From Hardcore Bands to Wedding Films with Jason McCutchen
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[00:00:00]
[00:00:28] Scott: I wanna start out with talking about your history with music because as I understand it, we have some similarity that we were both in a hardcore band.
[00:00:38] Jason: Yes.
[00:00:39] Scott: so tell me about that. What, what did that look like?
[00:00:42] Jason: So I, obviously like many people who, especially where I grew up, I grew up in like the Boston area
[00:00:48] Scott: Hmm.
[00:00:49] Jason: and so, you know, there was all these big, medical Corps bands that were coming out of that area from converge unearth to Bain, to all these bands that I grew up. Yeah. I grew up listening [00:01:00] to and going to their shows.
You know, knowing some of these people. and so I just loved it as a kid. Like I thought it was like the cool, it is funny 'cause you think back on yourself and you're like, I was so hard. And then you were just like, no, I was like a total poser or whatever. But what I really fell in love with was like just writing and performing,
[00:01:22] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:01:23] Jason: you know, less so like, I liked the scene, it was fun, but it, in, in hindsight, it never really was my thing.
My thing was always just like. I wanna make something, you know, I just wanna make something. And so, I remember I went to school, I went to like a ministry school in Illinois. And when I'm at school, this guy calls me, he's like, Hey, we're going on tour in June and we need a guitarist. and I used to play in bands in high school with this guy.
And I was like, sure. So like they're doing the recording, they're sending me the stuff, I'm learning the music. At school, I get home, we practice for three [00:02:00] days, and then we're on tour and this tour.
[00:02:03] Touring Disasters and Recording Studios
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[00:02:03] Jason: It was a disaster. Let, let, we had this broken down old van and we tried to go around the country. It broke down four or five times.
By the time we get, we, you know, go from Massachusetts Loop all the way down play in California. We're supposed to play like the show with like me without you or something in Sacramento. Or not Sacramento. Albuquerque. And we can't make the show. The van breaks down. We've missed that show. Eventually we're like going to Texas for our shows and then it just dies forever.
Dies for good and we're just stuck in the middle of like West Texas, the desert, like 105 degrees. At one point we get picked up by like a flatbed 'cause they're being nice to us. We're all sitting in the flatbed in the truck. Like, and, and we eventually just have to rent a U-Haul truck and we take a U-Haul truck pulling our, no, we leave the van in Texas, take a U-Haul truck, [00:03:00] pulling our trailer from West Texas all the way back to Connecticut.
And you know, like, but in the middle of it, you know, we kept recording, kept playing stuff. We got some interest from like solid state records and
[00:03:12] Scott: Nice.
[00:03:12] Jason: know, some of these people.you know, got to play some cool shows. We never really were able to fully do what I wanted to do, but I remember, like, you know, we built recording studios.
We did a lot of recording. That was what I ended up like really falling in love with, is making stuff in that environment
[00:03:30] Scott: Yeah.
[00:03:30] Jason: point where I would forget that people needed to hear it. I was like, for me, I enjoy doing this. And we had tons of different, like we've worked on like a Jimmy World kind of power pop project and we did a bunch of different things, but over time, like obviously for me it became like a thing where,I was like, dang, I don't wanna have to get a job though. Like a real, like a real job.
[00:03:54] Scott: Yeah.
[00:03:55] Jason: I just wanted to be in the arts. and eventually, like, that's how it led me to videography. I [00:04:00] always did videography too. Like I always, since I was in high school, would make like stupid Monty Pythons skits and kind of like
[00:04:06] Scott: fantastic.
[00:04:08] Jason: around with stuff.
But, and of course when you're on tour, you're always playing with cameras because everybody needs like their photos. But I, I think like at one point like that is what spurred me on is I was like, I just don't want to have to get a job.
[00:04:22] Scott: yeah. Yeah. So,
[00:04:23] Jason: And so
[00:04:24] Scott: The, the, the band, band that you are in the, the music that you
[00:04:28] Jason: it was called Holding Hannah, by the way.
[00:04:30] Scott: holding? Hannah.
[00:04:31] Jason: Yes, yes.
[00:04:33] Scott: anybody to listen to, like on the
[00:04:34] Jason: I'm sure you can. honestly, I think it's on pure volume.
[00:04:38] Scott: Pure volume. Okay. All right. I'm
[00:04:41] Jason: see.
[00:04:41] Scott: it and try and put it in the, in the, in the show notes.
If, if I, if
[00:04:44] Jason: yeah, and then, I, yeah, the, no, it's on discogs, like, we have, you know, we have some people who have like tried to like.I had a guy reaching out a couple months ago. He was like, Hey, I really liked your band, and can you send me the album and all these [00:05:00] things? yeah, so you can listen to it. I mean, it's, it's out there.
At one point I did vocals. At another point I played guitar. It's probably what you're gonna find on there as I was playing guitar, so out.
[00:05:09] Scott: Cool. That's, that's a, that's a lot of fun.
