Meet Jason Merrin | Film Director

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

Hi Jason, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I didn’t really mean to start my own business. I had internships in college that I really loved, that were in the entertainment industry but not in the field I wanted to be in. I worked for a music company one summer, and at a major video game company the next. Both were great jobs with fantastic people, but I wanted to make movies, to be in the film industry – so after I graduated, I went and made a movie with my friends. That led to a job directing music videos, which led to more music videos, and then commercials, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. When I was just starting out I applied for lots of entry level jobs in film and TV. First I was told I was under-qualified, then – after directing a few music videos and commercials – I was told I was over-qualified. So the traditional route never really happened for me – but I’m extremely lucky that, whatever I did, I got to a place where I make movies full time, on my own terms.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I grew up on Kids WB, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network – Dexter’s Lab, Rugrats, Animaniacs, and a bunch of other cartoons that were smart and funny and heartbreaking when you least expected it.

I don’t work exclusively in animation, but it’s the medium I most often gravitate to, because it really unshackles your creativity and allows you to dream freely, unbound from reality. I like stories that get weird, that go big, that surprise and evoke a big laugh or punch you in the gut. My favorite films use humor to catch you off balance – when you’re laughing you let down your guard, and that can be the best time to deliver a big emotional moment or an important lesson. I believe in telling stories that are truthful on a sort of abstract emotional level, and I think animation in particular can be a great tool for that.

In terms of my more recent projects, I’m really proud of the animated music video for My Play that I directed for the band AJR, which tells the story of a child trying to escape from his parents’ divorce by escaping into his own imagination. I’m very grateful that the band trusted me with such a personal song, and I’m really proud of how we took advantage of the medium to take a metaphor and make it real.

On the other side of the spectrum, I’m really proud of Action Dinosaur, an animated pilot I wrote and directed and realized with the help of a bunch of super talented people (my wife Rachel included). That was just an opportunity to just play, to create the kind of weird silliness I loved when I was watching cartoons as a kid. With any luck, I’m hoping we get to make a bunch more!

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?
Theme parks! Theme parks theme parks theme parks.

I love theme parks for the same reason I love movies – it offers an escape from the real world into an entirely different reality. When you’re a kid, playing make believe and imagining you’re in a different world comes naturally. As an adult, it’s nice to have a little help – and I feel very lucky to live in a place with some of the most spectacular themed experiences in the world. I love Disneyland, of course, and I highly recommend it – but I’m a Universal Studios annual passholder. It’s close enough that I can often drop in for just an hour or two. The Universal Studio Tour, Jurassic World (the Ride) and WaterWorld (the stunt show) are three of my must-dos.

That said, a trip to LA for me would also usually involve sushi (Sugarfish or Kura Revolving Sushi Bar), a nice waterfall hike (Switzer Falls or Runyon Canyon), maybe a bike ride along the beach, and a trip to Round 1 in Burbank. And if there’s still time left to kill, my wife and I actually keep a handy powerpoint of fun LA things for visitors to do.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The most important thank you I can give is to my wife and partner in everything Rachel Liu. In addition to being my support and my best friend, she’s the most incredible creative partner anyone could ever ask for. She’s the brilliant producer who – with no experience – got my first feature made and launched my career, and we’ve since worked together on everything from music videos to animated shorts to feature films. She’s not just a producing genius but a brilliant creative mind, and she elevates every project we work on – and makes working a joy and an adventure.

I also need to shout out the Cardboard Crew – my roommates Michael Kraus (brilliant writer, especially when it comes to dark comedy) and Ivan Moutinho (brilliant editor and action director), former roommate Sam Pasternack (brilliant writer, especially when it comes to musicals, comedies, and puppets), and honorary members Jay Choi (aka Jayperior, brilliant writer of the graphic novel Bounty Light) and Octavia Bray (brilliant writer of television and the podcast Life with LEO(h)). The original Cardboard Crew moved out to LA together with no jobs and not a lot of prospects, and we made fun movies together and helped each other forward – and we all continue to support each other and work together when we can. I wouldn’t be here without them!

Last shout out of course to my family for supporting me and encouraging me every step of the way – especially to my parents, who taught me that life is best spent two ways – doing the things you love with the people you love, and – more importantly – helping others. I’ll forever be grateful for those lessons.

Website: www.jason-merrin.com

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