Meet Jared Skolnick | Filmmaker

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

Hi Jared, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risks are unavoidable in life. We take them deliberately or passively, whether we’re aware of it or not. That’s something I try to remind myself of when the risks seems daunting, and it makes me more comfortable in taking the larger leaps. Choosing a career in filmmaking, choosing to develop my own voice, moving to Los Angeles, all of these major decisions felt precarious at the time, but in retrospect choosing not to would have been equally so. If I’m going to make a mistake, I’d rather do it in the pursuit of realizing my best self.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I adore all genres and hope to make a film in each someday, but my primary focus has been in the realm of horror. In addition to being the most fun to make, it’s the genre that I’ve always found the most inspiration in for pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. I’ve been very fortunate in that my work has been well-received. I make films that try to get an audible reaction from audiences, admittedly I take a bit of mischievous pride when they react in a more visceral way. Nothing makes me prouder than hearing a hushed gasp from a crowd during a moment of quiet suspense.
I’ve learned to be extremely prepared for even the smallest production, if only because it will make me open to collaboration. Having a vision is important and necessary, but it’s not something you should impose upon others in a way that closes you off from the unexpected.
The most important advice I could give to any filmmaker is to commit to developing their voice. There will always be pressures, both external and internal, to mold oneself into something more familiar, but it never works out in the long run. There are some projects I may not be suited for, but I want to reach a point where no one can make a Skolnick film but me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ve only been in town for two years, so there’s still a lot I need to discover too. My first two days would be spent with the classics like Porto’s, Canter’s and of course chocolate shakes at Big Boy’s in honor of David Lynch. As a cinephile I’d be ashamed not to take my guest to places such as the New Beverly or the Aero Theater, possibly even a studio tour. After that, it would be pure improvisation. Start driving in one direction and see what we find along the way. I’ve done that a few times already and I’ve never been disappointed. That’s been the biggest joy in living here, there’s truly something unexpected around every corner.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Filmmaking is about collaboration, and I wouldn’t have made any progress in the industry without the support and creative partnership of the people around me. Special credit needs to be given to Jacob Davison, not only as a writing partner but as a friend who has introduced me to so much of the film community in LA. Equally so is the fantastic writer Matheus Macedo, with whom I’m collaborating on for a microbudget feature, as well as Adjovi Koene, who I’ve been fortunate to direct in an upcoming short she wrote and starred it.
Many of the people I work with constantly I’ve met through the horror co-op Just Scare Me, through which I’ve directed many short films and contributed my services to scores of others.

Website: https://www.skolnickfilms.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jared_skolnick/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredmskolnick

Twitter: https://x.com/jaredskolnick

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkOr5gk9ArSG0A-E_Im4aRw

Other: BlueSky
https://bsky.app/profile/jaredskolnick.bsky.social

IMDB
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3487720/?ref_=tt_ov_dr_1

Image Credits
Cori Kim https://mxjae.mov/