[00:05:11] Memorable Moments and Musical Influences
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[00:05:16] Scott: You know, I, I, it's a lot of similar similarities between the two of us, between the different bands that I was, that I was in. and I actually spent a lot of time in Boston. I went to Berkeley College of Music for a little bit. Cavins, one of my favorite bands ever. Got the satellite on my tattooed on my leg. And, when, when we toured the band, the band that I was in that did touring, we decided not to go the van route, but instead we went the minivan route. So we had like a mom minivan hauling a trailer,
[00:05:44] Jason: Yeah, I mean, I've done that. I've done that tour. I was in a band when I was like 19, who did an east coast tour in a minivan. The things, the things you'll make seats out of.
[00:05:55] Scott: Yeah. I have, we have to, I have totally slept [00:06:00] a, a floor in somebody's house somewhere, a hardwood floor under an oriental, rug,
[00:06:09] Jason: What is the grossest place you ever slept?
[00:06:12] Scott: the grossest, oh, oh man. I think I slept in a bathtub once without the water in the bathtub, which wasn't necessarily like. It could have been grosser than it actually was if the person didn't clean well, but, yeah, no, I, I, I think, I think that's probably the grossest, so probably not, not too crazy. but I definitely think it, it, it helps you learn that you could sleep at just about anywhere
[00:06:38] Jason: Yeah, I mean, I was in a stomp group in school, so we went around and like, did like stomp performances and like, you know, percussion stuff and we would just sleep in the van. They didn't even get us hotels like we would just, it's so funny when you think back on it, we just sleep in the van and I, but on our, I remember on tour one time we go to this guy's house.
[00:07:00] And they were like, he's, you know, you know how it is, like if you've never been involved in the pumpkin hardcore scene, it's very DIY and like everywhere you go, like people are like, oh, come and sleep at my house. Like that's pretty much what you do.
[00:07:10] Scott: yeah,
[00:07:11] Jason: you don't really go in hotels really.
[00:07:12] Scott: yeah,
[00:07:13] Jason: At that level 'cause there's no money.
So, so we're going in, staying at this kid kid's house and you don't question it. If they invite you, you just say yes.
[00:07:21] Scott: Yeah,
[00:07:22] Jason: but a lot of times you don't know what you're walking into. And I remember gonna his house and I was like, oh dang, this is like a hoarder house. Like a flop house.
[00:07:29] Scott: yeah,
[00:07:30] Jason: with a bunch of like, like people who you know, like you, like you can tell everyone lives there, but everyone has their like part of the house.
But all of them are hoarders of different things.
[00:07:41] Scott: Right.
[00:07:42] Jason: So everyone's hoarding and at one point they're like, yeah, you could go sleep in this bed. And there's this like queen bed or king bed. So me and this guitar player go and sleep in the bed. Our bass player's like, I ain't sleeping in that house. Goes back to the van.
He's like, that's disgusting. We're like, oh, we don't wanna be rude. So we go upstairs and then we're just like, this is so [00:08:00] nasty. Don't touch the covers, don't touch anything. We just lay on top of the bed and sleep in the morning.
[00:08:08] Scott: I, I, I, I definitely grew up. Being the person that would invite bands to sleep in my house, even
[00:08:14] Jason: Mm-hmm.
[00:08:15] Scott: like I would have to get permission from my parents.
[00:08:18] Jason: Yes. Yes.
[00:08:19] Scott: do you remember the band River City High?
[00:08:22] Jason: Oh yeah. I remember they'd reached out to me to book a show
[00:08:25] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:08:26] Jason: at a venue I ran in high school.
That's amazing. Yeah.
[00:08:29] Scott: their first ever show outside of Richmond, Virginia, was a show in New Jersey. And it was close, close to my house, and I fell in love with the band immediately. they played with Midtown, who's also from New Jersey in the town.
[00:08:45] Jason: Oh, saves the Day is like my favorite band ever. So.
Jersey. Jersey has all, has so many greats. It's, it's incredible. But, so River City High played this show. I invited 'em to stay at our house 'cause they had a long stretch for the, for the next, next show on their tour. And so I, my parents [00:09:00] gave me permission, but the next morning. They're all walking around in their underwear. My parents are making them breakfast. It was like the funniest thing I've ever seen. the band Norma Jean?
[00:09:10] Scott: yeah.
[00:09:11] Jason: Norma Jean used to come around a lot, and so they were like friends of ours
[00:09:16] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:09:16] Jason: they actually were like renamed their band at one of our houses. They used to be called Ludicrous.
[00:09:22] Scott: Yeah.
[00:09:24] Jason: Yeah, they were like a Deftones kind of ripoff. but what's those guys are like, they used to have a, a, a mask in their van, like a box with like, like a cutout with a plastic over it.
And it was for shooting fireworks off in the van
[00:09:43] Scott: What? That sounds safe.
[00:09:49] Jason: if you, they were not a safe band. At that point, especially too, like back in those days, they were like, I've never seen a man bleed more. [00:10:00] So
[00:10:00] Scott: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:10:01] Jason: they were kind of like, at the drive-in kind of performance.
[00:10:05] Scott: Oh,
[00:10:05] Jason: So
[00:10:06] Scott: Oh, jumping all around doing, doing some crazy stunts on, yeah, that's at the drive-in was a, was also a band that was so much fun to watch live. So
[00:10:14] Jason: yes.
[00:10:15] Scott: so was there a defining moment that, that stood out? in the.
