We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay and Mack Hovland Jay and Mack Films and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay and Mack Hovland, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Ironically, the most important factor behind the success of our brand has been holding on to my job as a registered nurse. By having financial stability and job security, it allowed us to take so many risks and push our brand in the right direction. First, we were able to invest in some of the best gear early on which naturally pushed the quality of our films. Not only did it elevate the quality, but the ease of use and ergonomics allowed us to focus on what really matters: moments. We spend less time fiddling with settings and more time observing our surroundings, hardly missing a shot. We also didn’t have to worry about income initially (because we had another main source of income), so we could jump at amazing opportunities, even if the pay was minimal. Because of that, we’ve traveled all around the US, and even to a few international locations which helped diversify our portfolio, thus breaking into the destination market. This has always been and always will be our passion, and our goal is not to make as much money as possible, but to create art. At the same time, as our portfolio grew, we were also able to increase our prices much faster without worrying about not booking, since again, we had another source of income. It allowed us to be confident in our product, and hone in on our ideal clientele. We didn’t have to say yes to every opportunity any more.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our tagline is “Non-Traditional Wedding Films All About The Vibe” and we stand by that 100%. Whenever I watch something, I’m always thinking, “What about this is making me feel the way I do?”, which is why dramas are my favorite movie genre. Gorgeous visuals paired with emotional scores can lead to an overwhelming burst of emotion. We always aim to make our viewers “feel” something. How we do that is by learning all we can about our couples, and then bringing their personality into their films through candid moments happening throughout the day. We match the vibe of our film to the vibe of our couple. We don’t use cookie cutter templates, so every film is truly unique and tailored to each couple.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Places to eat: 1. Phil’s BBQ 2. Hodads 3. Any place on Convoy St. 4. Sugar Factory Things to do: 1. Walk around Seaport Village 2. Visit all of the breweries 3. Explore Mission Beach Boardwalk 4. Watch a Padres Game at Petco Park 5. Visit the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park 6. Walk around Balboa Park 7. Hike Torrey Pines

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to all of our friends and family who have ever liked, commented, or shared our films. Without you guys, we wouldn’t have the amount of exposure that we’ve had. Also, a big shout out to all of our couples who trust us to do what we do. There would be no Jay and Mack Films without you guys! Lastly, a big shoutout to SD Voyager for featuring us previously and having us come back to be a part of this shoutout series!

Website: www.jayandmackfilms.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jayandmackfilms
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jayandmackfilms
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JayandMackFilmsOfficial
Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jayandmackfilms

Image Credits
Beach photo of us: Elizabeth Lauren