Jake Seal Shares His Journey from Independent Films to Global Productions

In this episode, filmmaker Jake Seal talks about how he started in small independent films and worked his way up to big productions around the world. He shares the challenges he faced, the lessons he learned, and what keeps him going. It’s a great listen for anyone who loves movies or wants to follow their creative dreams.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jake Seal shares his journey from independent films to global productions.
Hey everyone, this is Jake Seal and I'm really excited
to be on the mic today sharing a bit about
my journey from humble beginnings in independent film making to
leading global productions across multiple continents. It's been a wild ride,
and if you're passionate about film storytelling or even just

(00:22):
chasing big dreams, I think you'll enjoy this. So let
me take you back. When I started in film, it
was raw, gritty and deeply independent. I didn't have a
big studio behind me, no red carpets or massive budgets.
It was just me, a small crew and a burning

(00:43):
desire to tell compelling stories. We may do with what
we had, borrowing gear, finding local talent, and shooting in
real locations with limited permits. And honestly, that's where I
learned the most. Independent film forces you to be rescive, resourceful.
You become the producer, the fixer, the location scout, sometimes

(01:06):
even the editor. It's tough, but that environment taught me
how to make magic out of constraints, and I've carried
that scrappy spirit with me throughout my entire career. As
time went on, I started building relationships, connecting with other creatives, producers,
and distributors. I realized that storytelling doesn't just live in

(01:28):
one country, one language, or one culture. It's global, and
if you can tap into that, the opportunities are endless.
I started expanding my work into international COEO productions. That
was a big leap. Suddenly I was dealing with multi
country logistics, cross border financing, and aligning different production cultures.

(01:52):
But the reward incredible stories with global resonance films that
could connect with audiences in London, Lake, US, Los Angeles
all at once. One of the biggest milestones for me
was launching projects that weren't just indie darlings, but commercially
successful global productions. I started working with larger crews, more

(02:14):
complex equipment, and well known talent, But no matter how
big the project got, I always made sure to keep
that indie soul tied storytelling, authentic emotion, and creative risk taking. Today,
I'm proud to say I've worked on everything from documentary
style indie films to full scale international features. I've built

(02:35):
production hubs in multiple countries and had the honor of
collaborating with some of the most passionate creatives around the world.
But here's the thing. Whether you're making a short film
with a handheld camera or producing a fifty million dollar feature,
it all comes down to story. The power of storytelling
is universal, and the journey from a scrappy indie filmmaker

(02:58):
to a global producer isn't just me. It's possible for
anyone who's willing to hustle, to learn, and to stay
true to their vision. Thanks for tuning in and letting
me share a piece of my journey with you. If
you're out there making films or dreaming of it, keep going.
You never know where your story might take you.