Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Green.
Jake, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My entire life growing up in Dallas, Texas was geared around sports. My grandfather played pro football, my mom played pro basketball, and pretty much everyone else played college sports. I had those same dreams until I blew out my knee as a sophomore in high school, and then again as a freshman in college. After those injuries, thoughts of playing in the NBA or the NFL all but disappeared. My next option was architecture, of which I loved the idea, but hated the implementation. I dropped out of two different architecture schools.
It wasn’t until a chance brochure from a film school fell in my lap that I ever considered the movie industry as an option for a career. I had grown up making movies with my brother and friends but it never really clicked in my brain that this could be something I do for a living. Thank God for SCAD. I enrolled in the Savannah campus and spent three years getting a degree in writing and directing.
After graduation, I moved to LA but quickly began a project that took me away. For the next year I filmed a YouTube series in 35 countries, meeting amazing people and seeing incredible sights all around the world. I came back home with an unbreakable love for travel, for which I soon found an implementation, documentaries. Coming back also gave me God’s greatest gift, my wife, who is also in the industry and supports everything I do. And that brings us to today, where I’m currently in post-production on my first feature documentary, as well as writing and directing short narratives here in Atlanta.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing ever goes perfectly as an artist or filmmaker! There are always bumps as you go. For me, there have been many that have strengthened me and helped me find my way, some of which were completely my fault, some of which seemed completely random. When I was 19, I got thrown in jail. That was a huge wakeup call. I changed a whole lot after that. I’ve been completely broke and jobless, living off of selling as many of my possessions as possible. I’ve gone days at a time with no food and been incredibly sick in a third-world country on the other side of the globe.
But none of these have I ever viewed as “struggles.” I always saw them simply as things that happen. Sometimes it’s rough, but the most painful times can mold you into what you need to become, as mine have.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Peaceful Sea Productions – what should we know?
My company is Peaceful Sea Productions. We are a video production company that spans a wide list of services including films, weddings, drone services, live events, music videos, podcasts… basically anything and everything that I find fun and interesting. The name “Peaceful Sea” is derived from my first massive venture, Back to the Peaceful Sea, a worldwide travel YouTube series with my brother in which we taught our viewers how to travel on a super-tight budget. The name is a call back to a time of exploration, of discovery. When Magellan was circumnavigating the globe he came to the Pacific Ocean and dubbed it the “Peaceful Sea.” It’s also just a lovely image to have in your head.
I’m most proud of our feature documentary series, Endure, in which we follow music producer Jay Denton as he travels to destabilized regions of the world and produces music with those affected by war, terror, and persecution. The first film in the series will be completed by year’s end and hitting the festival circuits soon after. It’s wonderful to get to showcase the talents of people from the US and people from halfway around the world.
In the same vein, I’d say what sets us apart is our dedication and our straightforward practices. I do my absolute best to make sure we deliver above and beyond on every promise that we make. And what drives this whole company is my love for story. My first and most passionate love is screenwriting. I love creating original scripts as well as adapting books, articles, world events… anything, really… into compelling, entertaining narratives. As it says on my personal website: ‘I want to tell stories. I want to create, inspire, invoke, and entertain’.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Is this the Oscar speech warmup? Sweet, lemme nail it…
The biggest influence in my life began two and a half years ago and will last until the day I die… my wife, Nikki Tomlinson. She helps me in every possible way that she’s able (and wow is she able). She gives me the emotional support I need when I’m doubting everything about everything I’m doing. And now that she’s got a taste for producing, she’s helping me in a very hands-on way… producing my latest short film and my next documentary. You’d have a difficult time finding someone on Earth more supportive than Nikki.
My parents deserve a massive amount of credit. I mean, they did raise me. And despite a couple of those bumps I mentioned earlier, I think I’ve done a good job at living what they taught me. They especially helped when it came to supporting whatever choices I made as far as my career is concerned.
My brother, Matt, also has a big role, the most obvious of which is the fact that he launched Back to the Peaceful Sea with me. We also co-wrote a pilot that we’re trying to option, so that’s pretty cool!
And then Jay Denton, as well as my other friends in that group. I’ve known these five guys since I was six years old and we’ve been there for each other for the past 26 years. We go on trips together every year and are on a constant text chain. Jay has been the most vocal about my screenwriting and directing, very heavy-handedly encouraging me to keep pushing when things aren’t going all that well.
The biggest strength a person can have is knowing how to find and keep the right people in their life. These people should be the ones who force you to grow and keep you hopeful no matter what the circumstances may be.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.peacefulseaproductions.com
- Email: rjakegreen@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejakegreen/
- Other: http://www.robertjacobgreen.com
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