Today we’d like to introduce you to Joey LaFrance.
Hi Joey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey as a filmmaker has not been one filled with huge moments of realization and grand ideas. It has been a very gradual process throughout my life. When I was a kid, my obsessions always revolved around movies, whether it was Toy Story or other children’s movies. Once I was introduced to Star Wars, that became the biggest obsession of my young life. I loved being part of the fandom, and that catapulted even more once I was a teenager in the 2010s and the new movies started to come out. I was always fascinated with how those films were made and I watched all of the behind-the-scenes content and making-of documentaries. In particular, I was amazed by the effects teams from each era of the Star Wars movies. So, when starting to think about what I wanted to do with my life, I thought it would be cool to pursue an education in visual effects, combining my love of those films with my love of technology. This is where I first heard of SCAD, and pretty quickly I realized that it was the place for me to be.
However, as I got later into my teenage years and started watching a wider variety of movies, I started thinking more about what it would be like to be the person actually making those movies. That concept really intrigued me, and I started thinking of ideas for movies that I would make. When I would start to see certain movies I didn’t like and thought about what I would do to improve them, I decided I would major in Film & Television at SCAD instead of VFX. Since then, coming to SCAD knowing almost nothing about filmmaking and not knowing anyone, I found as many projects as I could to hop on. I would do anything from being a grip to a script supervisor. My goal was just to learn as much as I could about film and meet as many people as possible. Being exposed to film sets is what made me gradually realize that I wanted to be a director. I haven’t looked back since and I now feel like I know what I want to do for the rest of my life.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think filmmaking is a smooth road for anyone. There are always challenges that pop up certain steps of the way. Being a complete novice when I came to SCAD, something I really struggled with early on was feeling like everyone else was way ahead of me. A lot of my friends had known for a while that they wanted to be filmmakers when I was just starting out. I hadn’t seen all the movies they had seen, I didn’t know what many of the roles on set meant, and I hadn’t made any of my own movies before. This led to a lot of self-doubt and thoughts that I didn’t belong with everyone else. There are two things that have helped me overcome these feelings. The first has been meeting more and more filmmakers throughout my time in college. This helped me see that people can come from such diverse backgrounds and that everyone has a different journey when it comes to art. The second thing would be getting the chance to make a short film of my own. Directing my first short film, and being proud of the result, has helped me realize that I do belong and that I can be a filmmaker, I just have to put my head down and go do it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My focus in filmmaking is directing. I do a little bit of screenwriting as well, but first and foremost, I consider myself a director. I love the work that goes into designing everything about a movie, from breaking down the characters to crafting the compositions of each frame. I take a lot of inspiration from classic films, both in the style of narrative as well as the way those films were made. I take pride in the fact that, as a director, I am knowledgeable about a lot of other departments and can communicate technically with them. For cinematography in particular, I have a solid understanding of how cameras function (digital and film) due to all the work I did gripping and being a camera assistant on sets. This is so helpful because it allows me to communicate openly with a cinematographer about how they want to accomplish certain things on set, as well as prepare for shots during pre-production. I am also very passionate about shooting on actual film, whether it be 8mm, 16mm, or 35mm. I strongly believe that movies were meant to be seen projected on film that has undergone the development of chemical process. This creates the most authentic picture you could possibly see and is the closest you can get to what was actually there in real life. Film is becoming sort of a lost medium amongst filmmakers today, and I hope to be part of the movement that helps people realize its importance again.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think taking risks is key to growth. Even if you fail, trying to elevate yourself through doing something out of your comfort zone is essential to pushing yourself forward, especially in the arts. I think choosing filmmaking as a career is taking a risk in itself. It isn’t like a normal career where you might be offered a salary job right out of college. You might never even be on a salary with benefits and stability. That is the risk you have to take to do what you love, and it is a risk I am ready to take. It’s also important to take risks creatively. I’m currently working on my senior thesis film, which is a musical with original songs and dance numbers. It is extremely unconventional for a student to make a musical, but I believe it is helping me improve and push myself as a filmmaker more than pretty much any other project could. So, in my opinion, taking risks in an artistic field is one of the best ways to stand out and establish yourself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joeylafrance19/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joey.lafrance.524
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-lafrance-65016b272/
Image Credits
Tim Borowiec Kody Morris
