Meet Sean Crampton | Director / Writer / Producer / Actor

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

Hi Sean, why did you pursue a creative career?
It was the only thing I kept circling back to since the age of 5. Started from trauma perhaps but resulting in divinity. That type of sh*t.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In a lot of ways, I feel like a miracle. People didn’t often pursue the arts where we’re from (Alisa, Jeremiah, Adam, Vince and any other shout outs there). So, that gives me deep gratitude.

I came to LA to pursue acting. I was one of the people that people seem to be sick of hearing about. I wanted to do this since I was 5…holding for cringe. In reality though it was ever-present in my mind. It was the only career I that circled back to me. The others were fleeting (pro surfer, football player). I am sure it started in trauma. A “let’s see them ignore a movie star” from my subconscious as a child. My honest-to-god literal inspirations (and baby sitters) were JCVD and Jim Carrey. Made me smile to think that JCVD was my acting inspo when I was studying in theater school years later. Luckily and brutally, I learned early on that no one was just going to hand me a career so I took the opportunity to join a forming sketch team called Gibbon’s Tail where we made over 70+ shorts and 1 feature film entitled, “Richard Peter Johnson”…

My art started in trauma but has shifted into orchestrating. I feel recently that I am able to conduct rather than scratch for clarity and meaning. Especially with screen writing. I feel more flow than not there recently and am thankful for the ability to express myself clearly. I love different crafts for different reasons. Acting, for catharsis and play and on some level, to be rewarded for feelings I wasn’t allowed to display growing up. Writing, it’s a pure expression of me. Directing, having my hand in the creative vortex is the best; meaning I am able to communicate on every part of the job. Producing, satisfies my managerial or organizational mind. Nowadays, my goal as producer is to not micro-manage and that means hiring well. I want the artists I hire to have to extend themselves a little bit. The project is hopefully just out of reach. Better work that way.

I made lots of mistakes early on with people and business and the craft and was able to learn from them through therapy, men’s team and other avenues of honest reflection.

The filmmaking I am today is very different than the filmmaker I was in 2020 even.

For example, I now know that we spend wayyyyyy more time making these pictures than celebrating them. So, don’t we want the experience of making the film to be enriching or fun at the very least (given the constant that everyone there is there to make great art and kick ass).

My producing partner, Kyle Brady, and I do our best to cultivate artist-rich environments. Meaning collaboration and taking care of our people. I’ve done the 6 day weeks and 16 hour days for years and wondered…was it even effective aside for the bean counters? My answer came to be no. We feel that if you take care of your people, they will take care of you. That doesn’t mean there won’t be issues or friction but you’ll have a better base to work from.

This is just where I am with my process now. I used to be in a very different place mentally. Working hard for working hard’s sake instead of working smart. Again, took me a lot of mistakes and utter failures to be in a position where I have been living off of my art for the last 4 years and am booked through the Fall to direct/write/produce/act.

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.
West Hollywood is a great scene with bars and good vibes. Silverlake, Mt. Washington Area. NOHO. Santa Monica. It’s really pick your poison. I never got that about people visiting LA and “hating it”. It’s like, which part? Because to my eyes it’s all so different that most could find somewhere they like (if they could afford it). I also have found that people actually from LA are the best because they’ve seen it all and have less to prove.

Restaurants try, Rosaline on La Cienega, La Descarga Cigar Bar on Western, The Win Dow for burgers, Roadside Taco in Studio City is unreal and I am from south San Diego so I grew up with amazinggg Mexican cuisine (is it the best in the world? Maybe? Hard to be Victoria’s carne asada nachos but I digest, I mean, digress).

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?
Wow, so many people to thank. Playhouse West, Brian Lally, Jennifer York, Jordan Wiseley, AJ Cutler, Eddie Shin, Kevin Polay, David Grillo, Rick Patri, Alexa Silvaggio, James Oberhausen, Holly Gagnier, Tony Savant, Raphie Aronowitz, Jim Nieb, Eric Girod, Mark Pellegrino, Chris Liebe, Robert Carnegie, Gibbon’s Tail, Kenton Remmey, Anton Narinskiy, Jared Fix, Patrick Sexton, Trent Atherton, Brendan McCarthy, David Budin, Bart Rome, Julian Gavilanes, Mary Day and Dennice Dewart, Rawson Thurber, Alex Mace and Kyle Brady, my partner in Bloomfield Boys Productions and therapist, Suzanne Morris. My LOML, Lish Bliss, who has been the most supportive (and creative) partner. And lastly, my family. Sarah, Paul, Dawn, Kerri, and Mark!

Thank you for the exercise in gratitude! It was amazing to write these names. I am sure I missed a ton more!

Website: https://rebelfilmmakingcommunity.thinkific.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKn5_DEtifWR5K_PCfOmbsQ/videos

Image Credits
Lauren Lindley Jared Fix