We were lucky to catch up with James Parker recently and have shared our conversation below.
James, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
Sure! Thinking back, it was a tough process finding a name for my production company. It seemed every name I landed on was taken, or didn’t quite sit right after a couple of days digesting. In the end, the path I found most fruitful was the one of deliberately discovering my brand and identity over time, and eventually landing on a name that felt well aligned to my values as a storyteller.
So, Synchronous Pictures emerged from a process aimed at capturing the essence of what I hoped to achieve with my documentary production company. I knew I was most moved by stories where the lines were blurred, where good could also be bad, and vice versa. Stories that had the courage to portray the world as an infinitely complex place, especially when dealing with human actions, motivations, and emotions. Where things could be many things at the same time, depending on your point of view. And where judgments were suspended in the pursuit of discovering new depths of understanding, compassion, and love.
The word “synchronous” emerged as a focal point because of its definition; existing or occurring at the same time. It seemed a fitting word to capture the ethos of our storytelling.
The choice to use the word “Pictures” invokes the timeless allure of cinema. It emphasizes our commitment to visually stunning and emotionally resonant storytelling.
The name captures our boutique production company values and is a rallying point for the creatives we work with and for.
James, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Definitely! I’m a filmmaker and entrepreneur hungry to learn as much as I can about the world around me. Storytelling and being in the field working with people from diverse places, backgrounds, and perspectives feeds my soul and fuels my pursuit to encourage more compassion and nuance in how we interact with one another.
I founded Synchronous Pictures to be a place where we could live in the gray, and bring voice to those often unheard. Our first original film “Other Side of the Hill” took us to the far eastern reaches of Oregon to capture rural perspectives on changing climate in the midst of an unprecedentedly divided political landscape. On the ground, we discovered far more common ground than expected and sparked many a conversation between rural and urban audiences that hadn’t existed before.
In addition to our doc work, we partner with tv networks, major brands, non-profits, and agencies working to bring an authentic voice to their campaigns.
I’m excited to be launching our next original film project later this year – more on that soon!
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I’d say good old-fashioned customer service! While my business is in creative services and we in many ways sink or swim based on the quality of our storytelling, I’ve come to realize the significance of making clients feel great about the process and being as kind and empathetic as possible.
People want to work with people they enjoy spending time with and, most importantly, people they trust. This holds true in B2B settings, like when I hire a crew for a particular project, but also in B2C relationships. There is, of course, a baseline of talent and economics required, but I’ve found that often the decision to go with one person or company over another is an emotional one.
I take great pride in our client relationships and encourage my teams to embrace a service mindset. We’re here to find solutions and do the best job we can within a certain set of boundaries. And if we can do that while making a client feel heard, respected AND have fun, chances are they’ll keep coming back for more.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The mission driving my creative journey at this point in my life is to expand my understanding of the rich landscape of emotion. Filmmaking, and particularly documentary filmmaking, is a unique means of witnessing the human condition. You’re granted intimate access into your character’s lives and have the privilege of observing life from the vantage point of a 3rd party observer. You’re in the middle of the action, the emotion, the pain, the joy. It’s a fragile place built on trust and rapport from which you can see layers of human experience that are often difficult to pick up on when happening in your own life. And when you come back to view and work the footage in an edit, it can be magical. The nuance of emotion captured on a character’s face or the advantage of compressing time can reveal powerful moments of raw, complex emotion and wisdom. It’s addicting, and something I find great hope and inspiration from in my own life’s journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.synchronous.tv
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/synchronous.tv
Image Credits
Andres Lopez
Read the full article: https://canvasrebel.com/meet-james-parker-2/
