A leading Hollywood producer is hoping to instil belief in young Highland creators as he celebrates the launch of a new collaborative programme.
Jason Lust has teamed up with Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s (HIE), XpoNorth Digital programme and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) to deliver an exciting new initiative for creators in the north.
The producer is one of the original founders of prolific management and production company Circle of Confusion, which was responsible for The Matrix Trilogy as well as The Walking Dead.
He also partnered with JJ Abrams company on an animated project with Warner Brothers and sold a major feature IP to Columbia where he made Peter Rabbit.
FutureCreative aims to give students a leg up in the industry
The new programme, titled FutureCreative, was derived to connect creative, heritage and digital students with professional networks and opportunities.
The initiative aims to help creators hone their skills whilst better preparing them for a career in the film and TV industry.
In addition to the programme, Mr Lust will work with XpoNorth Digital and UHI to deliver a specially curated mentorship to help students obtain international opportunities earlier in their career.
On Tuesday, students, staff and representatives joined Mr Lust and others from the programme at An Lochran on Inverness Campus to mark its official launch.
He hopes to be able to pass on some of the wisdom he has garnered over the years and break down barriers for the north’s brightest talent.
He said: “I’m really excited to be part of this process and I really want to make the most of it. I think in life when you embark on a new movie or project, you never know where it is going to go but you have a sense. I have a really good sense of how this is going to evolve into something super productive for all involved.
“I want to assist them in figuring out what preparation actually means and how to best communicate their individual visions, and then with a creative belief – depending on their input and their ability to show up at the table – they can realise their vision.”
The producer says the Highlands has a lot to offer the film and TV industry.
Mr Lust added: “I think that the more of an impact that I can have with the individuals and teach them some of the bag of tricks I have learned over the years, hopefully that will be impactful for them.
“With some ingenuity and hard work, I believe that one doesn’t have to live and exist only in Hollywood to make great movies.
“I have spent the better part of my career finding ways to infiltrate the Hollywood system and make great movies. The Highlands and Islands has tremendous creative forces to offer the film and TV world at large and I intend to help that cause as much as I can.”
How the Hollywood producer earned his stripes
Mr Lust explained how his love for film started when he was just a child and how one conversation during his time at university changed his life forever.
He studied at both New York University and the University of Southern California (USC).
“I always loved film growing up,” he added.
“I was a devoted film watcher as a kid; from animated movies to all kinds. At a certain point I was going in a business direction and I opted for film. That was at a university level.
“My roommate at the time was the son of a very famous film director and that film director is no longer alive.
“He sat me down at a certain point and said Jason you love film, you love business, you are an incredibly creative person, you would make an amazing film producer. I had never thought about that until that moment in time and it changed everything for me.”
In 2019, the producer travelled to the Highlands of Scotland for the first time to attend XpoNorth.
He had hoped to return the following year, however the Covid pandemic thwarted his plans.
Three years on, he is back, ready to inspire the next generation of creators.
Mr Lust said: “I think it is the myth of the place; it is the landscape. Something is in the water.
“I think it is a secret kind of amalgamation of many forces coming together to surprise you. It surprised me and us as a family. It is unlike any other place I have ever been.”
Most recently, Mr Lust was a producer on the animated film Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, which can be seen on Netflix.
He is also currently developing a Christmas movie with Steph Curry’s company Unanimous and a vampire movie based on a classic Japanese manga Hellsing with the writer of John Wick; both projects are with Amazon Studios.
The producer has recently joined forces with Scottish animation Company Axis Studios to begin production on a new film, written by a UK screenwriter, surrounding the theme of anti-bullying.
Exciting new opportunity
The project follows on from the success of the award-winning LevelUp partnership.
XpoNorth Digital will deliver a bespoke suite of workshops, 1-2-1 advice and specialist mentorship.
It will allow students to integrate more fully into the creative industries, explore new ideas, develop relationships and build professional futures.
The programme will be available to all students studying a creative or heritage course at UHI.
Peter Honeyman, UHI’s subject network leader for creative and cultural industries, said: “The FutureCreative programme is an amazing opportunity for creative industries students throughout UHI. Having access to this range of industry speakers gives students real insights into the range of employment and self-employment options open to them after graduation.”
Conversation