Employee 001: Mika's Story
BY MIKA MALONEY
I was already a few years into my new career focused on philanthropy for families in a cancer experience when I met the principal players forming JTWO. Divine discontent had given me courage to launch off the path of the typical “dot orgs” to join with some friends who also wanted to make life easier for these families. We were fairly new at our endeavor but we knew we had to do the work to create our brand and to be able to communicate our unique offerings in a contemporary way.
So it was really fun to meet Justin Jarrett, coming in hot out of college with a dream to build out a non-profit component to his business and his passion of making films for what he called Projects That Matter. Video and branded web content were becoming must-haves in the non- profit arsenal. I liked his ideas and I loved his passion.
“I’ll always be the biggest cheerleader for JTWO. It’s in my blood and if you’re in the crew–you’re family.”
“I’ll always be the biggest cheerleader for JTWO. It’s in my blood and if you’re in the crew–you’re family.”
For a couple of years it was easy for me to decide on projects worth the expertise that JTWO brought to the table. I immediately recognized Travis Capacete’s talent for editing, creativity and sales as well. Between the two partners, I felt safe and excited to hand over the creative reins for the branding I needed- and it continued successfully, even when I changed companies to further my own development. Referring to the guys and their team to others in the industry was not only done with confidence but it became one of my favorite things to talk about!
In 2012, I recognized that I had probably one summer left to stop everything and just be a mom to my daughter graduating college.
So I did a free fall, knowing that when my daughter left our nest, I’d just KNOW what to do next.
And I did know. The day Justin and Travis came out to meet me for coffee was the beginning of a beautiful co-working relationship, working together to develop more Projects That Matter. They’d have the exact type of projects they wanted and I was able to continue to serve the community. It was all heart.
This relationship continued until my newborn twin grandsons entered the world. It took no courage at all to jump to the side of my work to spend my time taking care of them while my daughter and her husband work full time.
What’s funny is that, a year later, JTWO is still never far from my mind. Their work and impact on the world is just that great. I went from being such a rookie in every single technical aspect of the JTWO business to eventually understanding and admiring what a huge multi-layered pool of talent is required to create brands, decode emotions and develop tools that boil down to one golden nugget: the story. And the end product? It’s magic. It moves mountains and slays dragons. I’ll always be the biggest cheerleader for JTWO. It’s in my blood and if you’re in the crew–you’re family.
PS – I still don’t do call times before 9 AM and if there’s not a Marriott, I’m likely not going on the trip….
JTWO and Fred's Footsteps Tell Inspiring Story of Jaelyn Brown
PROJECT DETAILS
Our team was absolutely thrilled to work with Fred’s Footsteps again to tell the story of Jaelyn Brown. We travelled to Sicklerville, NJ to sit down with Jaelyn and her family. After finding out that she had liver cancer and needed a double amputation of her legs, Jaelyn needed all the help she could get. After her mother left work to care for her, Fred’s Footsteps helped the family financially while Jaelyn fought hard to recover. Directed by Maria Cantu, this video is one of many stories we’ve been able to share with Fred’s Footsteps. We are humbled and honored to be able to tell the story of Jaelyn Brown with the world.
"MEET THE BROWN FAMILY"
Client: Fred's Footsteps
Watch the incredible story of Jaelyn’s Journey.
JTWO Bids Farewell to Intern Chloe Butler
When I started my internship here at JTwo Films I was so nervous and I didn’t really believe in my own abilities as a filmmaker. I had never even felt comfortable calling myself a filmmaker until I started at JTwo. Even after studying film in college in Ireland and doing a semester at Drexel I wasn’t fully convinced that I was cut out to work in the industry. I had never actually filmed any projects on my own outside of college settings and I was worried that I had relied too much on friends who I had worked with and never fully gave myself enough credit. After my interview with Conor and Ian I can’t lie and say I wasn’t worried that JTwo’s intern program would show me I was pursuing the wrong career.
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My time at JTwo gave me so much more confidence in my abilities and taught me what it’s like to be part of a production company. In my first blog post I said that I would cringe away from the question of what area of the industry I was most interested in and at the end of my time at JTwo I am more confident in my approach to that question. After getting the chance to make my own [Inc]ubator Project I was able to try out so many different roles (as I took on most of them myself for my project) I figured out that there are so many different areas that I really enjoyed but it became more and more apparent to me that I want to pursue editing.
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I can’t express how grateful I am to all the guys at JTwo (and Nova and Griffy of course) for giving me this opportunity to learn so much and grow as a filmmaker. I will never forget my experience as a JTwo intern and I’m so thankful to have gotten to meet so many amazingly talented people.
Slán agus beannacht ☘️
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This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.
