Jack Peterson

So I wrote/directed/shot this abstract little film about Florida and I'm looking for some feedback. Rather than trying the festival circuit, I figured I'd just post it online and try to get as many people to see it as I can. Microbudget films are basically impossible to monetize so I figured I'd avoid that trap altogether. It's a bit of a strange film, a hybrid of animation/documentary/scripted scenes. I don't expect everyone to like it, but the responses have mostly been positive so far which is encouraging. If anyone wants to check it out, here's the link:

Appreciate the advice Phil. I think you're right, I'm just gonna keep making work and see where it takes me.

I'm a 20 year old filmmaker. I've been shooting shorts for a long time now, with some success, and I plan on directing a microbudget featurure soon and seeing if I can gain any traction from that. At the very least I hope it will slightly boost my credibility as a director. I love the craft of cinematography, and I've been considering pursuing it as a stepping stone to directing commercials and/or music videos someday. Is this something that happens in the industry, working your way up to becoming a DP, and then transitioning to directing once you've built a solid network and portfolio? My long-term goal is to make a living directing commercials/music videos/fashion films and so on, make microbudget films on the side, and eventually make money off my feature films. So I guess my question is, does it make sense to pursue cinematography first? Or are directors pretty much solely "directors" and nothing else? - e.g. "the only entry level jobs on set are PA and director". Sorry if this is a naive question, I just don't really understand the route most directors take to reach the national commercial/bigger music video level.