George A Johnson Director Talks About His Filmmaking for Pursuit of Freedom

George A Johnson began both writing & directing when he was about 3 years old. “I just didn’t realize I was directing. I set up action figures in my house and created little action/adventure stories as they would seek out a treasure or a captured friend and encounter all sorts of pitfalls along the way,” says George. “When I got a little older, friends would come over to my house & watch me act out these little stories. I would ask them to play with me, but they preferred to watch the stories instead. When I was around 7 years old, I purchased an 8mm film camera at a garage sale,” says George. 

George couldn’t afford the film, but he would wind it up and listen to it buzz as he “shot” movies with his friends. “I bought my first VHS-C camcorder with paper route money at 11 or 12, and that was it”. George continues, “I was writing, directing, shooting, and editing films almost nonstop. I knew from a very early age that this was something I was going to do. In the years since, I have worked at multiple production companies and TV studios, and have written, directed, and produced five feature films”.

Watch The Trailer for Pursuit of Freedom by George A. Johnson

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indieactivity: How do you choose a project to direct?
George A Johnson (GAJ): In order for me to be interested, the story has to mean something.  It needs to be moving in some way.  I love powerful stories that keep you thinking about them for days after you’ve seen them.

Why filmmaking and screenwriting? Why did you get into it?
George A Johnson (GAJ): As mentioned earlier, I just naturally began doing it at a very early age. It was like learning to walk (and not too long after that process). I wrote my first short film script at age 7, and my first feature length script at 15. Yet, I don’t think I ever did get into it. I think it was in me from the beginning.

How can a filmmaker, if she so chooses, distribute her film? How do you get it in front of an audience?
George A Johnson (GAJ): That’s a great question. When I was making films in high school in the 90’s, there was no such thing as social media (I know, right? Hard to imagine). The only way you could share your movies was to pass around a VHS tape at school. Fortunately, things have changed greatly since that time. People are shooting films on cell phones & getting into major film festivals now. 

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I think most filmmakers want to work with traditional distribution, but self-distribution has become a viable option for many people these days. You can put your film on Vimeo and sell it there yourself. But if you want to find a traditional distributor, you’ll need to put yourself out there.  Network, network, network. Attend festivals and conferences. And also, network, network, network.

Is there anything about the making of independent film business you still struggle with?
George A Johnson (GAJ): Well, it certainly isn’t funding because once you decide you want to make a movie, investors come out of the woodwork with blank checks, begging to finance you. Oh wait – that isn’t even a little bit true. I’d say the biggest hurdle for most filmmakers is the financing. 

If you are just starting out, I would recommend creating a film with an incredible story that can be shot on a reasonably low budget. Maybe something you can even finance yourself. It may not look like a Hollywood blockbuster, but it’s something, and it beats waiting around & doing nothing while waiting for financing.  Maybe just do a short film or two, just to get some experience.

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Talk to us about your concept of collaboration?
George A Johnson (GAJ): My concept on collaboration has infinitely changed since my early days.  On my first film, DREAMER: THE MOVIE, I only let a few people read the whole script. It was an intentionally out-of-the-box movie, and I didn’t want any input that might motivate me to make it more mainstream. I wanted to do something completely unique. But over the years, I’ve found the beauty in fresh perspectives, and I always seek out qualified collaborators on projects now. I’ve learned that I’m not perfect, and I appreciate sound input.

When you are offered a project, what things do you put in place to deliver a good job?
George A Johnson (GAJ): Script, cast, and crew. The script has to be right.  It has to be unique and engaging and powerful in some way. If it’s not, I will rewrite it until it is. My audience has developed lofty expectations of my films, which adds a lot of pressure, but I enjoy it that way. It forces me to never take shortcuts. Every film must be better than the last. Next would be cast. 

