Jason Mac
8 min read ⭑
“As a culture, we can get caught up in others’ successes. But we have to acknowledge those successes likely came through years of failures and trials. We have to run our own race and walk our own journey.”
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
There's much more to a meal than palate and preference. How does your go-to order at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?
My go-to meal back home is a fried shrimp platter from the Shrimper. I would describe this meal as delicious "dirty fried" goodness. Whenever I head back home to South Carolina, I have to visit. It's the ultimate comfort. And I think that's what’s really interesting about visiting home (if you don't live there anymore). For a lot of your life, you are trying to "get out" in a sense. But then, as an adult, there is comfort you seek when you go back to visit. That's where I grew up. It's where I first started dreaming of who and what I wanted to be. It's where I had my first successes and failures.
The community was such a big thing in my life. I went back there 15 years later to shoot my first feature film. It helped to give me and the story an even more authentic feel because this was the place where I was loved. I made plenty of mistakes here. But I was formed through this place. These adults still cared about me many years later as I had grown up into an adult. They were invested in me as a human being, which is incredibly empowering. And it makes me want to pass that on to others in my life.
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests, but we tend to hide them. What do you love doing that might surprise (or shock) people?
This may seem like a strange answer because I'm a filmmaker, but I love stories! The power they can have is incredible. And I don't mean just the sappy emotions. I love how a comedy can make you gut-laugh. Or a romantic movie can make you want to go buy some flowers for your spouse. When I was younger, I saw Hotel Rwanda, and I was blown away. I was a southern boy in a bubble. I didn't know this happened in today’s world. I thought this was only in the past.
The power of storytelling can change lives, and I ultimately decided that’s what I want to do—I want to impact people through stories. When I get going on a story, I lose track of time and my soul fills up. I walk on clouds when I'm in the middle of it. So it's not much of a secret, but it's a very emotional thing for me. And it's something I don't take lightly in its power.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness. Every human too. We're just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So, what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?
I have a really hard time reconciling where I am in my life versus where I thought I might be at this point. Expectations are tough. Sometimes I feel like life is slipping by and I find myself looking in the mirror asking, "What have I accomplished?" Those are really crappy moments. And it's because I start looking at the result and am always trying to be at the end destination instead of focusing on the process. The process is where the joy and the satisfaction are, and it's where the beauty of life is.
I feel like I have stepped up to the plate and taken a lot of big swings so far in my life. And many haven’t panned out how I hoped. But I'm freaking proud to have taken those swings. I learned a lot in the process, and it informed the next swing. And I'm so grateful that I have been emboldened to swing and have a supportive environment that I feel I can swing. And I want to be open about that because, as a culture, we can get caught up in others’ successes. But we have to acknowledge those successes likely came through years of failures and trials. We have to run our own race and walk our own journey.
Pondhouse Productions
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?
I've been working on a feature film for a few years now, and I'm so excited it's coming out. It's called A Father's Legacy and is a father/son story that talks about redemption, faith, and legacy.
A lot of the themes in the movie come from a period in my life right after my father unexpectedly passed away. It rocked my world to not have my dad on this earth anymore. And I found myself exploring that relationship between fathers and sons. This is truly my love letter to my father, and it's a personal movie for me.
I've been living with this story since 2017, so to finally have it come out to the public is surreal. It won't just belong to me anymore—it'll belong to everyone who sees it. Everyone will take something different from the film. But I hope, no matter what, when people get done watching it, they feel the need to call someone they love or someone who has positively impacted their lives and let them know how grateful they are.
It will be in over 700 theaters in the U.S. on June 17th for a one-night showing (which is insane!). If you are ready for a movie night, you can find more info at www.fathomevents.com. And if you can't make it, no worries, because it'll come out on VOD in July!
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors, or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?
I have a very much "go do" attitude about God. I remember being in college and attending a mid-week church event and this guy up on the stage said, “Don't just sit there waiting and waiting for a ‘sign from God.’” Essentially, he was saying God can use us no matter where we go. With that being said, I can 100% go out and act before praying and seeking guidance on something.
