Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Poage.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Justin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
All I can really remember as a kid is wanting to be a filmmaker. I use to watch Entertainment Tonight and I would be fascinated by the process of filmmaking. It looked like so much fun. So when I was in the tenth grade and a rep from SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) came to my art class and showed us a promo video, I was hooked. Especially when I saw parts on the film department.
SCAD taught me a lot. Not just about film, but about life as a whole. Regarding film, it taught me not just how to make movies but how to respect them as well. How to respect every job, every nuance of the process, and especially how to respect your audience. And in life, it taught me the meaning of struggle and the value of friendship and collaboration. Because if you think art school is just about drawing, ask any “art student” who hasn’t slept in 72 hours how their “drawing” is coming and then guard your neck.
I graduated in 2005 and moved back home to Atlanta to make movies before making movies in Atlanta was the cool thing to do. I’m a Sagittarius so that means I’m stubborn. So for me working for someone else in a New York or LA was akin to death, so independent filmmaking it was. This was both the dumbest and smartest decision I’ve ever made in my life.
In my journey so far, I’ve had some major successes and major failures, and along the way, I’ve met and collaborated with some phenomenal people, a lot of whom are still good friends to this day. I wouldn’t trade any of those experiences because they’ve contributed to who I am today. And yeah, I know how cliche that sounds.
Has it been a smooth road?
The road has been as smooth as trying to drive down River Street in Savannah. The thing about independent filmmaking is while yes, you do get to make your projects your way. At the end of the day, you’re still just like your movies: independent. And with that comes the challenges of finding a team. And not just any team, a team you can trust. Teammates that know their role and can be trusted to execute.
You quickly learn as an independent filmmaker that nobody wants to be Scottie Pippen.
As cynical as that sounds, I fortunately don’t have that issue. I’ve worked with the same guys since leaving school, and I trust them implicitly. We’ve picked up some pieces along the way who’ve done nothing but add nitrous to our engine. We’re not the 96′ Bulls we’re the Patriots. Because Tom Brady isn’t the greatest if those passes aren’t caught…
We go through peaks and valleys just like any other team. But no matter what happens, I know who’s gonna be on my left when I’m staring down Thanos.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Fifteen Studios story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m an independent filmmaker and I specialize in feature film and short film production. I’m first and foremost a Writer and Director, and my most recent film “Arbitration” has been featured in over ten film festivals to date. I’ve directed six films in my career to date. I’m secondly a Cinematographer and I’ve shot 11 films over the course of my career.
We’re known for being able to produce a high-quality product on a shoestring budget. Our feature “The Cure” was shot for under $2,000 and we not only placed at film festivals but received a distribution deal for the film. This also sets us apart from others, we’ve been trained to get the most out of what we have available to us.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the second coming of the black film. And when I say black film I don’t mean the disparaging depiction of the black community that has been portrayed, but the era that gave us classics like “The Best Man”, “Love Jones”, “Soul Food”, “Brown Sugar”, “Love and Basketball”, “The Wood”, and others that showed that we as a black community are more than just drug dealers, maids, and slaves.
Tyler Perry just did something never thought possible. And I can see people like him, along with networks like BounceTV, OWN, BET, TVOne, and filmmakers like Ryan Coogler, Issa Rae, Donald Glover, Will Packer, Lena Waithe, Steven Caple Jr, Ava Duverney, Jordan Peele, Barry Jenkins, and hopefully myself ushering in a new wave of films with POC leads that display just how talented and dope we as a people are. Everything from the normal, every day stories to the action and horror that we’ve shown time and time again, we can do with our eyes closed.
I think the Black Renaissance started in September 2016 when the first episode of “Atlanta” aired, and I don’t think it’s ending anytime soon.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fifteenstudios.com
- Phone: 404-723-5361
- Email: justinpoage@gmail.com
- Instagram: @the_poage
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