[00:10:20] Transition to Videography and Artistic Reflections
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[00:10:22] Scott: In your life as a musician that, that, you know, that, that you could share something that like just stands out but above everything else.
[00:10:27] Jason: You know, I think it's about like,
[00:10:31] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:10:34] Jason: man, I, I think about these silly moments that actually aren't that impactful. Like, or they're not the, I, I feel like music, it's so like transcendent in that it's dealing with your soul more so than like your intellect. And so like when you're experiencing music, it's often inside of your own brain.
And so like, I remember like, I don't know if [00:11:00] this is the answer to your question, but like, and this isn't playing music, this is just how music has impacted me. And I remember like being in school and I had no money. And I couldn't afford to buy new music, but I was really wanting new music. I was like needing new music.
You know how that is.
[00:11:18] Scott: Yeah.
[00:11:18] Jason: And I remember going to, if you remember those old CD stations in like a Barnes and Noble or in like a strawberries or wherever you would go and they would have like 20 disks or whatever, and you could, and I remember going and clicking on Jimmy World's, clarity album. In a Starbucks in Illinois and listening to like the whole album, standing in the Star
[00:11:43] Scott: yeah,
[00:11:44] Jason: and, and like, and, and thinking like, wow.
[00:11:48] Scott: yeah.
[00:11:48] Jason: like, I remember buying Stay What You Are
[00:11:51] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:11:53] Jason: or Poison The Well, tear from the Red.
[00:11:55] Scott: Oh yeah.
[00:11:55] Jason: the first time I turned on, Jane Doe and like that [00:12:00] Concubine starts playing.You know, like I remember playing a show with Zao at one time that really, really like impacted me and, and not in always good ways, you know, and I'm not like trying to rip on people, but like.
Kind of like, I feel like the more you get involved in certain industries, like you don't wanna see how the sausage is made.
[00:12:17] Scott: Right.
[00:12:17] Jason: I think like it was more fun to me to not know the people that I play with now, to the point where like, I, I would like try to avoid it. 'cause it's like, I love your music. I don't wanna get to know you like.
[00:12:29] Scott: Yeah, see, that's, that's, so I love Cavin so much and I, I did have a, a bad experience with another musician that I won't share. when I was, I tried to photograph the, the, this person at, at a show, and it was a, just went over really bad. It gave me a bitter taste and I didn't listen to that person's music for a decade. And I love Cavin so much, and I recently had an opportunity to potentially photograph Steve Broski and, and Adam. and I was like, I could contact them. I could [00:13:00] schedule a photo, a photo shoot before they perform acoustic at this brewery here in New Jersey. And I didn't, 'cause I'm like, I don't wanna ruin it.
[00:13:09] Jason: Like if, if I have a bad experience, it's going to ruin one of my favorite bands for me forever, you know? So I just. Just went and enjoyed it and that was it. But I think the ones that, really impact me in terms of like what I chose to do with my life are the more the bad experiences. Like, and I don't mean that to be negative 'cause I still love music the same way. but I was like, I don't think I'm cut out for this is really what it is. Like this isn't for me.
Like, I don't think I can do this for a living.I'm not willing to do it. Or I, I can't. Like I remember playing a show and we had this guy, one of my band members, he had like a meltdown and he in the middle of a show, puts his guitar down and leaves. And I remember like thinking like in that moment, like, if I have to deal with this crap for the rest of [00:14:00] my life, I'm gonna kill myself.
I don't want to do this. I don't want to be involved. And then like later in that same tour, like we're playing with these really big bands and they're talking about like. How much they hate their drummer and how like the previous night they had a big fist fight and then later in the week, I'm see the dr.
Like they're a big local band. No, I'm a big national band. And if I told you who they were, you'd be like, oh, those guys. I see the drummer at like a coffee shop, and he comes and sits with us and he's talking. He's like, yeah, those guys, they literally left me in California, which is the second time I've heard of Ben leaving someone.
[00:14:35] Scott: Yeah.
[00:14:36] Jason: Because they had a conflict. And I remember thinking like, I wanna make art with people who, this isn't the inevitability. Like, it just seems inevitable. And this, maybe this is just my fatalist viewpoint, but it's like, it's it for me. If I do something that's for my soul, I don't want anyone to be able to take it away from me.
[00:14:57] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:14:58] Jason: Like, and I, and I [00:15:00] think I kind of like the, the, like the train, like. A lot of artists, I think in the wedding space where I am photo and video specifically are like, that's my art. That's my art. And I'm like, that's my business.
[00:15:12] Scott: Yeah.
[00:15:13] Jason: I already kind of had that journey that you did where I like made the decision to like, I'm not gonna let my art be.
Monetized in that way. Not that I have a problem with that, but for me it was just hard to make the choices and sacrifices it would've taken to make it sustainable financially. And it's been easier for me with videography to make those kind of artistic compromises. And that's just for me.