Historically, I’ve always done my own casting, and I’ll probably continue that way, at least as much as I am able. I have an eye for talent, and a strong sense of who might be right for which roles. I often joke that if I wasn’t directing, I’d probably be a casting director. And then the crew. There are so many talented people out there, but not everyone is right for every project. I hand-pick my crew for each project based on their specialties, and what they can bring to contribute to each particular story.

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How do you find the process of filmmaking as an indie filmmaker?
George A Johnson (GAJ): It’s all I’ve ever known. I have a drawer full of rejection letters from most of the major studios. When I was a teenager, living in Michigan (before shooting movies in Michigan was a thing), I wrote letters and made calls to every studio I could. Mostly, I never heard anything back. The kind ones took the time to write rejection letters. I decided at an early age that if I was going to wait until my career was “saved” by a major studio, I may never make a single movie, so I began making them on my own.

It’s an interesting process. You often need to know how to do several jobs because the budgets are just too low to hire a big crew. I have directed scenes before, and then washed plates and cleaned up after cast/crew meals, and then gone right back to directing. My wife Kary typically does a wide range of jobs as well, from producing and assistant directing to makeup, hair, and location scouting. You learn to wear a lot of hats in the indie world.

Why would you choose an actor, writer or producer? What do you look for?
George A Johnson (GAJ): Typically, I’m the writer and producer so I have done a lot of picking in those areas, but when it comes to actors, I generally can just sense when someone is right for bringing one of my characters to life. I can see the character in them almost immediately. I kid you not, I have approached strangers on the street more than once & asked if they were an actor because I could see a character in them. (And they almost always are actors or have interest in it).

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At what period in the filmmaking process, do you need to start planning for distribution?
George A Johnson (GAJ): At the idea phase! All kidding aside, I’ve found that it really is best to plan for distribution as early as possible. If you’re able to attach your film with a distributor, that’s amazing. They’ll be able to contribute all sorts of assistance to you throughout the production. But even if you don’t have a distributor locked down, always try to make decisions as if you do. It forces you to raise your own expectations of yourself, and to remember that, while telling stories is an amazing experience, this is also a business, and distributors are looking for projects that they can make money on. Be creative, be unique, but also keep in mind that if you are too far out of the box, you begin to scare away distributors. I’ve learned this first-hand.

Indie filmmaking is a model of zero or small budget. How do you get a film to the audience with such a budget?
George A Johnson (GAJ): Social media. Make a really slick poster and trailer and share them as far and wide as you can. And ask your friends to share them as well. No matter how good your movie is, nobody is going to see it unless they’ve heard about it. There are so many cheap/free ways to promote a film on social media. Just get out there and grind to build an audience, and then make sure you give them something worth watching so they come back again for the next one.

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How do you think filmmakers can finance their projects?
George A Johnson (GAJ): Well, there are legends of funders writing big checks & distributors pre-selling your movie and funding it that way…but not in my experience. My first film took 4 years to produce. We all kept our full time jobs and shot on evenings and weekends. I did all of the editing overnight & on the weekends. On my second film, I sold a ton of stuff on eBay & sold off my retirement stocks to fund it. 

On THY NEIGHBOR, we sold our house & lived in a tiny apartment for a couple years so that we could put the money toward the production. Thankfully, I’m finally to a place where I’m able to meet with funders and raise larger budgets. But I didn’t start out that way. Be prepared to work hard and long on that first movie or two. It’s a career that is built on sacrifices.

Describe your most recent work, or film, take us through pre, production and post production?
GAJ: My new film PURSUIT OF FREEDOM will be released in theaters & VOD on September 16^th. It’s already available for pre-order on iTunes. It’s the true story of a Ukrainian woman who was separated from her three children and sold into trafficking by Russian gangsters. Defying all odds, she survived to be reunited with her children. With it being a true story, we flew to Armenia & shot interviews with the people related to the story. 

