We had the good fortune of connecting with JP Bradham and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi JP, what inspires you?
I’m inspired by things that I see around me that I feel are non-optimum, things that I’ve had personal experience with and feel that it’s impacted me enough to want to talk about. Art at the end of the day is communication, whether thats through paintings, dance, music or film. I think that’s also what is so important about giving a diverse range of individuals platforms to tell their story, we all have our own way of seeing things and our own desire to communicate that. I hope that my work reflects the way I see the world around me and I hope that it inspires people to talk about the subject matter and maybe make a change as a result of that.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I would say that professionally I have been more involved in the Producing side of film. My background is in marketing, that’s how I got into commercial production. I had already had experience with lower level productions for brands and social media ads so when I moved to the LA area a friend of mine told me that there was a female director looking for someone to come on the team to help with commercial productions. I had a lot of interest already and was doing it to a degree but when I had my first real day on set I knew that this was it for me. Being now in the film world it reignited the passion that I had as a writer and I enrolled in the first Sundance Co//ab program for screenwriters. I loved that program and went on to complete three more programs with them over the course of two years. I continued to write and still write almost every day. It was actually towards the end of 2021 when I went to New York for a commercial shoot and spent some time with my first Sundance Advisor. We were talking about the challenges that we both had with everything going on during that time and I told her how I had felt like I wasn’t fulfilled creatively. That I was writing but it wasn’t what I felt I wanted to write. She said something that we probably have all heard a million times but for some reason this time it was different. She told me “well, write what you know”. I guess it had to be then and I guess it had to be there – because something about that sentence hit me differently and made me realize that what I was trying to do was trying to “be” someone. Rather than just being myself. It inspired me to write what has now become my first short narrative film which is now on the film festival circuit making it’s rounds. I think all of that is a roundabout story of telling you that I think what I struggled with as a creative was trying to be something I wasn’t and when I just accepted my own voice and was true to myself, it came easy.
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.
I actually had a friend visit me from Australia recently so that’s easy, we would go to Malibu on day 1 to my favorite beach El Matador. It’s a beautiful beach with these incredible rock formations (I’m a big nature person). We would probably go eat at Farmshop on the pier and then maybe head to Broadwater for oysters later on. Usually I try to avoid anything too touristy but some things you really do have to see if you come to LA, I love The Getty Museum but also The Broad is always fun to take friends. Valley Village area and Studio City is a great spot to walk around, grab a coffee at Alfred and eat at Joan’s on Third (but specifically the one in Studio City). I would take them to my favorite sushi spot in all of LA, Sushi Note and we would have to also go to Los Feliz for the food and Squaresville. I am huge on vintage so I would probably spend a whole day just doing that, Rag Trade is great, the Saturday Melrose Market is also really fun, especially in Summer.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I feel there are so many people that have supported and encouraged me in my life, my family who always are there to push me and I’ve had mentors along the way, Sophia Banks who has been a huge reason that I ended up where I am as well as my writing mentor Astrid Neal who has been a huge guiding light.
Website: www.consumedthefilm.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpbradham/
Other: IG Page for my film: https://www.instagram.com/consumedthefilm/