What is Community-Based Filmmaking?

Independent, community-based filmmaking is a challenging yet rewarding endeavor that requires creativity, determination, and the power of collaboration. J. Scott Howes considers himself a community filmmaker, which means that he makes films in cooperation with primarily local, often non-professional fellow artists and actors, drawn largely from his immediate family, friends, and local arts communities. He has navigated this difficult, intricate landscape with passion and resilience. In this blog post, we will explore his journey, the lessons he's learned, and his latest project, the feature film Corona Boys, starring his 11-year-old son Leo and his best friend Ja'Sir, produced largely by their family and neighbors.

The Beginning of a Passion

J. Scott Howes’ journey into filmmaking began in college. Growing up, he always wanted to be an author of novels, but during theater and film courses in college, he began to see how narrative motion pictures combined story, character, image, and, crucially, music, to convey a different and equally powerful sense of immersion in another reality and experience. This passion led him to add a concentation in film studies to his English major and make his first short films as a member of the Stanford Film Society.

Early Influences

Several filmmakers inspired J. Scott during his college years. Directors like Wong Kar-Wai, David Lynch, and Terrence Malick astounded him with their impressionistic, lyrical approaches to creating mood, tone, and environment through their use of the raw elements of color, composition, movement, and sound. He later found similar inspiration in works by directors like Barry Jenkins, Bong Joon Ho, and Célinne Sciamma. He also fell in love early with the power of music in film and the incredible living artistry that great actors--critical to all his favorite films--bring to the screen. These influences motivated him to experiment with different styles and genres in his short films, which he made with fellow amateur college studetns, particularly the (very slightly) older, (very much) wiser filmmaker Liam Brady, who became an early mentor.

MORE TO COME IN THIS POST ...