But I remember in preproduction for our film—we were about a week away from shooting—a pretty big financial decision was looming, and I was having some creative battles. I remember feeling so defeated. I had been a workhorse up to that point. I remember putting the script away, putting the production binder up, and just staring blankly at a Sunday night football game. I was thinking, "This is very fun, and I don't know if I really want to do this again."
Later that night, I prayed about what to do and I distinctly remember a voice in my head (the voice wasn’t mine) that said, "It's going to be okay." That's it. There weren't any answers along with it. Or secret codes or hidden chests of money. Just peace. I went to sleep that night in peace. And when I woke up, sure enough, those things I was freaking out about worked out—as they normally do.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Some people divide things sacred and things secular. But you know, God can surprise us in unlikely places. How do you find spiritual renewal in so-called "nonspiritual" activities?
I live in Los Angeles, and it's busy here. Traffic sucks. Parking is not cool. The cost of living is not sustainable. So it's really easy to get caught up in the race of everyday life. But for me, in those moments when I'm still, I feel revitalized. I feel at peace. That can be during a workout alone with my headphones in or sitting on a balcony at the end of the day. A moment where there isn't anything specific on my mind. Just an appreciation for being. And I feel thankful in those moments.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources—lots of things that have truly impacted our faith. But you know about some great stuff too. What are three of your favorite resources?
A book that had a huge impact on me as a younger man was Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It just kind of demystified the Christian experience a little for me. It showed me, “So that pastor cusses, but God still loves him, and he still impacts people.” It helped me see that it's not about fitting into a perfect mold.
A movie I saw recently that was beautiful and that I think a lot of people can relate to was I Can Only Imagine, which is of course based on the song. But for me as a filmmaker, it was awesome seeing a film with a message I believe in on the big screen with packed showings. And I love the filmmakers (the Erwin Brothers), where they came from, and what they are trying to do in an industry I'm very much entrenched in.
We all have things we cling to so we can survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season—and tell us what it's done for you.
My journal. I am really bad at journaling, but it's something I've tried to make a priority every day when I wake up. And some days it still doesn't happen. Other times, I don’t feel like I have much to say. But on the days where I do have something to say or get off my chest, that journal is incredible. It's a safe space for me to unload. I look at it like a muscle I have to exercise. Some days are easier than others. But it's always nice to have the muscle already developed for when you really need it.
QUESTION #8: dream
God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So, give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
I have no idea what is next! I say that, and I'm a bit insecure about it. But at the same time, I am actively working on some outlines, reading scripts, and being open to what I can lend my voice to. I just want to have something to say when I create something. It's fun to spend a weekend with some friends making something. But to spend a year (or several years) is a different story—and there has to be meat on that bone to make it worthwhile. It has to mean something.
Jason isn’t the only one whose life has been impacted by the power of storytelling. God wired us as human beings to respond emotionally to stories, to learn from them in a deeper way than we can learn from stale facts.
But do you have to be a filmmaker to tell powerful stories? Of course not!
When was the last time you shared your story with someone? It’s easy to fall for the lie that our stories don’t matter, that they’re not that exciting, or that they’re not that revolutionary. So why share them?
Revelation 12:11a says, “They defeated him [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.”
Today, we hope Jason’s words inspired you to be willing to share your story with someone—because you don’t know just how deeply it can impact their lives and faith.
Jason Mac began storytelling as an actor in Atlanta on shows like Vampire Diaries, Castle, and Criminal Minds. After moving to Los Angeles, he began looking for and creating projects that involved the entire process. Jason directed numerous shorts, which played at festivals across the country, including the Los Angeles International Shorts Festival. From there, he knew it was time to make the jump to features. Enter A Father’s Legacy, Mac's directorial debut, which he also wrote and stars in opposite Tobin Bell.
