Today we’d like to introduce you to J.R. Fortin.
J.R., please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I discovered my passion for writing in elementary school.
It’s been my favorite thing to do since I was a kid. I like to be in control and if I write something I’m in control from start to finish. One day I saw a post on Facebook for auditions being held in Berlin, New Hampshire. I took the gamble and drove to Berlin. I left thinking I blew the audition since I had never done anything like this before but shortly after leaving I got a text saying I got the part in the movie as the character of Shawn in Paper City Burnout.
After that rolls just kept coming my way; I’ve been in 12 projects and continue to score roles. The second film set I was on was Bent which made me meet my good friend Logan who texted me one night about an infomercial type role where I’d play Eduardo. I got that role and got to work with Mark Helms, the owner of Sound and Vision Media. Also from the set of Bent, I met Evan, the owner of Hop Top Films who messaged me about a role in Champ.
That’s the beauty about filming, the more sets you get on the more opportunities arise; after every film set that you land on the probability of landing on more increases greatly. I always suggest that you take every role you can get especially in the indie film world because if someone doesn’t show you may get bumped up to a much bigger spot or your character may get added scenes.
Has it been a smooth road?
The biggest challenge for me is balancing my regular job with filming. I’m an assistant for a Fortune 500 company and most people film on weekends but I work in retail. I can’t count the amount of rolls I’ve overlooked knowing I wouldn’t be able to get the time off. Balancing a regular job that is a bare minimum of 50 hours a week and balancing time with the wife and kids is tough.
Luckily they understand what drives me and support my ambitions. I try to look at my schedule and match the dates that are shooting on my days off. There was a day when we started shooting Hearts Of New England that someone whom I built the whole shootaround didn’t show. This was the most nerve-wracking feeling. I had just started filming the series. I was so afraid that all the people were going to quit on me, it was only our 3rd scheduled shoot for Hearts Of New England.
My team saw that I was down and we filmed what we could and no one said anything negative, they just sat beside me and chilled with me. That’s when I knew we weren’t just a group of filmmakers we were actual friends. It was also that defining moment where I knew I had their respect. I can name the people that sat at the dinner with me to this day they’ll forever hold a special place in my heart. Caitlynn McCauley, Justin Jurdak, Alan. W. Dillingham, Johnny Aday, Tina Lambert, Stacey Stevens Billado, and Stephen Conicelli.
Route 26 was a short I was filming for my birthday. Two hours before we started filming the lead actress canceled. I don’t think I’ve ever been that stressed in any of my filming projects. Luckily an extra came in and did the role. We had to modify a few scenes but it worked out great. I had ordered lights for this shoot that came in the day after we filmed and I wore glasses in scenes which I never do making it tough on the editing team in post-production because we had to use all the shots without me wearing glasses.
However, the editor made our project look amazing so when it was all said and done it was worth it but it was definitely the toughest project I ever filmed. When filming Together Forever I reached out to several people to have a full cast and crew. The day before four crew members canceled including the director so now I not only had to focus on my acting as a lead role but everyone else’s acting. This didn’t hurt too bad though because our team came together multitasking. We had some of the most talented people I’ve ever worked with especially Tristyn Sepersky.
Together Forever just proved no matter the challenges you face if you’re determined to get something done nothing can stop you and I was out to prove a point, I’ve never given more direction as a director, I can’t wait for the release. The biggest personal challenge I ever faced in life was in 2008. Me and my wife got pregnant a year-and-a-half after we had our oldest daughter. We went to the doctors and heard the heartbeat once, we’d go back after a few weeks for them to tell us she no longer had a heartbeat. She was a few months pregnant and we just had to be sitting ducks waiting for her to miscarry.
This was the most painful experience of my life. It makes it hard for me to relate to a lot of people these days who pretend their kids don’t exist. I have five kids and can’t picture my life without them no matter the struggle. It took me a long time to bounce back from this and to this day I still think about Hope.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I do whatever I need to do, bottom line. I help produce movies as well as help people get acting and modeling gigs and even crew jobs. I get on as many sets as I can and do whatever I can to help on any project whether it’s mine or someone else’s. I try to learn anything to become more of an asset to whatever team I’m on.
I specialize in social media marketing. I don’t talk about it enough, but I’m beyond talented with it. I spent two years analyzing data when I published my first book and found tricks and ways to inexpensively market. I became so good at it that people who had their own businesses for years were asking me for advice.
I’m definitely most known for the role of Sebastian in Hearts Of New England the project has landed me in 3 magazines and 3 newspapers and I won an international award for Best Trailer at a film festival in New York.
I’m most proud of my abilities to improvise when things go bad. My script writing has gotten to the point where fellow filmmakers ask me to look at their Scripts.
My most recent proud moment was directing Together Forever, I got really into directing the project and it will show in the final product. If there’s anything I’m truly proud of it’s how amazing my kids have turned out and they’re my inspiration to keep working harder.
If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?
My biggest lesson learned would be to never be afraid to go for something you want. I hate auditions, absolutely can’t stand them, but I’ve learned that like any other jobs these days showing up is half the battle. I say that because I don’t do video auditions anymore, they seem to be a complete waste of time. I’ve gotten a part in every movie I showed up to.
People fear if you’re not there in person you’re not serious about the project, also you should get to know the people you work with. As a casting director, I tried my best to get people I’ve done work with before because I know for a fact they’re dependable. A lot of people will beg you to be in a movie and then you give them their first chance and they don’t show up, same with modeling. The biggest reason for that is they don’t see the financial aspect of filming; filming is super expensive.
I would say another lesson, especially for the acting aspect make sure that if you do volunteer stuff you’re at least being credited on IMDB. If you work for someone a few times and they didn’t even appreciate you enough to do that for you think twice about working with them again. I have my associate’s degree in legal studies and the first thing they teach you is that time is money. It’s okay to do volunteer projects but you need to make sure you’re being credited to build your resume so that others know what you’re capable of.
A lot of times people want to know what you’ve already done before casting you and they want more than your word. I strongly suggest having as many extras as possible at every shoot so if something goes wrong you have people in place to fill in cast and crew.
Contact Info:
- Email: jrfortin89@gmail.com
- Instagram: j.r_fortin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MAINE-EVENT-FILMS-185126075664086/?ref=settings
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKaHp6yHbZ_Nl_ZUK5PPxcw
Image Credit:
Austin Studios, Tony Austin, Photography Shark Studios, Chris McCarthy, Briana Gonsalves, Stephen Conicelli, CD@ Denis Gagnon Photography, Denis Gagnon, Carlene Karafelis, Stacey Stevens Badillo, R. Wilson Photography, Randy Wilson, Tristyn Sepersky, Emily Fortin, Aleisha, Samantha Kensell Photography, Samantha Kensell
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