"Finding a way to make a living as an extension of your passion is an undeniable advantage…one sought by all who have spent time in the trenches. There’s a reason “starving artist” is a thing, ya know! Conveying a vision may be one of the things that all artists have in common. We want our audience to see, to hear, to feel what it is we have in our mind."
Roman Jossart is a filmmaker based in Cincinnati, Ohio who creates visual storytelling through
cinema. In an interview, he discusses his creative process, passion, and how he defines success as an artist.
When asked about his creative process, Roman explains that it varies depending on the job. When working as an editor, he drinks energy drinks, dims the lights, and plays music to set the mood. If he is working as a grip, he wakes up early to be wide awake by the time of filming. Regardless of his position, he likes to play music on set to help set the tone and "vibe" for the day.
Roman’s passion lies in visual storytelling and he takes pride in not spoon-feeding an audience information. Instead, he prefers to let them figure it out as his characters do and translate emotions without words. When asked about what drives his passion to create, Roman explains that it is complicated, and not everything he works on is a passion project. Sometimes an idea or storyline comes to him that he becomes addicted to, and he cannot stop thinking about it. He believes that passion comes in the wildest and weirdest of moments, and you have to let them take on a life of their own. Roman believes that doing what you love or want to do full-time is the definition of success as an artist. If it can pay the bills, it is good enough for him.
"Energy drinks, coffee…mood lighting…or absinthe and psilocybin…the search for the perfect creative state continues to be a long-fought challenge in the world of artists."
Roman’s other interests influence his art, mainly in scriptwriting. He writes what he knows and lets his interests and hobbies find their way into his films, helping keep them authentic and grounded. His dream project is a film called Placid Park, a passion project for the past five years and a story that is very close to him. The film will be the most visual film he has ever had the opportunity to do, and he is going into production soon.
When asked about his techniques for overcoming creative blocks, Roman explains that he does something else in order to take his mind off of the problem. He finds that once he is not thinking about the issue, a solution will come to him. His practice has changed over time, mainly by adding a two-day break to his work weeks when at home editing, which helps him reset from work mode to home life. Roman has a small network of other artists who peer review for each other, help with productions, post-production, and help each other find work.