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

Hi Jonathan, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
Any big decision or goal is going to be fraught with challenges and obstacles. That’s just a given. You’ll have good days and bad days but our goal is to string good days together. The more good days we string together, our wins outweigh our losses.

I don’t think anyone should give up on their goals, especially ones that you’ve thought about and know that it’s best for you. I think my superpower is my stubbornness to not give-up. There’s been so many times along my road that I could have given up but I’m just too stubborn to stop. It’s difficult when you venture from what is known to a journey filled with the unknown but I think it’s so important to lean into the uncomfortableness when you know your destination is where you’re meant to be. You won’t be able to solve everything in a day so it’s important to be patient with yourself and reward yourself along the way.

When I made The Last Deal, I knew I was going to be walking into hell because of the low budget and so much of its success or failure was going to be on my shoulders. Once I made peace with the challenges in store, I just focused on accomplishing all the little and big things that I needed to do as well as surrounding myself with a talented team to not only elevate the project but support. Things can feel very overwhelming at times but you have opportunities to take your mind off of those challenges by various means. When I’m making a movie, it’s all I think about 24/7 but every now and then I have to take a walk and look up at the palm trees with the blue sky in the background. Just being here in Los Angeles and doing what I love can be rewarding in its own right.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?What kept me busy the last few years was I wrote, directed and produced a feature crime thriller titled “The Last Deal” that screened in theaters nationwide, was written up as one of the top action films in The New York Times and is currently on Starz. 

Anything you do in life will start first with yourself making that decision to go after something.  Mine came about because I wasn’t getting an opportunity to direct a feature film so I had to do it myself.  I started writing the script in October 2019 and was on-set shooting it in August 2020. It was a whirlwind of events that tied those two dates together including 12-19 hour days every day for close to two years in order to make all the pieces come together.  I worked on the film every waking moment I had till its release earlier this year and the following months while we marketed it.  That’s almost three years which is wild.

The shoot was extremely challenging because we shot with no permits, had very little money and had to move to multiple locations each day. But fortunately I had a talented and passionate group of people that made up the cast, crew and investors that made it all happen and were incredibly supportive of how we were going to make the film and the challenges involved.  Everyone knew the game plan and blueprint prior and we had fun with it. We shot for 27 days and I had gut punches along the way with locations dropping out, almost having the whole cast and crew stranded in the middle of the desert, thoughts that I’m going to fail but it all worked out. It’s so important to adapt and lean into whatever challenges come your way. We had three distinct moments where I thought the film was going to fail because of forces working against us but something better happened down the road to completely redeem those moments and create something better than I envisioned. It was truly a blessing at times.

I think when people watch my movie, they’ll feel the energy and passion behind it as well as the world the main character is in. It was a lot of work but looking back, there’s very few things I would have changed.

Currently, I’m marketing “The Last Deal” and getting ready to pitch my next script once the writer’s strike is over.  I’m always developing other story ideas and looking for new projects.  The entertainment industry is very feast or famine so it’s important for me to be diversified by developing projects that I can direct or produce when one project is over or if a project gets delayed.  I look at it like a farm system in professional sports.  If you focus too much on your current team, you aren’t preparing for the future.  It’s also important for me to nurture my relationships and cultivate new relationships.  Success doesn’t come alone but failure many times does.  A little networking is never a bad idea.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have a few favorite spots. Dinner at sunset with drinks later on the balcony at Moonshadows in Malibu is always a delight. I love the waves crashing under the restaurant and they sometimes have a DJ on the deck. For a good old classic Hollywood feel there’s the Smokehouse in Burbank or Musso and Frank’s. They feed you right, have good pours and the service and ambience is amazing at both. You never leave hungry! I recommend topping off your meal with chocolate cake and warmed Frangelicos.

For some late night spots, the Rainbow Room on Sunset is fun to take people visiting the city. Total rock n roll environment in a several different rooms. The rooftop of the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills has amazing views of the city, the hotel lobby at the Roosevelt in Hollywood is a nice starting place, and downtown LA has some nice rooftop bars.

But for the ultimate Los Angeles experience for someone visiting, nothing quite beats a beach day or hike during the day and then at night going to a Lakers game and sitting as close as you can. It’s the only sporting venue I’ve gone to where I spend more team looking at who’s walking around me rather than the game.

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?
I want to give a shout-out to my parents, sisters, wife and all my family and friends that have supported my journey. Positive encouragement as well as cold-hard-facts go a long way and I’ve been very fortunate to have such a strong supportive base around me. Yes, there are people that will look at you differently but that’s not on me and those people are very far and few between. It takes a village and good people around you to make anything happen. Plus it makes it more fun to share your celebrations with this core group or to share your losses as well so you can grow from them. You can find support on either side of the spectrum.

Website: www.JonathanSalemi.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan.salemi/

Other: www.TheLastDealMovie.com

Image Credits
L.A.N.E. 38

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