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Lonnie Norris, our executive producer, knew many of these people personally, and he was very familiar with the story. We spent a long time on the script, making sure that it was very accurate. We had a very large & incredibly talented cast, including Jessica Koloian, Stelio Savante, Robia Scott, Sharonne Lanier, Brayden Eaton, Tenley Kellogg, Elias Kemuel, Robert Amaya, Mark Lowry, and many more

What is your experience working on the story, the screenplay, the production, premiere and the marketing?
GAJ: On this particular film? It’s been an incredible experience. I did a lot of collaborating with Lonnie Norris on the story, and we had a great time bringing this powerful story to life. Production was great.  We certainly hit some brick walls. It was originally supposed to be filmed in Armenia, but then the pandemic hit, and shut down all chances of flying a crew overseas. And then it also delayed production for about a year. But that ended up being a blessing because it gave me more time to work on the script, and it gave the actors ample time to work with our dialect coaches via Zoom.

How did you put the crew and cast together? Did you start writing with a known cast?
GAJ: With this film, I worked very hard to start with a clean slate and open mind. There was only one character who was written with an actor in mind (Robert Amaya), and thankfully, we were blessed to have him play the role. But for all of the other characters, I pushed potential talent out of my mind and focused on simply creating strong, meaningful characters. And then I began the search for the right talents to portray them

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What and how long did it take to complete the script?
GAJ: I wrote the script, but I collaborated with Lonnie Norris throughout the process because he was very familiar with the story & the people involved, and he added a lot of valuable insights to the story. And then when it was completed, we hired a reader, who offered invaluable suggestions as well. I think it took a little over a year to get the script just right.

Did the tight shooting schedule make it harder or easier? How did it affect performances?
GAJ: Fortunately, in this particular story, most of the characters are tired, dirty, and worn down so the tight shooting schedule may have actually helped with their performances. All kidding aside, we had an incredibly professional, experienced, and gracious team on both sides of the camera so overall, it went fairly smoothly.

How much did you go over budget? If you did, how did you manage it?
GAJ: As hard as we tried to stay on budget, we did end up going over. And quite a bit over. Partially, this is because our executive producers had big hearts, and went out of their way to make sure that the cast and crew were taken care of very well with their living and transportation arrangements. And then post-production became expensive quickly as well.

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When did you form your production company – and what was the original motivation for its formation?
GAJ: Homesick Media was formed in 2015 with the motto “Movies That Move Us.” The goal from the beginning was to tell powerful, impactful, and meaningful stories that, hopefully, will have a positive impact on those who watch them.

What other films have you written and made?
GAJ: My first movie was called DREAMER: The Movie. It’s an ultra-low budget feature that I shot on a Canon GL1 video camera back in 2002. If you’re into trippy stories that make you think, you might enjoy this one. My second movie, HOMELESS FOR THE HOLIDAYS, is a Hallmark-style Christmas film. THY NEIGHBOR is an edgy thriller, and PURSUIT OF FREEDOM releases on September 16^th.

What do you hope audiences will get from the presentation of your film?
GAJ: I hope that they will walk away inspired, realizing that no matter how bad their situation may get, modern day miracles still happen today.

What are your future goals?
GAJ: Bigger and better movies. I’m in talks on several films, and I expect to begin production on my next one in the spring.

Tell us about what you think indie filmmaker need in today’s world of filmmaking?
GAJ: A phone, a few friends, and lots of creativity. You don’t need permission from anyone to make your movie anymore. There’s a good chance that you have a phone in your pocket right now & a couple of people who would be willing to have some fun shooting a short film with you on the weekends. But a few pizzas and watch them sign up. There are very inexpensive editing solutions out there. So really, if you aren’t making your movie, the question is “why not”? You’ve got to start somewhere so take that first step.

What else have you got in the works?
GAJ: I’m developing a family-friendly Christmas movie right now, which will likely be filmed in the spring.  I’m also working on several other projects with a variety of genres. I don’t stick to just one genre. My “genre” is great stories.

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