For filmmaker and creative director Scott Lazer, the joy has always come from the work itself. “When I talk to people about editing in particular, it’s often considered this very tedious process, but it’s never felt that way to me,” says Scott. “It was always play and fun.”
It’s a spirit he brings to all of his creative endeavors — whether it’s a symphonic depiction of a New York commute, an offbeat look at alien enthusiasts, or a playful music video, Scott consistently approaches his work with a well-trained eye for craft and an empathetic sense of humor.
“I once had the privilege of meeting editor Greg Finton, who gave me some advice that I’ll never forget, which is: ‘You do what you’ve done,’” Scott recalls. “It really helped me realize that in order to do more of the type of work that I want to do, I have to make it.” It’s that perspective — paired with his commitment to the creative grind — that’s allowed him to carve out a distinctive voice across his many disciplines.
With his latest Staff Pick, the utterly charming “Ball People,” hitting Vimeo this week, we wanted to share a recent conversation with Scott about how he built his unique creative career. Check out highlights from the chat above and read the full conversation below.
How did you discover filmmaking?
When I got to college, there wasn’t a film program, but there were film courses in the English Department. They gave us DV cameras, and the whole point of it was to just tell a compelling story. It was less focused on the technical production of things. It was really writing and editing, which I totally fell in love with. I have very vivid memories of being in the computer lab, cutting two clips together and just thinking it was magic, because it is.
That encouraged me to pursue it further, and then once I started making films and showing them to people, I got really positive feedback. It just became this cycle of making more stuff. I wanted to make stuff so that I could edit it, and then once I was done editing, I was like, “Well, I’ve got to make something else so that I can do that again.”
How do you think approach brand-commissioned work vs. passion projects?
I’ve done a lot of creative direction for artists and some brand work. When I’m working in that capacity, it’s a very high-level approach. It’s not just executing an idea that’s already been written out or developed. I get to have a hand in that development. Honestly, I think that process of being responsible for everything, not just the video component but the strategy and the writing and the production of it, primed me for making my own films.
In commission work, I’m working for clients, but when I make my own films, I’m my own client. Those skills that I learned doing commission work for others helped me grow confidence and the skillset that I needed to execute on my own ideas.
What’s been one of your biggest creative challenges?
I think as creatives and directors, it’s very easy to see the world in your head and expect other people to see that too, but one thing that I’ve learned as a director is it’s essential to be able to communicate those ideas to department heads, to an audience, to whomever, because otherwise they’re just swimming around between your ears.
I started making videos, wherever I could: for a small business or a local artist or experimental art videos. I was just making them to play around with. But in order to do more of the type of work that I wanted to do, I had to make that. That’s been a big motivating factor for me in this latest era of my career — creating original work — to let both myself and audiences know what kinds of stories and characters I’m interested in exploring.
Tell us about your Staff Pick experience.
I’ve been following the Staff Pick page probably for 15 years. It’s just been a great place to see great work. It builds a filmmaking community, and it’s just been cool to see all the cutting edge work that is online. I remember when I got my first Staff Pick, it was for a music video that I did with Bas and ASAP Ferg for a song called “Boca Raton.” I was walking out of the laundromat and my producers sent me a text that we’d gotten a Staff Pick, which was something that I strived for for a long time.
But it is also important to remember what got us excited about making work in the first place. Obviously, a Staff Pick, an award at SXSW, an Oscar, all these things are great and very encouraging. Speaking just for myself, in my career, it’s given me a lot of confidence to continue to make work. But it starts with yourself. It’s important to keep that confidence and conviction in whatever it is that you’re doing.
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