[00:15:40] Scott: Yeah. Yeah. It, it's, I think we need to, you know, there's people who have jobs and there's people who have jobs that they have because, they absolutely love what they do. and I think that. Everybody has their own methods and their own reasons for, for doing what they do. for [00:16:00] me, sort of similar but also sort of different, I, I knew myself too well that if I, focused on photography as my full-time job, I would hate the art of it.which I didn't wanna do 'cause I love it. I always knew I wanted to be on this side of the business where I'm educating and, and you know, doing community building and, and things like that and podcasting and stuff, and, doing the photography, taking on the client, work on the side when I want to. and, and that way like it's that even balance of I'm staying in it, but it's not my only thing I need to focus on, so I can still love it.
[00:16:37] Jason: Well, and isn't it like that's the artist's journey I think is like, is like, how do you monetize? Like I, I, one thing I will say is at one point I was like, I want to be in the arts though. I do want to drive in the arts.
[00:16:49] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:16:50] Jason: It's just like, this is just too personal to me, this little aspect of the arts. But I do wanna make money in the arts.
I don't want to do something else. I want to create things. But I like, what I [00:17:00] like about weddings is it's someone else's thing. That I'm doing. I'm not expressing myself, I'm expressing them. And there's a art to that as well. And so, and I do feel it's transcendent, it is meaningful, it is people. And I want to invest in the human race and help people thrive and, and all that.
And so I feel good about it. Like I don't feel it's a sellout or a compromise, but if it's like I'm writing a song, I'm writing my thoughts.
[00:17:27] Scott: Yeah.
[00:17:28] Jason: And I don't view, and I will say this, I, I would really challenge any artist on the photo video side to really consider if your photos and videos are your thoughts, or if you're capturing someone else and something else, like there's an externalization of the photo video world that is a little more comfortable to me than just like writing a poem or saying something that's on my heart.
It. And I don't know, like I felt like it was easier for me and honestly. And the other side is monetize. Like when I was doing [00:18:00] photo, when I was making like music, at one point we had this record, you know what to answer your first question, this is the actual answer.we had a con conversation with solid state and they were like, Hey, we love you.
We want, like, they got our record. Somebody gave it to them and they reached out and they were like, we love you. Do you have any more songs like this?
[00:18:22] Scott: They didn't want the rest. They only wanted that, that one style.
[00:18:26] Jason: Yeah, and we were like, I mean, we can, and I remember like we, we, we wrote a bunch of new songs that, in hindsight aren't as good.
[00:18:39] Scott: Hmm.
[00:18:41] Jason: And I was like, that kind of sucked. Like, like.
[00:18:46] Scott: I, I think, you know, as, as, as all, know, everything changes as time goes by. There's, it used to be, and, and I'm sure it still exists, in the beginning where I. You have to, you have to, to get signed. [00:19:00] Right. If that is what you're aiming for with a business, you have to have albums that is consistent of style wise, right.
[00:19:07] Jason: Hmm. Yeah. You gotta give people what they want.
[00:19:11] Scott: yeah. But now we're seeing bands like who is it? Imagine Dragons that like every album they put out is a different style of music.
[00:19:18] Jason: Well, I think it's like the idea of like, and obviously they're not self-publishing, but I do think like the beauty of the modern, decentralization of distribution specifically, and then people are often like, oh, it's decentralization of art. I'm like, art has never been decentralized. Do you think the people who are centralizing anything care about art?
They don't give a crap about art.
[00:19:37] Scott: Yeah.
[00:19:37] Jason: the central, they care about money, but distribution had to be centralized.
[00:19:43] Scott: yeah. Yeah.
[00:19:44] Jason: now it doesn't. So I do think it's even like if you look at the pop artists that are coming out with like, not that I think it's that great, but Justin Bieber just released an album and it's bizarre
[00:19:57] Scott: Oh,
[00:19:57] Jason: from top to bottom.
[00:19:58] Scott: out with a country album. That doesn't [00:20:00] sound like anything Beyonce would ever do.
[00:20:02] Jason: Yeah. And it's like, he's like, he was like, this is my music and the record company, you know, he had like fired his agent and whatever, and they're like, what are they gonna do about it? You just hit publish and it's out. And so it's like, like do we, does anyone even need these people anymore? And I think some of them, yeah, you do for these big tours and these big connections.
But they're also like a little bit like record companies, like media, they're all running scared because they know, like the second artist figure out. And I would say the same in the wedding industry with photo and video, people who think they need wedding planners. Who needs who?
[00:20:38] Scott: True. True.
[00:20:39] Jason: Free marketing. It's like, anyway,
[00:20:42] Scott: Are are, are you still playing like today? Like if, do you
[00:20:45] Jason: I play my guitar. Yeah. I play like pretty much every, maybe not every day, but almost every day I play my guitar. and, it's just, and I get to play, you know, I, I, I still like, I do a little teaching. I teach kids, I work with some high school [00:21:00] kids. And teach 'em guitar and stuff like that. So, and of, you know, play with my kids, teach my kids.
and I obviously listen to, in some ways more music than ever.
[00:21:11] Scott: I, yeah, I find when I wanna get into the editing groove, I put on a playlist and just do it right.
[00:21:19] Jason: we're video guys are very jealous of you guys, by the way
[00:21:22] Scott: Oh, I, I know, I know.
[00:21:24] Jason: that you can.
[00:21:25] Scott: hopefully soon, ImagenAI. But help with that for you.
