Looking through the monitor of his Canon 80D, award-winning filmmaker Jack Nordstrom ’19 filmed as the license plate of his grandfather’s Jeep Wagoneer faded into the distance, signaling the closing shot of his original short film “Old Bloo.”
Nordstrom said he first started filming on iMovie when he was about six years old and is heavily inspired by his father and brother, who both love filmmaking.
Director Wes Anderson often inspires his filmmaking style, he said.
“I’m a big fan of Wes Anderson and I’m a big fan of retro music, art and rock,” Nordstrom said. “I’ll often think of an idea for a script while I’m listening to one of my favorite albums.”
Nordstrom said Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” in particular has become one of his favorite films because of its use of visual balance and props.
“All of the props are eye-catching and they don’t take you away from the story,” Nordstrom said. “Whenever I make my movies, I think about including a very defining prop that is in no other movies. I’m always on ebay looking for old phones and stuff.”
Nordstrom said his creative process begins with finding inspiration, writing a script and then directing, acting in and editing his films.
“The two films that I’ve really put forward are ‘Puget Sound’ and ‘Old Bloo,’” Nordstrom said. “‘Puget Sound’ is the one I made a year ago. It’s basically inspired by my dad’s movies and how he would bring all of his friends and they would use airsoft guns to do battles and film it ”
Lots of Nordstrom’s inspiration comes from his childhood experiences. His film “Puget Sound,” set in Puget Sound, Washington centers around one of his favorite childhood spots.
His newest short film, “Old Bloo” is a film inspired by his grandfather’s 1976 Jeep Wagoneer, whose license plate reads “Old Bloo” and functions as the main prop of the film.
Nordstrom entered his film, “Puget Sound” into 26 festivals. Ultimately, he won 15 awards. “Old Bloo” has been accepted into six festivals for the upcoming festival season. Nordstrom said that one day, he hopes to win in the Sundance film festival for a feature film.
“I see a lot of people who want to make movies and they procrastinate because they need a better camera or something like that,” Nordstrom said.
Nordstrom said he believes in doing all he can to get exposure for his work ever since he read a book about getting ahead.
“The number one thing [it said] was that you don’t save scripts and wait until you have a better camera or a better director because once you’re older, you’re going to look at the script and say, ‘This is so bad,’” Nordstrom said.
Nordstrom said he hopes to inspire others to start pursuing their creative ideas starting at a young age.
“To anyone who wants to make a movie, do it,” Nordstrom said. “Do it as quick as you can and get started. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t wait until you get a good camera. Just go out and do it.”