It started with “Toy Story.” It was 1995 and Jordan Lawlor was just 3.
“I was lucky to have my parents introduce me to the cinema at a young age,” said the Sallins, Co. Kildare, native currently working in the film industry in Los Angeles.
Lawlor’s passion for film drew him to work for a local movie theatre in his teens and he eventually became the projectionist. At a certain point, he decided he’d make the leap and take up an opportunity to work in Vancouver. He left behind his parents, younger sister, aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as his grandfather, who lives in Spain.
But he took his girlfriend, Becca, who shares his passion for the screen and works in the industry, too.
“She's a writer and an assistant production coordinator,” Lawlor said. “We actually both worked on 'Frequency' together. So that was great!”
After a five-year stint in Vancouver, the couple have relocated in more recent times to L.A. The Echo asked Lawlor some questions about that, about his work and about himself.
Tell us about what you do in the film industry in Los Angeles.
What I do is referred to as an “associate producer.” I work with the other producers in the physical production and day-to-day running of a film or TV series. The tasks themselves are spread way across the board. I do everything from managing the budgets to scheduling the shoot. For example, a common problem we face is the script being too big for the amount of time we have to shoot it. Particularly in network television where we have air dates to meet. So the producer team would try to squeeze as much as we can into the time we have to shoot it. A large studio production is a big operation with hundreds of moving parts and if one of those parts stops moving, everything else stalls. The main role of the job is making sure everything is running smoothly and to have a plan A, B, C and D at all times.
At what point did you decide you wanted to pursue a career in the industry?
The dream was there from a very young age. Growing up in Dublin and Kildare, I was a big cinema-goer and I still am. I knew I wanted to work in the film industry from just being such a huge fan of films. I wanted to make them and contribute to them. One of my very first jobs was in Odeon Cinema Naas in County Kildare where I worked for seven years. I was 16 when I got the job and for me, it was the best place to work because I got to see everything for free. I eventually ended up working as a projectionist.
But, making movies as a career still seemed a bit far-fetched to me. I never thought I would be able to do it as a career, that if anything it could be more of a hobby. But once I switched off that negativity, got out of my comfort zone and actually pushed myself to move around the world, it didn't seem so far-fetched anymore.
Was there any previous involvement in the arts in your family?
Yes. I have a cousin, Megan, who is a director in Ireland and another cousin who is an actor based in Los Angeles. I'm lucky enough to have come from a family where pursuing this kind of career was very much encouraged. Any time a film came out that I expressed interest in, they would make sure I got to see it. They knew the passion was there. Growing up with cousins of similar age, we all had an interest in making films, so it's funny how Megan went the directing route and I went the producing route.
Did anything surprise you about film work at first?
Before I began working in the industry, I knew that making movies was a complicated process because I was always interested in the behind-the-scenes documentaries. That what we're seeing on screen was a result of hard work and a ton of industry professionals.
From working in the industry myself and being exposed first hand to all of the ins and outs of production, it is 100 times more complicated and intricate than I ever thought. There have been issues on productions that cause delays and things that have been absolutely insane. Everything from actors not coming out of their trailers for one reason or another, the hair & makeup trailer burning down, cast stalkers, wild bears and cougars wandering onto set, stunts going wrong and car crashes. Those are just some examples of issues I have encountered. So, I think the thing that surprised me most is how fast and easily things can go wrong and learning how to deal with that as a producer.
A plane greenscreen sequence set up for "A Million Little Things."
What are some of your projects that stand out for you?
The first show I did in Vancouver was a special one for me. It was a show in 2016 called “Frequency” for Warner Bros. I met a lot of great people who I am still friends with to this day. One of whom, David Roessell, continues to be my mentor and guides me still. Another, as a big Marvel fan, was a show called “Helstrom.” It was very cool to be involved in a Marvel production and to see the scale at which they operate. That was a big deal for me.
To be honest, there hasn't been a production that I finished thinking "Thank God that's over!” I really enjoyed every production I have been part of and I have met some amazing people.
Are there differences between L.A. and the other places you’ve worked?
