Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Howell.
Joe, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m the managing director of Stage Ten media, a company I started over 18 years ago for film and music production. I started in the music industry and was signed to Universal Music publishing for many years, so I have a great catalog there. I transitioned from the music business to the film industry to become a filmmaker. I am originally from New York, but I have been in Atlanta since 2001. I have always been technical. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Technology, so it made sense for me to work on the technical side of the industry.
In 2005 I started working with Nancy Howard and the BigPictureCon. The BigPictureCon is a two-day Film and Technology conference here in Atlanta. It was a great opportunity to get involved in the Atlanta film community even before it became as big as it is today. We connected a lot of people together for the conference. I’m a member of Film Independent and the Georgia Production Partnership. Being a Film Producer in Georgia is the right place to be. There are so many opportunities for filmmakers, writers, actors, creators and visual artists. I work with fiscal sponsorship for films as well as handling creative producing duties. I am working with a great production partner; her name is Alicia Godmasch. We are very excited about our upcoming movies, which are fun and entertaining. I love meeting people and working on projects that I’m passionate about. Whether it’s building a new website or being on location for film, I’ve learned that once you love what you do, you can be more effective and do a better job.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I can’t say it’s been a totally smooth road to success but I’m still on the journey. However, it has been fulfilling. In the industries of technology and entertainment you have to reinvent yourself. You have to stay current to what’s happening in the world around you. It’s easy to get left behind if you are not paying attention to trends in the industry. One of the struggles that I face is following up on the goals that I set for myself. I create targets but sometimes, life doesn’t allow me to meet those goals at the time that I would like. My advice for anyone is to reorganize and restructure goals as needed to be successful. It’s easy to get distracted, and sometimes I get pulled in many different directions, keeping many projects going at the same time. If you’re like me with a lot of skill sets, staying focused and achieving one target at a time is very important. Also, failure is a part of success. The most important thing to remember is to use any setback or negative experience to learn, grow and improve.
Please tell us more about your work.
I am an independent film producer, and my background is in information technology. I also do work as a Systems Engineer, which makes me a little unique. I’m very proud of the work I’m doing with our current film slate which includes feature films and docu-series. Our short film “All Natural” was nominated at the 2019 Bronze Lens film Festival, which is an Oscar qualifying festival.
What makes me different is my experience in multiple areas of film, music and technology. That allows me to be an extremely effective producer. Producers must be able to manage all aspects of the film making process, from script, production and music, to the final screening of the movie. I speak at conferences and events on industry-related topics. It’s important to share knowledge and create opportunities for the next generation.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
One piece of advice that I would give to a young woman who is starting out in her career is to protect your brand and reputation. I have worked with many actresses and models over the years, and I’ve seen that it’s easy to get drawn into a direction they could be construed as negative. When you’re young and hungry to get noticed, it’s very critical protect yourself from doing anything that you will regret later. You are your own brand and you must set the bar and the criteria for what your image should look like.
Another important area of counsel is to be educated in the field or career that you are aspiring to. Never stop learning and growing. If you’re are blessed to see a new day, then it’s an opportunity to learn something new. Once you start just keep going and expand your horizons!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.stageten.com
- Email: contact@stageten.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stageten/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stageten
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/stageten
Image Credit:
Sidney Ellen Photography (Photos, 4 and 24)
Stage Ten Media (All others pictures)
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