JTWO Bids Farewell to Intern Megan Swick
In the whirlwind of this past week, I’ve had my fair share of goodbyes. With the pandemic on the rise, I’ve bid farewell to some of my closest friends as they moved back home, states away. I’ve said goodbye to my professors and professional mentors on campus since we shifted to online learning. I hugged my roommates goodbye before they left me in an almost-empty house for the next few weeks. I’ve even kissed my final college experiences goodbye; even my graduation ceremony is still up in the air. But perhaps the hardest, and saddest goodbye will be to this internship, and all the amazing people (and pets) I’ve met here.
JTWO in three months has taught me more than I learned in three years of college. If you let it, this internship will grab a hold of your creative mind and steer you in the right direction to your career path. Being a part of each production process here allows you to familiarize yourself with what you love, or might hate, about everything production. Through my incubator project, days in the office, and assistance on shoots, I’ve been able to understand what I can add to the production process. My advice for whoevers in my position next is to soak it all up. Say yes to tasks you’re unfamiliar with, say yes to 12 hour shoot days, and say yes to projects that are outside your realm of experience. If there’s one place to learn from your mistakes, it is surrounded by the experienced professionals at JTWO. As someone who left for a shoot with everything except the battery to power the camera, I know they might not let you live it down, but they’ll be happy you learned and ready to support you on your next film endeavor.
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Yes the experience was one of a lifetime for a college production student, but besides access to professional opportunities, JTWO showed me a fun and open workplace. I showed up in business casual work pants the first day, and I can tell you now I am typing this in jeans and a tee shirt. The weekly meetings and discussions of our weekend or relevant news allowed me to feel at home in the office. I know I am an intern, but I was treated as a coworker, and I have found that to be a rare circumstance in my experience. I also want to shout out JTWO as the sole reason I tried my first Popeye’s meal (sponsored content). I’ll carry the memory of the three piece dark with me forever. It will be hard to settle for an office culture any less than the best after my time here.
Finally some things I learned. As someone who aims to be a producer, I picked up some hard skills here like making call sheets, week-long shoot itineraries, and arguing with all walks of customer service associates on the phone. But the most important thing I learned here was my own capabilities. JTWO saw the potential in me before I did, and I couldn’t believe when they would allow me, a little intern, to play a role in their important projects. The more I worked with everyone here, the more I saw what I could do. This is a place that absolutely fosters growth, and on my way out I am applying to jobs I would have never thought I was qualified for before working here. As this is my last day physically in office, I’d like to extend a “see ya later” to everyone here. I’ll still be lurking around in Philly, so you can’t get rid of me that easily. See ya later JTWO!
This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.
Lost Boyz Doc Official Selection Illinois International Film Festival
The Lost Boyz of Chicago was recently named an official selection in the 2020 Illinois International Film Festival. Located in Westmont, Illinois, IIFF aims to present a wide spectrum of filmmaking, from feature films, to documentaries, and everything in between. IIFF works to bring audiences and filmmakers together through the love of film. We are proud to to be nominated as an official selection for this year’s IIFF. Read more about The Lost Boyz of Chicago below.
About the Lost Boyz
Dig Deeper
After serving a short term in prison, LaVonte Stewart, a lifelong south side resident and founder of Lost Boyz Inc., became inspired to give back to his community’s youth. Through baseball and softball training, he helps provide a safe space where he can teach leadership and life lessons to neighborhood kids. We were humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to share their stories and tell about how LaVonte and the Lost Boyz are changing the south side of Chicago for good.
BEHIND THE SCENES
With only three days of filming we made it our mission to really immerse ourselves into the south side culture and come to know the Lost Boyz family. We could not thank LaVonte and the players enough for being so vulnerable and trusting of our team with their stories.
In the Press
Credits
Client: Laureus USA
Production: JTWO
Producer: Conor Hare
Director: Justin Jarrett
DP: Maria Vattimo
AC: Aaron Preusch
Location Sound: AJ Olestad
This project was made possible through our Projects That Matter Initiative. The Projects That Matter Initiative is a Philadelphia based video production program with the mission of providing professional digital media services to Non-Profits at a discounted rate. To learn more about how your organization can join the initiative and qualify for creative content production discounts click below.
JTWO Welcomes intern Chloe Butler
THE NEXT CHAPTER
By Chloe Butler
If someone had told me four years ago that I would be interning at a film production company in Philadelphia I would never have believed them. I grew up in a small town in the South East of Ireland where the most exciting thing that’s probably ever happened is when a film crew showed up to shoot some scenes for John Crowley’s film Brooklyn.
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It seems that most people have an unequivocally clear moment where they figure out what area of film is for them, but I can’t say the same. Even though I studied film in university I was still unsure whether or not it was the right fit for me. I’ve spoken Irish since the age of two and my whole life pretty much revolved around the language, anyone who knew me thought that I would turn out to be an Irish teacher at a school in my hometown and for a while I thought that was where my life was headed too. Even throughout my time at university I had that safety net behind me as I continued to study Irish, alongside film, just in case my little film dream didn’t happen.