[00:21:28] Jason: Yeah. Well, I mean, we're listening to like, how many times can you listen to Ben Rector White dress when you're doing an edit?
[00:21:35] Scott: so, so let's, let's talk about this connection between music and photography and videography for you. Um,what. How, how has the background in music influenced the way that you connect with the people at these weddings that you're, that you're filming and, and doing the photos for, and, how, how has that, how has that that helped?
Because [00:22:00] on the music, it, it's, people are people, right? And there's so many different types, especially in the music space, especially in the photography, videography space. clients you get, you, you, you know, you, you hope to get sort of avatar of client, but it may not always happen. So how has that helped you to like manage it all, deal with it all, and the way that you do these connections?
[00:22:23] Musical Influence in Wedding Films
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[00:22:23] Jason: I mean, the fact that we are, most people in the company are musicians in my, like most of my staff.
[00:22:31] Scott: That's great.
[00:22:32] Jason: I dunno how it worked out, but we. It did,
[00:22:35] Scott: Yeah.
[00:22:36] Jason: and we actually have scored a couple people's, wedding films. Like, like we like. Okay. To answer your question with a specific story and the general answer is, it is the number one difference in my company and what we do is that we have great taste in music and we know how to, Connect. People say they eat with their eyes, but I say they just eat, [00:23:00] they people eat with their senses
[00:23:01] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:23:02] Jason: like multisensory, right? And so like people, form connections based on like certain tribal lines, certain things where you're saying, I understand you wink, wink. I get you. You know? And so kind of like if you can send a nostalgic vibe to go with the wedding or you can send a party vibe, you know, whatever it is.
[00:23:23] Creating Unique Wedding Experiences
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[00:23:23] Jason: But to answer your question specifically, like. There was a wedding where the brothers of the bride performed a song that they wrote, and I think they had performed it previously. And they play guitar and they both sing. And to be honest, they're very good singers and the song is nice. It was a pretty song.
They're not great players. They're okay.but, but it wasn't something I felt comfortable using to score a luxury wedding film. So we're like, how do we implement this? So we. Extracted their vocals and we built a sound bed. That would eventually lead. And then [00:24:00] we played our own music under their vocals.
So this piece builds with like ambient, kind of like, like explosions in the sky, kind of like few gay kind of vibes. And eventually it comes into more like singer songwriter acousticy. And then the brothers just appear on screen, on tempo, by the way, singing. And the couple's like what the like and, and it's like.
To me, well, wedding filmmaking, that's what I do primarily, is wedding filmmaking. I do some commercial stuff, but wedding filmmaking is what I primarily do. And to me, wedding filmmaking is about like connecting with people's family culture
[00:24:42] Scott: Yeah.
[00:24:43] Jason: connecting with a couple's sensibility and taste and such. A big aspect of that is their, what they listen to people's maybe less so now.
It's unfortunate, I think. I think like when we were younger in our age, like. The way you expressed your rebellion or your uniqueness was [00:25:00] through music. Now it's through weird TikTok crap that I don't, maybe I'm just being like boomer about that. But I do think like. There's less creative energy behind, I think some of that stuff maybe than like actually being a little bit vulnerable and saying something like important, but I could be totally wrong.
T
[00:25:18] The Power of Nostalgia in Music
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[00:25:18] Jason: hat being said, I think music still will always persist and so we're, we took this and we brought it, and I remember like the couple, like crying and feeling more connected to the piece because we. Included their, their family in a song like that. And, and it just like really goes to say like, I think we think about music as like, oh, this is a thing for everyone.
Like, oh, it's a good song. Everyone likes it. But I think like what this has done for me with weddings is like, no, this is a good song because you like, it [00:26:00] just you.
[00:26:01] Scott: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:26:02] Jason: Like you are the only one who has to like it. Like we used to pick songs that no one had ever heard, just because they would have the, because we wanted the couple to have their song like.
[00:26:12] Scott: think, yeah, I, I think what, what you did and your team did for that couple is way, way above and beyond the task that any wedding filmmaker,Is contracted to do?
[00:26:29] Jason: No. Yeah, and that's true.
[00:26:31] Scott: so?
[00:26:32] Jason: No, no, I agree with you. I mean, I think,
[00:26:33] Scott: Okay.
[00:26:34] Jason: yeah.
[00:26:35] Scott: so I mean, what a hell of a surprise for that couple. that is absolutely that, that, that you went through that
[00:26:44] Jason: Yeah. I'll send you the film.
[00:26:46] Scott: isn't even just a word, like a word that's a, that's a light word to use. Like that is a lot of work to do for that. Right.
[00:26:52] Jason: Well, I think it's like some of it is you are trying to flex.
[00:26:57] Scott: Yeah, of course.
[00:26:58] Jason: Yeah. You're trying to show people like, [00:27:00] only I can do this.
[00:27:01] Scott: Yeah,
[00:27:02] Jason: like, and so like it's hard to be unique in this space because I'm a big believer that everyone can do at what everyone does pretty much,
[00:27:10] Scott: yeah,
[00:27:11] Jason: entirely, but there's very few things that only you can do.
