An Interview with Mr. Albert Moten Jr.

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Albert Moten Jr. He is a film producer/director located out of Lousianna; particularly the New Orleans area. I leaned of him after visiting several various websites, he was listed as being a producer for a recent film. There were several questions that I asked him about in reference to his career and the film industry.

The first question I asked him was if he could define his job for me. He said that he is a Producer and Director for both independent and feature films. He also works for local PBS affiliates and even worked on a film that Jamie Fox won an Oscar for. Some other fun projects he has worked on include reality TV shows and the Superbowl.

I asked him how he got started in the industry and he said that he first became interested in film after taking a TV class in college. He went on to graduate with a communication degree specializing in video production. In 2003 New Orleans really boomed in the film world so he got his name published on a website and ever since then, that’s how he’s gotten his jobs. Its all about networking and getting your name out there, so once you get one job, it helps get you the next and then the next one after that.

I then asked him about how he would tell an employer that he is unable to complete a certain task. He said that it is absolutely essential to always be honest and upfront when it comes to working with films. He said that if you are not honest then you will never get a call to work for that someone ever again. He said that the first thing that he does when he realizes he cant complete a task is to immediately go to the boss and tell them. Don’t delay and immediately get to work on fixing the problem or getting help to fix it.

Finally, I asked him if he had any advice for a Media Arts student starting in the industry. He honestly gave me advice that I have never heard before but makes perfect sense. He said to start where you are. He said don’t move out to California or New York without any experience. Stay where you are, do internships, and then use networking to connect with someone in the popular film areas such as California and then you can move out there with a developed resume.

I really enjoyed talking to Mr. Moten and I learned a lot of extremely useful information.

by Laura Ryan