We had the good fortune of connecting with Jada George and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jada, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I am a firm believer in taking risks. I think that when you don’t take risks, you are automatically limiting not only yourself but also your experience. There is so much that the world has to offer and you will never know what works and what doesn’t if you are afraid to take risks. For me, one of the biggest risks that I took was when I decided to move to LA. I had just graduated from college and I knew that I needed to keep the momentum going. I made the decision to pack up and move across the country and thankfully, I have a family that fully supported my decision. While there were a few people questioning whether or not it was the right decision, I knew it was something that I had to do. I didn’t have anything lined up for my move, no job and no apartment, but I knew that LA was the place I needed to be as a director. When I got to LA, that’s when I knew that it was the right decision. Just from the opportunity alone, I began seeing things that I have dreamt about and I found myself in rooms with people I’ve dreamt of meeting. Event after event, I grew my LA network and not even a year in, I landed one of my dream jobs. I know that without moving, none of this would’ve been possible so I live by taking risks. You never know what will come out of it and if things “fail”, just pivot.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The last time I spoke with you all, I was very new to LA and photography was at the top of my priority list. This time around, I want to shed light on something that is fairly new…animation. During quarantine I have been learning the basic skills of animation and I am having the time of my life!! I never knew how much fun it would be and to be able to come up with concepts and execute them on my own, with just an iPad and pencil, has been such an epic journey. The idea came to me one night when I was on the phone with my family members, and by the end of the call, we had put together our own art collective called “My Kin”. We started off with simple artwork and as time progressed, worked our way to movement, now having a few 1 minute clips in our portfolio. I can honestly say that this has become one of my proudest moments, not only because I am doing something that I didn’t know I could do, but also knowing that I am doing it with my siblings! It has been such a joy and I am very excited to see where we will be 1 month,or, or even a few weeks down the line. You can check out all of our work on instagram @Myk.in, we would love to have you join us on our journey. Animation has become one of my favorite things to do in my free time, but I am still focusing on directing. I landed an amazing opportunity as a Directors Assistant to Pete Chatmon and I am so thankful to be in this position. Pete is a director, best known for his work on “Grown-ish”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Insecure” and “Black-ish”, all shows that I love to watch. I connected with Pete around February of 2020, and nurturing my relationship with him is how I was able to get my position. One thing that he always teaches me is the importance of nurturing relationships with people. He always says, “It’s not only about what you can do, but also about how well you work with people, and if they enjoy having you around.” This is a lesson that I am happy to have learned early on in my journey because it only confirms why it is important to treat every person like the human being that they are. I have been able to meet people that I’ve dreamt about meeting and see the behind the scenes when it comes to tv production. I don’t want to say that it was easy getting to where I am, because that isn’t the case. However, I will say that once you begin to talk to people in a way that shows that you are more interested than interesting, you will receive a lot more opportunities. It’s all about approach, and as a creative in the entertainment industry, you have to learn how to put your wants on the back burning and first build real relationships with people. This is a journey that has just begun, and every day I learn new skills and develop new ways of thinking. I know that this exact moment is going to be so beneficial to me in the long run, and that is why I dedicated this stay at home time to learning as much as I can, listening to my mentors and applying the new skills learned to the things that I am doing. Practicing and experimenting with all forms of art is what I think will set me apart from others.. I want to be so well rounded by the end of this, to the point where I can execute any project whether it be live action or animation. Each are worlds that hold different tactics when it comes to storytelling, and it will only allow for me to be a better visionary!
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am big on all things film and lucky for me, so are my friends. I would dedicate this trip to visiting as many studios as we can. I think one of my favorite parts about being in LA is being able to see all the film locations. From Paramount to Warner Brothers, the studio tour is a great way to welcome anyone to Hollywood. Universal City Walk is another fun place that we would go at night, just to experience the fun, family friendly nightlife. Next we would visit some of my favorite nature spots, like Malibu, to go hiking and hang by the beach. Runyon Canyon is an obvious spot to go, but for a more intermediate level of hiking, a place that I like to go is Zuma Canyon Trailhead…and the ocean view is way better than the city view during the day. For food, we are going to breakfast at Roscoes and devouring the Obama Special. We will pick up some taco truck tacos throughout the day and then Comfort LA for some organic soul food. LA is a great place for eating healthy, they make it so easy with all of the different options so as the sun goes down, we would goto Montys for some impossible burgers, and drive up to the Universal City Overlook where we can enjoy our burgers and the excellent view of the city at night.
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?
The HBCU in LA Program. Founded by Mrs. Stacy Milner, this program is what truly jump started my career. This is a program that selects students from Historically Black Universities, partners them with the top entertainment companies and brings them out to Hollywood for a whole summer. In this program, housing is paid for and you intern your selected company for 10 weeks. I was interning at Paramount Pictures and this is the first time I was able to truly get my foot in the door. Not only do you intern at a major company during the day, but we also got personal studio tours at Disney, Warner Brothers and connected with industry professionals in intimate settings. Mrs. Stacy Milner is the mastermind behind this program and her and her husband Ted Milner devote their time to making sure that opportunities are presented to young Black creatives like myself.
Website: https://www.jmbeaanie.com
Instagram: @jm.beanie / @MYK.IN
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jada-george-14682b112/
Site: https://shoutoutla.com/meet-jada-george-directors-assistant-content-creator/
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