Meet Jesse Charles | Film Director & Screenwriter

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

Hi Jesse, how does your business help the community or the world?
This is the scariest question to be asked as an artist, because you run the risk of sounding pretentious or, even worse, you realize your art is actually meaningless. We’re talking about “making movies” here. How could that possibly have a strong social impact compared to most other ventures and occupations? I think about that a lot. Especially in my industry, where the box office is the established measure of success. Am I just making mindless entertainment that makes money? My intuition tells me no. Without disregarding the fact that my films need to find financial success for me to be allowed to keep doing what I love, the most important thing to me is the human connection. I may never receive a tangible concrete result, but I believe good storytelling has the power to build empathy, encourage dialogue, challenge ideas, and provoke action, and someday I’ll be able to confidently say “Yes, my art has served the world in a positive way” but until then, I’ll keep doing what I do best and reminding myself why I do it.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Growing up in a small town in Michigan, pursuing a career in art or film was not a realistic occupation. To put it this way, “Filmmaking” didn’t have a booth at the Highschool Career Fair. Straight out of school, I began a career in fitness, and although I enjoyed working with people, I realized that I was missing a huge part of myself without creativity. Around that same time, I was introduced to filmmaking by a close friend, Kyle Misak, also a film director, and as young adults we began making films together. I felt like a kid again making mini movies on my parent’s camcorder. It lit a fire in me and eventually went from just a hobby to soon asking myself if I dared leave my current career behind to pursue this passion. Making that decision, and moving to Los Angeles, wasn’t easy and there were many years of grinding, not making money, and being beaten down by this machine of an industry. In that time, I did a lot of odd jobs, handyman work, and even background acting, while I wrote my own scripts and made my own short films out of pocket. Eventually, it paid off. I’m not complaining, and I wouldn’t even describe it as a struggle because I had already experienced a comfortable career without art, and I knew that was something I would never be happy going back to.

The films that I have done that I’m most proud of may not be the best objectively, but they are the ones that are the most unique, and different, and weird. It excites me to create something that I’ve never seen before or seen done in a certain way. I strive to tell stories that explore ideas that may sometimes be uncomfortable and challenging, but at the end of the day, hopefully encourage dialogue, understanding, and empathy between people. The name of my company, Backseat Cinema, comes from the idea of taking a backseat in somebody else’s car and experiencing their journey for all the ups and downs it might entail.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Anyone that knows me, knows I don’t go out much. When I go out, I’m usually going out into nature, and that’s exactly what I’d do with anyone that came to visit. There is so much beauty not far from the city. The Santa Monica Mountains and Angeles Forest are amazing national parks for hiking, camping, and rock climbing.

If we are staying in the city, I’d highly discourage any tourist attractions, and maybe all of Hollywood in general. I’ve been in the San Fernando Valley all my seven years living here and I love it. For places to eat, I’d recommend a little Thai restaurant on the corner of Coldwater and Vanowen called Sri Siam Cafe. If you love Mexican food, you’d be making a huge mistake to not eat at Salsa & Beer on Sherman Way. At night, for drinks, it’s Tonga Hut on Victory. They have seating outside now but the real experience is inside. The atmosphere is super cool. I’ve spent many hours there alone brainstorming story ideas during their Happy Hour. Brews Brothers on Lankershim is another great drink spot. That brings me to my final favorite spot, Lake Balboa Park. Another place I often frequent for writing sessions. This park is a Valley gem. Beautiful and well maintained. Keep in mind, visiting on the weekends, you might find yourself in the middle of 50 different kids birthday parties happening simultaneously. Although, unless you’re looking for a quiet place to write, it can be pretty fun surrounded by all the laughter and energy.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Easy. My family deserve all the credit. I was one of those extremely fortunate kids to have loving parents who massively encouraged art and creativity. My grandparents would give each of their grandkids $50 for their birthdays to be spent on Music or Art. It’s one of those things you take for granted as a kid, but looking back I realize more and more how damn lucky I was and how important love and support can be to an aspiring artist. I always tell people if you appreciate someone’s art, whether they’re a painter, musician, photographer etc, be sure to tell them. That little bit of encouragement might be what they need to keep going.

Website: www.backseatcinema.com

Instagram: instagram.com/jessecharles_

Other: vimeo.com/jessecharles