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

Hi Jace, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
Success is something that is determined by what you define it to be. I think in our generation there is a lot of talk about what success is and society tries to show you what success “should look like”, but not necessarily what is best for you. To some, it’s living the high life and becoming the greatest in your craft, but to others it’s having a 9 to 5 so that you can come home and enjoy being with your family, both are admirable and sucessfull.

No matter what I am doing, and especially in my career, I ask myself; “Is this what I want and at the end how will I know it’s a success?” Most of the time when it comes to filmmaking, If I walk away building relationships with people and learning something new about my craft, then to me that was a success.

A quote that I love is “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am most proud of my little niece and nephew. Though they have only been around recently, I am so proud of everything they do as I watch them grow.

When it comes to film, I am only where I am today because of people that have helped me along the way. I could say that it was because of a film I did or because of some award that was given, but those things really only came because of the support of those around me who worked so hard. If there is any piece of advice I could give to a young filmmaker, it would be become friends with everyone and create real relationships with people, not just working ones to get something out of them.

The road to becoming a successful filmmaker isn’t an easy path, and adding running a company on top of it definitely doesn’t make it easier. The only reason I have been able to over come the challenges along the way is because of the people God as placed in my life.

The biggest lesson I have learned along the way, is that your work does not define who you are, it is only a part of what you do. Knowing that has given me piece when it comes to my work. It takes the pressure off of you, and allows you not to worry about rather or not your next film will be a big hit.

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.
First things first, we are going to Disneyland, take a walk through down town Disney first and enjoy the food and shops, then head into the park. Next we would head to Huntington Beach where we would play a quick game of spike ball and some volleyball. From there we would head over toward the Anaheim center to watch a few games of overwatch, then head over to Buena Park. After that I would take them to some of the more hiking spots like Joshua Tree and Soggy dry lake and maybe finish off with some views all the way in Big Bear, if we have the time. 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?
The success I have had so far is only thanks to the love and support of my friends and family around me. First, I have to shout out my parents Kent and Donna Hardwick. They have always been my biggest support system in everything that I do, and I feel so blessed to have them in my life. They always did such a great job at lifting up my creativity and cultivating it, so that I could go on to make the films that I am today.

I also need to shout out my best friend Oliver Smith, my co-director, for always being by my side as we created the company. It was me and his partnership that grew Action Studios into what it is today.

Lastly, I need to shout out my team, its because of their hard work and drive that has brought us to where we are now in terms of the company.

Website: https://www.actionstudios.tv

Instagram: Actionstudiostv

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx3-J4ZdFvB54kO5tFSSfPw

Image Credits
Connor Griffin – DP Dylan BradShaw – DP Chetco Timmis – DP

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