bills but make doing all the corporate work worth it.
Tristan: Documentaries. How do you get them funded?!?!?
Josh: I’m no expert on this. VideoWest was a sister project to RadioWest and so we had our funding through that. RadioWest is a live talk show on NPR Utah affiliate KUER which I believe is funded by donors.
I think a lot of doc filmmakers have had success with funding through crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Here is a successful campaign one of my doc professors did.
Speaking of him, that’s the other thing. I think most documentary filmmakers have another job, like being a film professor, that pay the bills and then they pour their free time and money into their projects. However, with Netflix and other streaming services, there is an increase in demand/interest in documentaries. It’s definitely easier than it used to be to make money through documentary filmmaking.
Tristan: I hear lots of great ideas for documentaries. Yet, many people get stumped on the funding side. I remember one industry professional’s advice was, “If it isn’t about women, LGBTQIA+ issues, or racial inequality, don’t even try to make it.” What is your experience like, though?
Josh: I disagree with that advice. While those are definitely important and timely topics, you should always tell the story that you yourself are most interested in hearing. Don’t make a film according to what you think other people would want. Make the film that you want to see and then it will come across genuine and that’s what’s important. People see past things that aren’t genuine and are attracted to things that are.
Tristan: Writing. Documentaries have to have an element of writing to them, but how is it formatted? Do you script out an idea for what you want to shoot then move to production, and write the underlying narration and script afterwards?
Josh: One of my professors taught me that every film is written at least three times. First, of course, is the pre-production script. Then it gets re-written while it’s being shot. You can’t plan for everything that’s going to happen or change while shooting. Always be open to letting the story evolve and adapt to it. The film is re-written for the last time in the editing room. Editing can change the story completely.
Tristan: What kind of camera do you use? I would guess you probably own a few, and have experience with multiple, but what do you personally turn to? If someone like myself was thinking of buying something to use for small short films or documentary basics, what would be a good first camera?
Josh: I’ve used various cameras over the years. It really comes down to personal preference of shooting style and look. A common saying in the industry is “the best camera is the one you have with you.” You can definitely start out with just your phone. Its camera is plenty capable, maybe just supplement it with a better microphone. If you want to spend a little more, I’d say start with a canon DSLR Rebel series. But again, get an actual microphone, the built in ones are never good.
Tristan: What is freelance/small work like? Are you paid on a day rate, project rate, etc? Are you able to step away from your day job and spend a couple months doing a project?
Josh: All of these things are different for everyone I think. For me, freelance is mostly done nights and weekends because I have a full time job as a videographer on a marketing team. I’m not able to step away for a couple months, but I can take a day or two off when needed. I like getting paid by the hour. When the client wants revisions and it goes over the estimated hours, I still get paid fairly.
There’s plenty of freelance to be done almost anywhere now. You no longer need to go to California. Every smart business needs to be doing videos.
Tristan: Lastly, just feel free to share any insights or thoughts you have about the industry, the work, and what you wish you’d known when you first got started.
Thanks dude!
Josh: When I was just starting out, I thought that I would only be satisfied if my career was full of feature length films and awards. I was hesitant to take a marketing job because I thought I was giving up on the Hollywood dream. In reality, I’m super happy with my job. I get to do something I love and get paid for it. I’m very fortunate to have a job I look forward to doing everyday.
Thank you again Josh, and everyone should check out his Portfolio, LinkedIn Profile, and Instagram while you’re at it!
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