In our fifth episode Aaron James and Andrew Dickson welcome freelance producer David Cress to the Mt. Freelance podcast.
David got interested in film and enrolled in Mt. Hood Community College, which offered him the chance to learn every aspect of filmmaking, from the expected like production and editing to the intangibles that most film schools neglect but are vital for actually making a film, like how to find funding.
He started his career in infomercials but quickly formed an alliance with director Vance Malone and started Food Chain Films. Whereas most Portland production companies at the time represented a single director, they borrowed from the Los Angeles model and signed a roster, eventually making local but also National and even Super Bowl commercial work.
David moved on to the feature world, producing a number on independent films including Paranoid Park for Gus Van Sant, and Matt McCormack’s Some Days are Better than Others, which starred Carrie Brownstein. When she had a pilot for new show picked up David got the call and line produced it for free. Which lead to 7 seasons of the iconic show Portlandia. David has since produced the shows Chad, Shrill and several episodes of Documentary Now.
David has always been an advocate for filmmakers and regional filmmaking here in the Northwest. In our episode he shares his story and how he’s always put doing great work first and found ways to become invaluable to people doing interesting projects. It’s a must listen for aspiring filmmakers, producers and anyone looking to build up their creative community.
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