Like, and trying to figure those things out in the arts is really challenging because like you're trying to bring an offering to the market that's unique, where someone's willing to pay a premium for what you can do. You know, you see someone like John Dolan or whatever, when people try to do John Dolan, it sucks.
[00:27:29] Scott: Yeah.
[00:27:29] Jason: Mostly, not always, but John Dolan, does John Dolan better than anyone else? And I think so We tried to do that. And so in some ways, yeah, it's above and beyond another way you're trying, you know, it's, there's selfish reasons I think. Why, why you go above and beyond. But the other side is like, it could get boring.
You just wanna do something fun. That is like inspiring.
[00:27:49] Scott: That and that, that, that really is inspiring. I really, so hopefully, hopefully anybody who's listening to this's watching this, and if you do wedding films [00:28:00] or, or anything and you're, you're, you're combining.that you're good at, whether it's music
[00:28:06] Jason: Hmm.
[00:28:07] Scott: or something else, it, I, it's so inspiring to be able to, to do that for your client.
just
[00:28:13] Jason: And most people wouldn't appreciate, by the way. I don't, I wouldn't do that for most people, but most people wouldn't appreciate it. Like I've never done it before or since I would like to do it, but it was like, and here's the thing. It's like we did it and I think the couple liked it, but they didn't like ever, talk to me about it.
They didn't ever call me and say, wow, thank you so much for doing that. Like maybe they didn't even appreciate it, but I appreciated it.
[00:28:37] Scott: Yeah. I, I,
[00:28:39] Jason: know
[00:28:39] Scott: I would like to assume not knowing them, right. I would like to assume that they probably noticed, but also like underlying, maybe they like it, they just noticed it, but it didn't, but you probably did it so well it didn't stand out as,
[00:28:58] Jason: that that is what the [00:29:00] goal was. And, and I will say like I, I have a difference in a lot of artists when it comes to weddings is. I see this a lot. Like, oh, I sent the work to someone, they didn't even reply. And then you'll see people comment commenting like, how rude? And I'm like, what are you talking about?
Like if someone mows my lawn, I don't send 'em an email and say, great job mowing my lawn. Like I just, if it's good, like I don't say anything. The only time I ever talk to you is if I think it's bad,
[00:29:25] Scott: Right. Yep.
[00:29:26] Jason: So it's like I say, no news is good news when it comes to weddings.
[00:29:30] Scott: Yeah. Yeah, I agree. I agree.so I, I have, I have two more questions for you.
[00:29:35] Personal Music Inspirations and Future Projects
---
[00:29:35] Scott: the first one is, are there any songs or album that, really inspire you to just get more creative with everything that you're doing? I know that when you're actually at the wedding.
[00:29:46] Jason: Hmm.
[00:29:46] Scott: You, you almost have no choice but to listen to what, there. I know some photographers put in heavy metal in their AirPods, and just to drown out everything else, but like in general to be more, to feel more creative is what do you [00:30:00] listen to?
[00:30:08] Jason: I feel the value right now is, you know, my parents are getting older and I think about like my dad, my dad's from Texas.
[00:30:20] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:30:21] Jason: And he's a very good musician. my mom's a very good musician too.my dad is a really good piano player, like, like that style Western style piano. He grew up in like that area.
And so I think the older I get, like when I think about weddings, I think I, I think how do I connect with that feeling of nostalgia that people have? Because that is what people want out of a wedding film. They want nostalgia, you know, and of course energy too. But that like the hype stuff is just trend.
I just go, whatever's trendy, whatever the dance party looks like, that inspires me. There is the visuals [00:31:00] inspire the, the sound and then, and also the taste of the couple, like whatever is being played. And we're lucky enough to play with incredible, like, or to shoot alongside very incredible bands. So that helps.
But I've been listening to Nick's shoulders a lot lately.Steven Wilson Jr.singer songwriter. Kind of music. Natalie Bergman. I'm really enjoying her music right now. I kinda really like that last Sleep Token album a lot. The new Deftones song, incredible. I don't know how those guys keep doing it, but they have an incredible new song.
L love, knock loose. Like knock loose. Dude, I remember listening to their first, like the first time I heard like they've been around and I kind of like had, kind of heard them, but not really. Like I kind of committed to myself last year to like start finding new music again because my life had be ever since COID.
we went from 60 weddings to 120 weddings in one year. [00:32:00] And then we did 230 and then 200 and then like everything just got really not healthy. We just, we were just surviving trying to like not lose our jobs.
[00:32:14] Scott: Right.
[00:32:14] Jason: And it kind of like took that part of me away. But I think to your question, like it was something that I've started to invest in again and just kind of finding.
Music that either inspired me or made me think about people I love or just made me feel something, you know?
[00:32:33] Scott: Yeah.
[00:32:34] Jason: And you know, it's funny, like music always comes back to like nostalgia for so many of us it's like that feeling of like being vigorous and young and not giving a crap. And it's like people are like, oh, it's like I was young.
It's like, it's not that you were young, it's 'cause that you didn't know that you were gonna have to like compromise so much. When you were young, you thought the world was gonna be what you wanted it to be. And I think that's a good thing. And it's also good to get [00:33:00] mature and realize you have to play ball with people and you have to collaborate in the world that you live in.
