Interview With Chris Jean

This is an interview that I conducted with a mate from my high school days, Chris Jean. These days, he is a self-employed writer-producer-director and also owner of a small media company, Moonlight Entertainment.
Chris Jean
Date of Interview: April 2008
 I need to thank Chris for taking time out of his busy schedule to give us a small insight in to his career, work, and business.
Tell us about your company, Moonlight Entertainment.
Chris: Moonlight Entertainment is a production and development shingle I created in 2006 after leaving Autonomy, where i was director of production. Our aim is to produce quality projects across the spectrum, with the grand prize set as feature films. Currently they have several projects in various stages of development.
Why did you start the Moonlight Entertainment?
Chris: I started Moonlight primarily because, my whole career, I'd been writing, producing and directing as a staffer for someone else. And i determined, near the finish of 2005, that the time had come to strike out alone and see what I could accomplish.
How difficult was it to start Moonlight Entertainment?
Chris: Beginning a used company is the simplest thing in the world - making it run is the hard part!
Tell us how your roles as a writer, producer, and director differ in the way you perform each, the amount of work involved, and any other ways you know.
Chris: Balancing my inner writer, producer and director has taken some time to figure out, but I have reached a place now where I am confident in my abilities and comfortable switching gears among them as projects dictate.
Chris Jean
Date of Interview: April 2008
 Each has its own one-of-a-kind characteristics and is equally challenging. For example, writing is a private undertaking. me and the computer. It is personal, and I tend to disappear from my day-to-day routines - and relationships - until the writing has run its work. There can be no distractions!! producing and directing, on the other hand, are entirely social roles. I like to think of them as four sides of the same coin... the producer is the management side and the director is the leadership side. You must have both to make it in this business, which is why i maintain that plenty of of the best directors are also nice producers.
Out of being a writer, producer, and director, which is more satisfying and why?
Chris: They are all satisfying in one-of-a-kind ways that my being seems to need. I'd be misleading you if i picked one i liked over another.
You have been involved with theater and singer since before high school. Has this background benefited you in your projects, being on the other side of the business?
Chris: Absolutely. My theater background, in particular, taught me at a young age that people must work together to get things done and make things great. The lone wolf approach - the auteur approach, in case you will - is romantic and I suppose satisfying from one point of view, but at the finish of the day, if your aim is to make movies and you are not building relationships forged on mutual trust and respect, then where are you in your journey? Not far, i would say.
I see that you were the director of a music video for Pakistan rock singer, TEE-M, entitled "Disappear". What was it like and how did you become an element of the project?
Chris: I have known of TEE-M for some time - he is large out here in LA. and large in his native Pakistan. I did a music video for singer-songwriter Brandon Schott ("Simple Life") back in early 2007 and TEE-M turned up for a cameo... Brandon and TEE-M have been friends for some time. Later that year, at Brandon's "Golden State" album release party in September (which i also produced, God only knows how), TEE-M approached me about the project. As you might have already guessed, I said yes!
What is one of your favourite projects that you have got worked on as writer, producer, director, and/or with Moonlight Entertainment?
Chris: Well, i'll tell you about four things. I worked on film trailer campaigns for discovery channel for years at autonomy. Great people. Great projects. Great memories. And more recently, I'd must say working on the "Disappeared" music video under my own Moonlight banner.
Some of the projects you have worked on include some large names, like L'il Romeo, Brion Schott, Post cereal, Del Taco, Discovery Channel, MyNetworkTV, The Actual World, ESPN, Jeopardy, U.S. Open, National Geographic, and plenty of more. You are a veteran at it now but how intimidating was it when you first worked with heavy hitters such as these people and companies?
Chris: Here's a nugget of wisdom for all the aspiring filmmakers out there: intimidation is not a factor. go for it. Honor the four golden rules and have no fear. The golden rule of leadership: Inspire others to follow. Period. Finish of story. The golden rule of management: Make nice decisions based on correct information. All right, and possibly a sub-rule: seldom make assumptions! In other words, always ask questions when you are not sure. Keep in mind these things and then chase after the task at hand like Han Solo chasing after the Storm Troopers in Star Wars: no looking back!
Where do you see Moonlight Entertainment in the near future?
Chris: Moonlight will continue to produce quality short-form projects, such as music videos, commercials, etc. But we are in development with the right people on some great projects for the TV and film screens, so be on the look-out for us there!