Meet Jay Gerren | Director & Producer

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

Hi Jay, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Growing up, both my Mom and Dad owned their own business, so it was natural for me to want to start my own business. My Dad owned a video production company and I remember going with him to negotiate a deal to film a Church TV Ministry. Not long after that I was on the phone negotiating similar deals, and not long after that I had a successful video production company with sermons airing on cable throughout the Inland Empire. If I had not gone with my dad on that first meeting, I do not think I would have had the courage to pick up the phone in an effort to get my first deal. My Dad has sense passed away, however I think he was proud of me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In 2012, with very little money, I wrote and directed my first feature film, The Young Believers. I could only afford to pay the actors and a sound person which left me in the roles of cameraperson, director and editor. The Young Believers became very successful via Walmarts website. I went on to make three additional features Searching for Mentors, Inglewood Morning Sessions and my current project, Bar Daddy. What drives me to make films is the passion I have for the subject matter, and each film has its own unique story that pushes me to keep going. My current film, Bar Daddy, is about a man who has been teaching Black Law School graduates to pass the bar for free sense since 1975. There are countless Lawyers and Judges practicing today because of him. Blacks make up just 5% of the legal profession and my hope is that this film will raise that percentage.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
San Diego holds a very special place in my heart as it is where I proposed to my wife. In La Jolla there is a very unique beach that provides a sanctuary for the seals and viewing enjoyment for the the public. It is there that I got down on one Knee and asked my wife to marry me.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to my early mentor Joe Gindratt. When I was about fifteen years old, my Mom took me to the library where I saw Joe taking photos of a white back drop. I asked my Mom if I could go see what he was doing and she said yes. When I arrived the first thing he did was let me hold his camera, after which I helped him pack up. That was the beginning of a mentor ship that lasted several years and included him taking a bus to Michigan from California to take photos at my wedding. My other shoutout needs to go to my Wife because she is there for me when I am stuck or need motivation.

Website: https://www.gerrenproductions.com

Instagram: @gerrenproductions