But I like that feeling of like unbridled optimism. That was when you were like 18, 19, 20, that when I listen to hardcore, that's what I think of.
[00:33:15] Scott: Yeah. it's, it, so I asked this question to my last, guest, for the last conversation I had on the podcast and. He came back and asked me what I listened to. and I shared I have two pod two, two playlists, only two playlists on my phone, that are regulars. is my creative, I call it zen mode. and it's got things like the album leaf and trezza and all these sax, sax ensure all these instrumental, cigar rosses in there and so on. Then I have work. Yard work is literally when I'm mowing the lawn and doing all that stuff right. And to get me like pumped. pure nostalgia. It's my nineties, early two thousands, you know, [00:34:00] punk hardcore mix.
[00:34:02] Jason: first show that you went to
[00:34:04] Scott: my first show ever. Was like, concert?
[00:34:07] Jason: without your parents?
[00:34:09] Scott: so my first, was a, it was a. Full on Arena concert. it was Rage Against the Machine.
[00:34:17] Jason: Let's go.
[00:34:17] Scott: Clan Atari Teenage Riot.
[00:34:20] Jason: Nice.
[00:34:21] Scott: weird mix.
[00:34:23] Jason: My first show ever was M XMP X
[00:34:26] Scott: That's a, I
[00:34:28] Jason: as a 13-year-old,
[00:34:29] Scott: it's, oh
[00:34:30] Jason: as a 13-year-old. It was M XMP X and Switchfoot and Switchfoot was a three piece at the time.
[00:34:36] Scott: Yeah. Do you
[00:34:37] Jason: were opening up for M XMP X.
[00:34:39] Scott: Oh man, that's crazy. you know that Mike from M XMP X is now playing in Goldfinger as one of
[00:34:46] Jason: Huh. That's interesting.
[00:34:47] Scott: Yeah. I mean, M XMP X is still playing, but
[00:34:50] Jason: Yes. Yes.
[00:34:51] Scott: Goldfinger as well.
[00:34:52] Jason: They just released a single a couple weeks ago.
[00:34:55] Scott: Goldfinger
[00:34:56] Jason: No switch or M XMP X they're still making, it's [00:35:00] funny 'cause as a kid they were just like this crappy, like pseudo Christian band, but like, but they were like, well, my parents let me listen to, so I was like, I'm gonna get, try to get away with it, whatever I can.
And now I'm like, oh, they were like this iconic band. And you never realize, realize like your memories are being crowdsourced.
[00:35:17] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:35:17] Jason: Like everyone, it's everyone's band. It's not your band, but as a kid you're like, this is my band.
[00:35:24] Scott: so, totally true. Totally true. my last question, this is gonna, I'm, I'm really curious of what you're gonna say to this. if you could create a film. Whether it's documentary, a creative film that you want or a music video for any band past or present, what would it be? Wait, which band would it be and what kind of film do you think it would be?
[00:35:51] Jason: Oh man.
[00:35:53] Scott: It's a
[00:35:54] Jason: I have,
I think [00:36:00] it starts with like, do what, what do we need to know? You know, as a like, like what, because like, I could say Fugazi, but it's like, I'm sure there's like a hundred films about Fugazi and honestly like, do we need to talk about them anymore? Like, no, we don't need more films about Fazi. We don't need more interviews with that.
With Ian.
[00:36:19] Scott: political, film of some sort as well going that
[00:36:22] Jason: Yeah. You know what it is, is like, I would have to think through like what would make me feel good. 'cause I wanna feel good, like I want, I want people to be energized and optimistic. From what they're doing, even though I'm attracted to a lot of like very dark art,
[00:36:42] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:36:42] Jason: it always comes from that, like that place of like, you know, catharsis less so than, that's my actual viewpoint.
So what would make me happy to make, you know, it would be a really, oh man, I could give you 20 answers to this. 'cause I, my [00:37:00] first instinct was to say converge.
[00:37:02] Scott: Oh,
[00:37:03] Jason: my first instinct was to, to interview, those guys. We have some mild relationship. They're local and I know a lot of people who work with those guys and, and I, and I just think like.
Jacob and those guys and like what they've done with the God city, the recording studio, they own his art. They, it would be an interesting film because vi it would be visually beautiful. They have a really very, they have all the credibility 'cause they've just like, were those early medical guys.but then I thought, I think I would like to do the Deftones
[00:37:37] Scott: Interesting.
[00:37:39] Jason: because they've gone through
[00:37:41] Scott: yeah.
[00:37:42] Jason: much.
[00:37:43] Scott: Yeah.
[00:37:43] Jason: Mm-hmm. And what, like the bass player almost dying or did die. and then, but also think about the Deftones. Like at one point you're like, oh, this new metal band. But they actually never sounded like anyone else, and they still don't, and they still sound the same,[00:38:00]
[00:38:00] Scott: Yeah.
[00:38:01] Jason: and they still are good, and yet they're also still bad.
Like, like when you listen to Chino, you're like, well, that's not singing. What are you doing? But I still keep listening to it. So I, I just find like, their story to be really interesting. Their music has like, grown on me more and more and more and more. I remember like, I didn't like it when I was a kid.
I thought it was like, sell out crap.
