Luke Jaden

ONE at Optimus

How did you get into directing?
I went to DePaul in Chicago (majoring in English with a focus in creative writing), but I dropped out when I got offered my first feature film during my junior year. I was writing and directing short films in high school, so I always knew I wanted to be a filmmaker. That decision was cemented after my uncle introduced me to the Criterion Collection when I was twelve. After watching films by Terrence Malick, David Lynch, David Cronenberg and Nicolas Roeg, I immediately knew I wanted to tell stories in a cinematic medium.

What is your most recent project?
I just did a commercial for a fashion brand called ZARA that we shot on 16mm and 35mm film.

What is the best part of being a director?
Telling stories. I love that you get to go into these worlds and explore them on a deep level.

What is your current career focus: commercials and branded content, television, movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre–comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.?
Commercials and branded content, television, movies.

Who is your favorite director and why?
Stanley Kubrick. Terrence Malick. Yorgos Lanthimos.

What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content?
Blade Runner or The Tree of Life!

Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?
Jaden hails from Detroit. He’s an avid cinephile and loves hiking with his wife in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Foraging mushrooms and spending time out in nature makes his soul happy. He loves listening to techno – going to warehouse parties in Detroit – and writing poetry. He’s a deep thinker and he loves talking about introspection, philosophy and existentialism. He loves playing with film and street photography.

Contact

• ONE at Optimus, Chicago, Dave Buehrle, EP | Head of Production, Email: dave@optimus.com  |  http://optimus.com/directors/luke-jaden/