The majority of my work so far has taken place in Vancouver, which is a huge production hub due to the favorable tax credit and vast landscape for location shoots. So, it is a great place to work because it is always so busy. There aren't any huge differences between production in L.A. and production in Vancouver other than some name changes like “Base Camp” versus “Circus” for example. The majority of productions in Vancouver come from U.S. studios and so the way of working is quite similar. The biggest difference is probably the weather. You're far more likely to be shooting in the pouring rain/snow in Vancouver.
Was it a difficult decision to leave Ireland?
Honestly, no. I love Ireland. All my family and friends are there. I visit most Christmases and have a great time. But when I left in 2016, it was at a time when I was ready to try new things, get out of my comfort zone, have fresh starts and new experiences. Plus, I knew Vancouver was a busy production city. Luckily my girlfriend, Becca, felt the same way. So we made the decision to move together. Initially, it was only supposed to be for two years, but we loved it so much and we were working on great projects. So, we ended up staying five years before moving to Los Angeles.
I will say it can be tough sometimes, but people who move away from Ireland do so to look for new experiences, new careers, to meet new people, to travel or to create a better life for themselves -- whatever the reason may be, some people feel that they can't find that in Ireland. For example, I know I couldn't have the film career in Ireland that I have in L.A. But the caveat with all of that is the inevitability of missing birthdays, weddings, babies being born, funerals and just hanging out with the friends you've known your whole life. So, it is tough sometimes and we definitely experience those feelings of longing. But for us, it was definitely the right decision and if I could rewind I would do the same thing.
What advice do you have for people who would like to follow a similar path?
My advice would probably be the most cliched advice I could give, but so true. If there's something you truly know deep down that you want to do, you have to do it. For your sanity, you have to do it. Or at least really give it a good try. You can't allow the uncertainty of it, or the fear of it, or the belief you can't do it hold you back. Don't be afraid to be blown around a bit or move to get to where you want to be. It all depends how much you really want it. At the same time, there are people who try everything they can to get to where they want to be and then realize it isn't for them. That is totally fine. But you have to try. People say to me all the time, "I would love to move away" or "I would love to work in the film industry" or “I would love to do this or that” and the only thing stopping them is themselves. People are very good at talking themselves out of things they know deep down they want to do because it doesn't sound convenient. That part of you has to be switched off. Be selfish for a moment.
What are your professional ambitions?
My goal is simply to produce entertaining film and television. I'm not out here looking for an Oscar. I would love to just produce content that entertains people and that gets people talking and that they enjoy watching. Content that they can watch after a good or bad day and forget about the world for a while. Ultimately, I would love to open my own production company and produce original content. But that's a bit further down the road.
What are some of your favorite movies?
I like "some" of your favorite movies because I think asking anybody to pick their No.1 favorite movie is impossible to answer. There's always something else. But definitely at the top of my list is “Cinema Paradiso.” It was shown to us in 4th Year [equivalent to 10th grade] when I was in school. I had little to no interest in it before I saw it because it was a subtitled Italian movie from the 1980s. But in the years since I first saw it, it has become one of my favorites. I also started identifying some parallels to my own story. It's about a young boy from a small village with a deep love of films. He becomes infatuated with his local cinema and through certain circumstances becomes the projectionist as he gets older. He then falls in love and wants to make a career for himself in the movies, so he leaves. It's a great movie and the score is one of the best ever. Other favorites are; “The Green Mile,” “Jurassic Park” and “One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.”
Who are your heroes and main influences in cinemas?
I would most love to work with Quentin Tarantino. I'm a huge fan of all of his films and his name was the first that came to mind. I actually bumped into him in the Comedy Store once, so that was cool! Tarantino has got to be the biggest film fan of anyone, which is what I admire most about him. He is a student of film history. Tom Hanks would be another hero of mine that I would love to work with. A few other huge influences and people I admire greatly would be Orson Welles, Jack Nicholson, Ava DuVernay, Sidney Poitier, Steven Spielberg, Tina Fey, Willem Dafoe, Kathy Bates, Lenny Abrahamson and Patty Jenkins.