[00:38:25] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:38:26] Jason: now I listen, look back on it and I'm like. Like, I know Korn is technically like, probably the most influential new metal band, and I used to hate Korn as a kid, and now I get older and I'm like, I gotta give 'em props.
[00:38:41] Scott: Oh, you
[00:38:42] Jason: Like
[00:38:42] Scott: Oh, a
[00:38:43] Jason: what they, what they were, had the guts to do, like as, as musicians and like the, like what they were willing to talk about in their music.
[00:38:51] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:38:51] Jason: I will say, like for me, Deftones, were just always, there's like a coolness to them. Like, they're just cool [00:39:00] and like, like they're just a cool band and they're still cool and all that stuff. So maybe the Deftones, I think like, and I, I just have never seen that. I haven't really, maybe there's a million fan fix that I've never seen, but like that'd be interesting to me is to like.
[00:39:14] Scott: would it be
[00:39:15] Jason: Yeah.
[00:39:15] Scott: Would it be, yeah.
[00:39:17] Jason: Yes. Yeah, definitely. I, I love documentaries. Documentaries are like one of my very favorite types of cinema because of they a good documentary. There are good ones that are like anti-capitalism or pro capitalism or whatever your worldview is. Like that can be a good documentary. But I think my favorite documentaries just let the subject speak for themself
[00:39:41] Scott: Mm-hmm.
[00:39:42] Jason: and they don't have an agenda.
And they just say like, tell me your story, and I want to know their story. I would want to know what Chino like is thinking like, why do you sing like that dude?
[00:39:53] Scott: Yeah.
[00:39:54] Jason: Like what, how did you develop that? Like when like at one point were you like, I should be the lead singer of a band,[00:40:00]
[00:40:00] Scott: yeah.
[00:40:00] Jason: you know, like, and like the, everything about what they're doing.
I, I, I want to know what they're thinking and how they kind of arrived at what they arrived at. But then also like that personal journey, how it like. They maintained a artistic output, like, I dunno what they started in like 89 or something. Right?
[00:40:21] Scott: Mm-hmm. Yeah,
[00:40:23] Jason: crazy, you know?
[00:40:23] Scott: answer. That's, I, I was not expecting that one. That's a, didn't know what to expect, but I wasn't definitely not expecting that one. So that's a really. Really good, surprising answer. that's, that's exciting. so, so Deftones, if you're listening, you know who to hire
[00:40:40] Jason: Well, I mean, there might be like there already is a movie and I just didn't watch it. That's why I was like, oh, I bet like every fan is gonna be like, they're already, yes. You're not a real fan. I'm like, I never said I was.
right, right. Oh man. But either way, even if there is one, it'd be cool for you to do one. That would be great. I agree. That would be very cool.
[00:40:58] Scott: Yeah. [00:41:00] Jason, it was so, so awesome to have you, to have you and, and, and chat, about music and videography photography. I, I just, it's, it's so much fun to talk to people that we have similarities with and, and, to talk about things that not a lot of people are talking about
[00:41:16] Jason: Well, and this is what's important,
[00:41:17] Scott: world.
[00:41:18] Jason: Scott, like, to me this is like art artists have become way too tribal in a lot of on very stupid lines. And what we need to be talking about with each other is our actual art.
[00:41:31] Scott: Yeah.
[00:41:32] Jason: Because that will bring people together. Because like when I was growing up, nobody talked about politics.
Nobody talked about this stuff. We would go to a show and we'd all say, here, this is ours.
[00:41:43] Scott: Yeah. Yep.
[00:41:44] Jason: And it's like, and it wasn't a, and like there could be seven political bands. There could be like an anarchist band and like a Christian band, and they're all playing in the same room, all playing on the same stage.
Kids are all getting bloody and messy and sweaty. And it's like we need those, [00:42:00] cultural, cornerstones that we build relationships on because they humanize each other. And they make us realize that like we can have differences of opinion and differences of belief, but at the end of the day, we all still like the party.
[00:42:14] Scott: Yep. Yep. So,
[00:42:16] Jason: Well, it's some of us.
[00:42:18] Scott: Well almost, yeah. can you share for those, I'm gonna put everything in the show notes, but if you can
[00:42:23] Jason: Sure.
[00:42:23] Scott: listeners can, know, check out your, your, your, your, your film business, anywhere else you would like to have them check
[00:42:31] Jason: Sure, sure. I'll, I'll try to keep it brief 'cause we got a lot going on. So, if you wanna see my personal, like luxury wedding filmmaking Huxley film, I have a large, like a studio high-end luxury studio brand called Stop Go Love, where we're doing some really cool weddings. we have the wedding film school.
YouTube channel and podcast, so you can check us out if you're just, you're a wedding filmmaker and you're interested in learning about the art form and the, it's very business focused. We talk about making [00:43:00] money being sustainable and scaling, and of course the wedding industry, which is a big thing for us.
And then of course, we also have a thing called lum cytes. So if it's a template. Platform for, WordPress and show it themes if you head over to luma sites.com and we sell those as well. So that's what we do.
[00:43:19] Scott: Amazing. Jason, thank you so much again. and I can't wait for everybody to listen to this.
[00:43:25] Jason: Thanks. Have a good day guys.