It wasn’t until my third year at university after going on a study abroad to Drexel University that I came to the realization that there was absolutely no way that I was going to let that dream fail. Even after my time at Drexel and learning that the film industry was where I wanted to have a career, I still cringed away from that dreaded question ‘so what area of film do you want to work in?’.
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Fast forward a few months, after studying at Drexel and moving back home to Ireland, I had one final year left at NUI Galway where I had no film classes my entire final year and I was miserable. All I was studying was my ‘safety net’ subject, Irish. I concentrated all my energy on figuring out how I was to pursue a career in filmmaking after gaining essentially no practical film skills after spending three years studying film while my graduation date was fast-approaching. I had this fanatic notion in my head that once I graduated and had that piece of paper in my hand, I needed to be on track to taking some sort of step in the direction of starting a career in the industry and that if I didn’t make the step then I never would. I’m not sure if I was driven by the hysteria of final year or by ambition or a combination of both, but however driven I made the decision to drop everything and move to the US after graduation. I figured that if I was to have any opportunity to get into the industry what better place than here, where my love for film was reaffirmed and the anxiety that I had made the wrong decision and wasted three years of my life was allayed.
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After a year of planning and obtaining a visa I moved back to Philadelphia with no solid plan once I got here. I made a list of production companies in the area, and talked to a few professors I had during my time at Drexel and thus found JTwo Films. After researching the company and later speaking with some of the team I felt like it was a great fit for me. I still wince at the question of what area of film I want to focus on, but I’m confident that during my time at JTwo I’ll be much closer to having a clearer idea of where I’m headed.
This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.
JTWO Welcomes intern Megan Swick
THAT ONE MOMENT
By Megan Swick
It seems now, that the most successful personalities in different fields can pinpoint a particular moment when they fell in love with their craft. It’s almost as if there is a spiritual urge, guiding them directly to their life’s passions. The most noble leaders, artists, and scientists recall that moment with a certain tenderness in their hearts, as it was the dawn of a lifetime of devotion to perfecting their craft. When Galileo first watched that swinging pendulum, could he feel the Gods calling upon him to become the father of observational astronomy? When Edgar Allan Poe first picked up a pencil, could he feel the spirits of centuries of artists possess his tortured soul, begging him to become a central figure in American literature? When Rosa Parks refused to move seats on that bus, did she feel compelled by her ancestors to become one of the most well-remembered civil rights activists? Because for me and the start of my life’s ambition, all I did was pick up a 2009 Flip camcorder and press record.
For the record, I buy the life’s calling and predetermined purpose spiel. I actually find it inspiring and comforting. However, I must admit, no God called upon me to go into the production field, and I certainly never felt Stanley Kubrick’s blood pulsing through my veins. In high school, I was mostly unamused with most learning material, but also found my extracurriculars lackluster. As graduation approached I was convinced I’d have to decide on a neutral major like communications- I just didn’t have the passion for anything specialized.
The last half of my senior year, I dropped my environmental science, and took a broadcasting class that produced the morning news. This was the first time I held an actual camera and filmed something other than my teenage self and friends doing something cringey and/or stupid.
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Was this my Galileo-pendulum moment? No, it wasn’t an irresistible pull towards my school’s morning announcements, but I found I really did enjoy making something. As the year went on, I got a taste of creating something from nothing. I experienced the rush of working in teams to produce something for an audience. I found a community in production, and I found a passion.
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Flashforward a year, and I’m going to school at Temple for Media Studies and Production. It didn’t start out that way though, because my college career actually began over 2 hours away at a different school in an entirely different major. But hey- I made it to Temple- it’s that Galileo calling working its magic right?
At Temple, I was launched into Media Studies and surrounded by people enjoying the same passion as I was. But after a while, I noticed a pattern regarding what content was more acceptable to enjoy. Perhaps all people in this industry are familiar with the age-old icebreaker question of “what’s your favorite movie?”. Depending on who you are speaking to, there is a right answer. Most people in my school are looking for an Oscar nominee, well regarded but not too well regarded as to be tainted by the wrath of pop culture followers. You can’t say the Matrix or the Breakfast Club, but you can probably throw out High Fidelity or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And, although I’ve seen all of these movies and enjoyed them, they’re simply not on my top ten.
I thoroughly enjoy what some may refer to as “lowbrow” culture. My top ten list of movies feature Wet Hot American Summer, Lego Batman, and Paddington 2. I’ve watched Interstellar once; I’ve seen Disney’s Christopher Robin five times. On the first day of my first production class, we were asked what movie inspired us to be here, and when people audibly scoffed at a kid’s answer of “Robocop”, when it was my turn, I had to choke out “Donnie Darko”. How could anyone take me seriously had they known the only song I have downloaded to my Spotify is The Muppets’ Life’s a Happy Song? What if they found out I fell asleep during The Godfather?
