We had the good fortune of connecting with Jon Bangle & Andrew Pack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jon & Andrew, do you have a favorite quote or affirmation?
“If you feel safe in the area you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.”

Not feeling comfortable is where the fun is…that’s where we find what we are looking for. The morning of first shoot we did I was full of doubt, nervous as can be: “Was this a good idea? Let’s say we actually film all this, then what? What if nobody cares?” All thoughts that were fear-based and out of our control. Then I ran into this quote. It was wildly centering. Our goal is to create something of note and innovative. Something people would hear about and say “That’s a freaking awesome idea!” And that wasn’t going to happen just sitting around. In our experience, LA is comprised of two types of people: talkers and doers. Be a doer. Learn as much as you can. Follow your passion…and surround yourself with kick-ass people.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Messhall Film Festival is a series of 8 shorts made in collaboration with the employees that work at Messhall (a restaurant in Los Feliz) and the regular patrons that are entertainment industry professionals. Each short has to be shot at the restaurant. Each short gets one night to shoot (all shoots are overnights). We screen them all together at the restaurant in November…yes, the public is invited so come on down!

I moved to Los Angeles from Wisconsin to become an actor. Andrew did the same from Michigan. I discovered very quickly that the profession is a LOT of work, a lot of which is not actually acting. Getting work depends greatly on situations that are out of your control and someone else giving you the “yes.”

Stop waiting around for someone else to give you permission. Give yourself the “yes.” That being said, don’t be bitter that you weren’t invited into the group. But be passionate about your own version of it. And if you’re going to take the time and energy to do it, do it right. Study your ass off. See what works for others and (equally as important) what doesn’t work. Then ask why.

All this being said, we believe that MHFF works and is successful because the passion that is behind it. Does it make money? No, That’s actually one of our stipulations of the festival. It’s about the process and the work. It’s our way to get work with our peers and heroes. Can we use what we learn here to start making our own films outside of the festival and create our own production company? Time will tell…

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As we work at Messhall, that seems like an obvious choice. The food is modern-American BBQ with options for vegetarians and vegans. Treat yourself with a drink from our craft cocktail bar then head up to the Greek Theatre for a show.

The comedy scene in LA is truly unique and offers a chance to see comics that you love from TV live. Whether its at the Comedy store, Don’t Tell Comedy, a live taping of How Did This Get Made or a live taping of a sitcom.

Oh yeah…don’t forget about Middle Aged Dad Jam Band.

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?
(There wasn’t a spot to fill out the name of my producing partner so I’m just going to add it in here: Andrew Pack: Producer, Director & Actor. We are equals in the Messhall Film Festival adventure)

We love this question as it’s our community that makes Messhall Film Festival what it is and our shoutout is to them.

Andrew and I both work at the restaurant Messhall. When we went to the owner, Anthony Ko, with this idea, he had a couple of questions but rather quickly (probably too quickly) agreed for us to move forward with the project. No other restaurant owner would ever say yes to this.

Our regulars are the best ever and we are blown away by the support they have given us. Creatives whose work we have admired for years have jumped on board as writers, actors, directors and cinematographers. When we see them in the restaurant, they ask about how all the other shoots are going. We are still trying to find a way to show our gratitude…but maybe a Shoutout here is a start. Thank you Messhall regulars!!! No other restaurant has regulars that would every say yes to this.

Andrew and I would also like to thank our friends and family for all their support in this enterprise. And I (Jon) would personally like to thank Emilie Kress (my lady friend). Without her encouragement, I would still be dreaming of these days instead of living them.

Instagram: @messhallfilmfestival

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA 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.