EMERGING FILMMAKER: JON warfield HARRISON on his DIRECTORIAL DEBUt “LATE BLOOM”
Nov 13 | Written by Maia PeayJon’s upcoming film, Late Bloom explores the obstacles and effects of childhood trauma and how it surfaces to present day in everyday life. Jon on his directorial debut, shares more details about his experience as a filmmaker.
CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT: In 2020, the pandemic shut down the world but during that silence, Late Bloom was written, what inspired you to tell this story in 2024?
JON HARRISON: Over the last four years, since Late Bloom was written in 2020, I have been DP-ing a lot of other narrative films and learned more about the fundamentals of production. Something that never left me was the visuals of this film and the hopeful ability of Late Bloom to resonate with the collective. These are the two main things that kept me fueled to tell this story now in 2024.
Jon Warfield Harrison is a new director of photography and screenwriter based in San Francisco with a passion for visual storytelling. Jon’s previous films, My Own Mecca, Blackness is Everything, and his upcoming film, Late Bloom are visual illustrations of his dedication to preserve and highlight the stories of Bay Area natives and unrepresented communities on the format of celluloid.
“Late Bloom aims to explore the concealed emotions that lie underneath the hard shell of a Black man. There is a notion that they must be the spearhead to the family and show no weakness. During lockdown a lot of people discovered therapy and how to approach and heal from long standing trauma, grief, and suppressed emotions; all in a productive way that's not destructive to the psyche.“
Another aim of Late Bloom is to further bridge the gap between Black & Asian representation in cinema. This is a romantic partnership that has not been well documented within cinema despite the heavy push for more diversity. The film takes place in the Bay Area, a region that has a vast array of ethnic groups which sees a lot of interracial dating beyond the confines of "blank" ethnic groups partnered with a white person. In addition to that, the recent portrayal of Black & Asian representation in American media has shown division between the two minority groups; Late Bloom has the opportunity to be a vehicle to further bring forth solidarity.
CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT: Knowing that you’re fully dedicated to preserve Bay Area natives’ stories, tell us how your commitment to Bay Area natives will reflect in Late Bloom?
“My mission statement in cinema is to bring more Bay Area stories to the history of cinema. We have such a rich cultural history from labor movements to the arts; a lot of these stories are heard within the lyrics of Hip-Hop artists. I want to bring authenticity to the screen from the perspective of somebody born and raised here.”
JON HARRISON: In Late Bloom, from a narrative perspective there’s moments of dialogue that can help you place where this location might be, as well as diegetic sounds that further add placement if you are familiar with the Bay Area. From a production standpoint there is an enormous amount of Cast & Crew that are from the Bay Area or have a deep affinity for what the landscape has provided for them. The best feeling was being able to provide an opportunity for individuals to step into roles that they want to explore in the world of filmmaking.
CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT: Since making the decision to film Late Bloom on 35mm and 16mm motion picture film, tell us how this will enhance the story and experience for the audience?
JON HARRISON: Late Bloom was shot entirely on Kodak Motion Picture Film 16mm film. This decision to shoot on film was something that was made as soon as the first visuals appeared in my head. Originally it was hoped to be shot on 35mm for the present day footage, and 16mm for the flashbacks but due to budgetary constraints we went full Super 16. I feel this will actually only enhance these images and the emotional weight of the film.
“When I reminisce through my memories, it’s never picture clear, there’s a fuzziness to the memories, it feels alive, something I can’t fully control no matter how hard I recollect. This is how I approach shooting on film, respecting the predesigned science behind making film stock, and allowing its interaction with the world to be real and natural. Fully embracing all the beauty and imperfections; allowing those elements to imbue itself into the final image.“
CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT: As a filmmaker who juggles multiple hats such as a director of photography and screenwriter, what was the moment that made you realize Late Bloom is going to be my directorial debut?
JON HARRISON: I never thought I would direct a film, I’ve always been set on being a Director of Photography. I’ve had the privilege of being able to work with so many incredible directors, notably my fam, Alba Roland Mejia (Blackness Is Everything, My Own Mecca). There came a point when deciding who to reach out to direct this film, that I felt like no matter who said yes, that the vision in my head might not come true. That’s not because I think I’m better than anyone, but because it was so picture clear in my head; that no matter who came on, the vision would be different. There are so many people that I know that could have directed this, who are way more in tune with the director that would have delivered a great film, but I wanted to honor that story in my head.
Through all the silver linings and mistakes that would come with my taking up that role for the first time. In retrospect I'm really glad that I had the community around me supporting me through this decision, because I learned so much about what directors have to endure and think about while on set. I feel like my communication with directors will be much clearer now on future projects, and being able to give them the space to focus on the story.
CREATIVE SPOTLIGHT: To someone that wants to follow your footsteps as a filmmaker, what advice would you give them?
“To somebody wanting to tell stories, I will give you the advice that my father always texts me at random, “Stay Focused”. There is so much noise around in this digital age amidst the noise of the weekend life. It’s so easy to get distracted, and all of a sudden months fly by. Working on finding a balance that can still be fruitful for the filmmaking is important.”
A second thing I would recommend, and for me it’s absolutely imperative. -- Watch Films -- Not just films from this decade, nor just films from the 90s, nor just films from the 40s, nor just films from America but films from all over the world from the 1880s to Present day. I can’t stress it enough, the things you will discover as the language of the craft develops, and also seeing how some things we think are “modern” were actually put into practice 100 years ago. Lastly, be easy on yourself, I love cinema so much, but life is full of a lot of great things. They can all have placement in your life. Touch some grass & tell your family and friends that you love them.
For Further details on how you can help support Late Bloom, please check out Jon Warfield Harrison website.