It was this sentiment that frustrated me. Art is so subjective that it’s ludicrous for there to be an invisible measurement that dictates what is intellectual to enjoy. It took some minor soul searching, but in time I became a firm believer in like what you like. Art is for everyone. Television and film have no boundaries, and it’s quite ridiculous to treat it as a dichotomy structure of high and low culture. I came into this field to create things I like, to share with other people who might like it. I did not waste four years of studying production to churn out indie coming-of-age pieces that I do not have the passion for.
I found JTWO through their shared passion for innovative storytelling, and creating. The wide array of content they’ve created showcases their rage in this industry, and acceptance of the malleability of this art form. I was excited to find a home that will support my pursuit in creating what I like. Through my high school broadcasting career, my introduction to (sometimes) pretentious film culture, my media studies, to my JTWO internship, I carried with me the desire to make something to share with an audience. Whether that something is a foreign film noir or a musical with puppets, I plan to stay true to what I like. I’m sure if Galileo diverted his studies because other scholars didn’t see the art in it, his potential would have gone to waste. I realize that I’m in no way destined for the level of greatness as the father of modern physics, but as an intern at JTWO, I can try.
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This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.
Lost Boyz Doc Official Selection Beloit International Film Festival
The Lost Boyz of Chicago was recently named an official selection as a Documentary Short in the 2020 Beloit International Film Festival. Located in Beloit, Wisconsin, BIFF is a ten day tribute to independent film from around the world. Residents and visitors gather to view over 100 films, and even get the opportunity to meet filmmakers from throughout the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America. BIFF celebrates filmmakers in all genres and we could not be more excited to be honored as an official selection in the Documentary Short category. The Lost Boyz of Chicago will be playing Saturday, February 22nd at 12:00 pm and Saturday, February 29th at 5:00 pm. Read more about The Lost Boyz of Chicago below and buy tickets here.
About the Lost Boyz
Dig Deeper
After serving a short term in prison, LaVonte Stewart, a lifelong south side resident and founder of Lost Boyz Inc., became inspired to give back to his community’s youth. Through baseball and softball training, he helps provide a safe space where he can teach leadership and life lessons to neighborhood kids. We were humbled and grateful to have the opportunity to share their stories and tell about how LaVonte and the Lost Boyz are changing the south side of Chicago for good.
BEHIND THE SCENES
With only three days of filming we made it our mission to really immerse ourselves into the south side culture and come to know the Lost Boyz family. We could not thank LaVonte and the players enough for being so vulnerable and trusting of our team with their stories.
In the Press
Credits
Client: Laureus USA
Production: JTWO
Producer: Conor Hare
Director: Justin Jarrett
DP: Maria Vattimo
AC: Aaron Preusch
Location Sound: AJ Olestad
This project was made possible through our Projects That Matter Initiative. The Projects That Matter Initiative is a Philadelphia based video production program with the mission of providing professional digital media services to Non-Profits at a discounted rate. To learn more about how your organization can join the initiative and qualify for creative content production discounts click below.
JTWO Produces Bowie State University Spots
PROJECT DETAILS
Our team at JTWO recently had the pleasure of traveling to Maryland with Trenton-based creative agency, EFK Group, to produce a set of commercials for Bowie State University. We spent three days on campus to capture what the university has to offer. As a result, we had the opportunity to witness some of Bowie State’s arts, sports, and student life. After making a :30 and :60 TV spot, we went above and beyond and released a director’s cut of each. Watch below to see how Bowie State University is changing the game of secondary education and taking tomorrow boldly.
Bowie State University :60 Director's Cut
Client: EFK Group
Watch the :60 Bowie State University director’s cut here
Bowie State University :30 Director's Cut
Client: EFK Group
Watch the :30 Bowie State University director’s cut here
JTWO Produces LISC Chicago's Hoops in the Hood Brand Film
PROJECT DETAILS
LISC Chicago and State Farm came to us through our Projects That Matter Initiative this year and tasked us to produce a brand video for the 13th Annual Hoops in the Hood City Wide Tournament. Hoops in the Hood brings together 17 Chicago communities by the power of organizational basketball. Hoops in the Hood creates safe spaces for youth to interact and build positive relationships with peers and caring adults while making visible use of public spaces and fostering a sense of community. Over the last 13 years, it has positively impacted thousands of Chicago kids and given them a safe place to play organized basketball games across the city of Chicago.
LISC Chicago - "Hoops In The Hood"
Client: LISC Chicago
We teamed up with LISC Chicago and State Farm to write and produce the Hoops in the Hood brand video for their 13th Annual City Wide Tournament in Downtown Chicago.