Film and Video Production: Alumni Stories
Jason Honeycut - '98
Jason Honeycut
Editor / DP / FX Network
Los Angeles
What path did you take after leaving Grand Valley?
I knew I wanted to move to Los Angeles and I knew editing was
going to be my way in, and Avid was (and is) the Hollywood standard. I
had already been trying to hit the ground running when I graduated and
had been working at the PBS station as a photog and main editor on our
sports show, as well as other shows, from around 1995. In 1997, I
found my way over to the ABC affiliate, WZZM and worked at both
places, while still attending classes (half-asleep). I knew WZZM had
an Avid and this would be the only way to learn it so I started
working studio camera there, shooting stories, and editing linear
there. I eventually became one of two Avid editors. I wanted to get
good enough where, if given a chance in LA, I would be able to handle myself.
Towards the end of 1999, I gave myself an absolute "moving to Los Angeles" date. I wrote to various places to get an "internship.” "Young and the Restless," gave me a shot as an intern. I set-up a one credit internship with GVSU but worked 40 hours for them, to show them what I could do. This is the KEY advice I need to really emphasize to GVSU grads. Get an internship at the end -- so you can stay in Los Angeles, or whatever city in which you'd like to work. Networks and studios use internships as a screening process and if they like you, they'll find a job for you and you have to take it.
Anyway, so I was being prepped to be the Avid editor on Y&R and I was all set to be the next editor. However, one of the two show runners hired her own person. I put my pride to the side and came back in and welcomed the new hire. They were surprised by that and found me a job in CBS On-Air Promo, where I started as a Production Assistant, then I moved up to Assistant Editor, then Online Editor before leaving to freelance after three years.
I worked on various projects for 20th Century Fox, FOX, FX, E!, NBC, Bravo, Dreamworks, etc. While boosting my demo reel, I was also shooting snowboarding DVDs on the side (as a way to get free lift tickets and ride/shoot with my favorite pros). That experience lead me to creating a show about a hotel where snowboarders ran it. G4 gave us the best deal and the show ran two seasons. I had also been freelancing at FX Network before then but when I left to do my show, FX didn't want me to leave again so they created the staff position I have to this day. They allow me to freelance like I used to and I still direct music videos and commercials for clients, with an eye on directing my first feature. By doing short films, I met an actress who went onto some big things and she recommended me as a Director of Photography, showing Adam Marcus (Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw) the project we worked on. He hired me to DP his return to horror, "Secret Santa," which is coming out next year.
What do you like most about your work?
I love getting paid for doing something I would do for free, and
often times still will donate my time if there's a great project. I
love the "art" of creating.
After ten years working for FX and plenty more job opportunities, what is one of the most useful things you have learned?
Everything starts and (literally) ends with editing. When I got to film school, like everyone else, generically, I wanted to be a "director" but I didn't know what that really meant. I thought it was just the person who got to make their story. I liked making movies and it's all we did growing up in a farm town without much else to do... but I realized that I was never a great director at the time -- but, people thought I was far better than I was because I kept saving myself in editing, by adding pause to performances, or picking the right music, or just finding any possible accidental gems of acting. Now that I direct for actual studios and clients, I still lean on editing to this day and I always look at myself as an editor first, director second. No shoot goes according to plan and some directors can't adjust because they don't know how a scene "could" cut together if they get rained out of a day, for instance. On set, you have to think on your feet and improvise sometimes and you gain the confidence to do so knowing that, yes, this WILL cut together.
In your life after graduation, what is some of the best advice
you have received?
Never chase the money! Don't do a project, like a corporate
video, if you want to direct narrative just because there is a good
fee for that. Work on a project for free if you have to if it's going
to be something you love. If you chase the money, you'll find yourself
down the wrong rabbit hole doing something you didn't dream about. The
goal is to get paid doing what you love. I got my best advice by
watching my dad work blue collar jobs and doing it gladly. Work ethic
is rare out here, true Midwest work ethic. You have a lot of
"talkers" and used-car salesmen types who talk, talk,
talk... but don't work and that's what the city will think of you, as
default. You have to prove them wrong by appreciating the opportunity
to just be working here. Just smile, be humble, outwork everyone.
When you come here, you will meet people with more money than you,
more connections, etc... but they don't have our Michigan work ethic.
What advice do you have for students who are moving out to
larger cities to work?
Get ANY job you can, just get in somewhere; mail room, page,
intern, etc. Just get to LA and find SOMETHING. You might have to
work a night job doing something else, but that job where you have
access to the industry, that's key for everything. Even if you want
to be a big time director, just get in somewhere and keep directing
projects on the side. If you get an interview before coming here, fly
out, meet them, get to know the city, fly home and wait for the good
news. Don't tell them about your moving situation or how hard it's
going to be for you or they'll move onto the new person.
What advice do you have for current students?
Everyone who's "made it" has ONE thing in common - they
never gave up. Whether it took 20 years or two months, they never
gave up on themselves despite overwhelming odds. You have to believe
in yourself, move to the city where you want to work. Don't get
overwhelmed by the competition - you know how talented you are, now
you have to prove it in the big leagues. And, when you get your shot,
be humble every day, look around and smile at the beautiful weather,
getting to do what you love, and pay it forward and be helpful to the
others coming up as well, like the interns. Go out of your way to
help others after you've made it.
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