We had the good fortune of connecting with Mason Dies and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mason, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I really just cannot imagine myself doing anything else. I feel alive whenever I am being creative. Whether that is through me creating wedding films or releasing music, I really cannot see myself doing anything other than being creative.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Whether it’s filmmaking or music, I’ve always been drawn to creating things that make people feel something real. I lot of my creativity comes from a place of pain and transferring that pain into art. I think that is one of the most powerful things people can do with the hardships and trails of life.

Professionally, I got to where I am today through a combination of opportunity, obsession with the craft, and a lot of trial and error. I started creating at a young age and spent years learning by doing. I was making videos, producing music, experimenting, failing, improving, and repeating that process over and over.

It definitely was not easy. Building a creative career comes with uncertainty, self-doubt, financial pressure, and constantly feeling like you have to prove yourself. There were seasons where I questioned whether it would actually work long term.

What I want people to know about me and my brand (especially my Jade Films brand) is that everything I create comes from a genuine place. I care deeply about the details, the quality, the emotion behind the work, and creating things that feel timeless rather than disposable.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If one of my best friends was visiting for a week, I’d want to show them a mix of the creative side of DFW, the food scene, and the places that genuinely feel meaningful to me personally.

For food, one of the first places I’d take them would be Hutchins BBQ. Texas barbecue is something everyone should experience at least once, and Hutchins is one of those places that really lives up to the hype. I’d also take them to my favorite taco shop in Southlake because sometimes the best spots are the more casual places you keep going back to over and over again. And then obviously we would have to hit up Buc-ee’s.

One place that would absolutely be part of the week is Milestone Church in Keller. My faith is a huge part of my life, and Milestone has been an important community for me personally and creatively. It’s one of the places that has helped shape who I am today.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my shout-out to John James Marshall from Loyola College Prep – my high school media arts teacher. He is one of the main reasons I’m able to do filmmaking full-time today.

Back in high school, I had considered taking the media arts class, but I wasn’t actually planning on signing up for it. On the very last day of class sign-ups, Mr. Marshall stopped me and told me he had heard a lot about me and wanted me in his class. That moment genuinely changed the trajectory of my life.

He gave me the freedom to create, trusted me with responsibility, and allowed me to really grow my passion for video and filmmaking. A huge part of where I am today started in that classroom, and I’m incredibly grateful for the impact he had on me and my career.

Website: https://jadefilms.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadefilms.co/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jadefilms.co/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jade-films-haslet?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Rl5fXjUzKsp4dQQsvUYAw?si=Dc_TCBR2S2aXzLOU8Z99cA

https://vimeo.com/jadefilmsco

Image Credits
Morgan Ryan

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.