Alumnus Nathan Reid forms Reinventing Films and Produces "The Jokester" film series

February 28, 2014 - Alumni, Careers, Spotlight

Nathan Reid, an AMDA graduate, has been acting, writing, and producing films for over 10 years. In 2004, Nathan wrote and sold his first script, Snowman Assassin. In 2005, he executive produced and starred in his first film Old Man Music, starring Geoffrey Lewis and J.A. Preston, which won the Gold Metal for Excellence at the Park City Music Festival and various other awards of recognition. In 2008, Nathan created Prey: The Beginning; a comic book franchise. The first issue was listed #3 in the top ten sales ranking for Independent comics. In 2013, Nathan formed Reinventing Films with producing partner Jodie Bentley, and then merged with Moving Pictures Media Group in early 2014. RF and MPMG have slates of films in all stages of production and look forward to their growing partnership.

Right before the New Year, Reinventing Films purchased the rights to a horror franchise that was circling Hollywood. Nathan rewrote the script, packaged and had it fully financed in under a month. The Jokesters is a Blair Witch meets Jackass horror film where the Executive Producers were so excited about the project, they greenlit 2, 3, and 4 of the franchise. Pre-Production on The Jokester 2 begins late April to early May of this year. Nathan is also one of the lead actors of the film. The Jokesters will be released near the end of 2014.

Nathan attributes his success to the training he learned at AMDA and also to the support of his wonderful wife, Gabrielle Reid, also an AMDA grad, who is in the Broadway musical Beautiful, The Carol King Musical currently running and sold out for a year in New York.

We spoke to Nathan recently to get some insight about how he started down the exciting road of creating and producing films.

What brought you to AMDA to study?

The reason why I went to AMDA in New York was to start over, in my case, in my life. I was from Los Angeles and I wanted to go to a performing arts school that was hard to get into, and then excel when I got there, but it HAD to be away from Los Angeles. So obviously, it was New York.

What was your AMDA NY experience like?

Fascinating. I gravitated heavily toward a teacher named David Lee. Which reminds me, I've been dying to cast him in a movie. AMDA was a fast-paced, grab your gear, and go school. I loved being thrown into a situation and figuring it out in the moment. I'm the type that wouldn't even look at a class schedule. That has now carried as far as the fact that I won't look at what we're shooting from day-to-day on a film because I love being surprised.

What were your initial goals after graduating?

Film. The joke about me in school was that I got my diploma and my plane ticket in the same transaction. I was determined to now head back to Los Angeles and to "once again" figure it out as I went along. I have massive dreams and aspirations, now more specific and focused; but prior, much like a rocket that needed tremendous guidance and structure.

How and when did you decide to go into film making?

I get so passionate about what I do, when I "type about it" I can't get my fingers to press down fast enough for my thoughts. I love film. I'm obsessed with the positive effect that it has on society. The dreams of the future are dreamed by the brave, and those dreams are dreamed by artists. I decided after I graduated that I was supposed to be the leading man with a heart of coal. It sounds like a weird statement, but it's getting ridiculously specific with casting, and then honing in on that casting and really making it work. What's most exciting now about film is that I close the money for some massive projects. I think I call them massive because that's how I feel about them. I don't play small. I don't talk small. And I find that if I keep pushing myself and making myself uncomfortable, I'll reach past even where I am now to achieve what most feel is impossible, i.e., I'm never satisfied and neither should you be when it comes to your dreams.

How did Reinventing Films come about?

Sheer force. Really. I met my producing partner, Jodie Bentley, ironically, "back" in New York 2 years ago through a personal branding and marketing company for actors called The Savvy Actor. I took her weekend seminar and immediately thought, "This woman is destined to produce films". She will gladly share the story that the convincing process was interesting to say the least, but in less than a year, we have produced 3 films and are now heading into slate financing in a company merger with Platinum Studios who did the marketing and merchandising for Cowboys and Aliens, Men in Black, and more.

What are you working on now?

We are currently half way through shooting part one of a horror franchise called, The Jokesters. The Jokesters is the story of 4 pranksters who decide to prank a Cabin in the Woods nightmare on their friend's honeymoon and they do it so well that it actually creates a Cabin in the Woods serial killer. We will start production on part 2 in less than three months and I have to say that once again, it was sheer force. It's almost something that needs a half hour conversation to go over the "get it done now" mentality that my company had for this film. From the time that the script was done we were financed in under a month. I've known companies to raise money for their films and after two years, aren't any closer. I owe a lot to Grant Cardone's "The Closer's Survival Guide," which if you go onto one of our affiliate sites ReinventingCrowdfunding.com and click on "Close Your Money," you'll see the books and audio tapes that were required reading before I would work with any member of my team. Set high standards, and maintain them.

What do you see for yourself and your career in the future?

Hundreds of millions of dollars. That's not an underestimate. And it's one of the most exciting things about pushing with everything you have. Why not you?... is something that I ask. I'm no different than anyone. I just want, as a mentor of mine said, "Live like no one else so that one day you can live like no one else."

Do you have any advice for students and graduates who are just starting out?

Choose your circle wisely. Limiting beliefs are contagious and are spread by those who have no experience doling them out. On the humorous side I used to say, "If you want to give me advice, show me your bank account and if you have the money I want to make,  I will take your advice. Otherwise, your advice isn't working for you either." I definitely consider myself a hard pill to swallow. But unfortunately, I worked over 10 years to finally get to this mindset, which means, for a long time I had been operating on the wrong information. Get everything Grant Cardone, Steve Siebold, and Brian Tracy write. Start with "How Rich People Think" by Steve Siebold. It is a 100% push for artists to be as big as they set themselves out to be. So go do that and then be bigger. Because anything short of that, and you're left only with the justifications of why you didn't get there. I love artists, I am one, and if we are to pave the way for others, let's blaze a path that's wide enough for all the help we need along the way. I wrote all of this after a 14 hour film shoot day, leaving the film I wrote, produced, starred in, and closed the money for. Go get it!

Thank you Nathan! We cannot wait to see the outcome of your current film series and all the amazing things you do next.

For more information about The Jokesters visit:
imdb.com/title/tt3264194/
reinventingfilms.com/films/thejokesters/