Directing Real Life
Jason Polevoi is a documentary filmmaker, director and producer who believes doing good is why we’re here.
Jason is an amplifier. He makes people and stories he believes in louder, bigger, and more visible. Impossible to ignore. Ever since he was little, making movies has been what makes Jason happy. So film is his medium of choice.
“I was always the kid that had the camera growing up, my family’s big camera that took full-size VHS tapes, and I filmed everything. We made videos and skits and little movies, and I always knew I wanted to go to film school. You do everything when you’re a kid making movies. You act, you shoot, you direct. It’s good training actually.”
Jason’s parents supported his dream. Even when they weren’t necessarily sure what shape the dream would take.
“My family assumed I was going to be a lawyer because I like to argue with everybody, but as a director, as a producer, you get to tell people what to do. I started as an editor and learned pretty quickly that editors don’t have a lot of creative say in the final product. So I transitioned into producing. I still edit. I still shoot, but the majority of my work now is producing and directing.”
Jason’s mom went to school for interior design, so Jason grew up taking art classes and watching HGTV. The arts were important in his household, and so was technology. Jason’s dad is an early adopter, so they were the first house to have a DVD player, before DVDs were widely available.
“There was one small video store that rented DVDs, and so that was a big bonding moment for us as a kid was going to that store and [my dad] picking out the movie that we would watch that night. It wasn’t like a new release kind of scenario. It was all movies from [my dad’s] childhood in the seventies.”
Making movies is now Jason’s passion, his life’s work. Jason is also a single parent, and does other film work to pay the bills. Despite the hardships that loving making independent documentaries, specifically, has caused Jason, he wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“A lot of people I know, a lot of friends of mine, family, still to this day continue to struggle to find what they’re passionate about and how to incorporate that into work. And I feel really lucky that I knew from a young age what made me happy.”
Directing the Path
Jason has been self-employed since 2018, but it took more than a decade to get there. He first worked in various roles in TV, all in Chicago, including on a show of his own that enjoyed a successful nine-year run. His work has won five regional Emmy awards. Then, within one month, three of the biggest shows in Chicago were canceled, including Jason’s. After he had produced 109 episodes.
“It became clear that if I wanted to continue in this industry and stay in Chicago, my hometown, that I had to do my own thing. I was also a new father, so it felt like if I didn’t do it then, I probably never would. If there was ever a time to take a chance, that was it.”
Jason has since run Once City Films, his documentary production company, alongside Jason Polevoi Media Consulting, both based in Chicago. Even before his show was canceled, Jason was bordering on burnout, a new father trying to survive volatile work hours, maintain a connection with his team, and care for a newborn.
“I knew something had to give. I either had to go back to work or leave the show. And I also realized that being a stay-at-home parent probably wasn’t for me. I needed that creative outlet, which kept me sane and made me a better father. So I was already kind of in a transitional period, and the show coming to an end was difficult because I lost that regular paycheck, lost my benefits. But it was also a great push in the right direction. I could start doing the thing that I’ve always wanted to do, the thing I went to school to do, the thing that is admittedly really difficult, but so much more rewarding than the work I was doing.”
Jason’s wife at the time was super supportive, and had stable health insurance, a big help. But no money coming in despite the work being done meant tough conversations, timeline ultimatums, and a strain on their relationship. Ultimately, they would divorce, not solely due to Jason’s new direction, but he admits it was a contributing factor.
“My wife at the time asked me how you make money making independent documentaries. And I told her I would let her know when I figured it out. I realized pretty quickly that making documentaries, especially on the budgets I was used to, was difficult to sustain. And so One City Films makes documentaries and raises money to make films that I feel really passionate about, causes I want to put out into the world. Then Jason Polevoi Media Consulting does documentary style work but for businesses, brands, and nonprofits, which is also really rewarding because I’m giving them an authentic voice. We’re not creating something that isn’t real. All the work that I do is based in reality because I think that’s so much more interesting and genuine.”
Working the dream
Even with Jason’s strong conviction about the work he wants to do, starting and maintaining his own business has been a challenge.
“It’s really difficult to start a business and I don’t just mean taking the steps toward doing it. I mean, physically starting the business, it takes time, it takes energy. It’s really draining. There is no one there to help you really. You’re on your own, sink or swim. And so it’s hard, but I also didn’t really have a choice. For me it’s not an option to go sit in an office, a cubicle, go in and do the nine to five thing. I would go crazy. And so it was my only and my best option.”
On the flipside, as someone with a very sharp vision and defined purpose in their work, Jason recognizes the benefits of self-employment.
“I’m not the most patient person in the world and I also don’t take direction well, which is great because I like to give direction. So working for myself has been really beneficial in that way. I don’t have to worry about executing someone else’s vision. I can do what I think is best and deliver in the ways that I think are the most captivating, the most entertaining. There’s no one there to say you have to do it this way or that way. And that’s really freeing both creatively and for your mental health. You have only yourself to blame if something goes wrong, but at the same time you don’t spend nights awake, upset about what someone else is making you do.”
If any of this resonates with you, self-employment could be your next move. And if you’re already there? A word of advice from Jason: “I think the best piece of advice if you’re thinking about going off on your own is to remember what got you to that place. When it’s really hard, when the nights are really long, when the pay is really low, remember what pushed you to that point in the first place. And that thing for me was the pursuit of happiness.”
Jason’s parents still support him. His kids inspire him to be a better, more patient person. His documentary subjects move him to spend months at a time working to tell their stories. But above all, Jason’s biggest influence is a fellow storyteller.
“The biggest influence in my life is Kurt Vonnegut. I’ve read everything he wrote and his famous illustration in Slaughterhouse Five is the gravestone that says “Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt” and I have it tattooed on my arm. I think it is fundamentally the reason we are all here. It is a statement of humanity. We are here to be good people, to do good things, and everything about life is beautiful in that way. So that guides a lot of my work, and guides my personal philosophy about human interaction—it is so important to do good in this life regardless of what comes next.”
In addition to this influence, a deep artistic desire drives Jason forward, keeping him energized in his pursuit of happiness. This desire, like many things for Jason, as evidenced by the direct quotes in this piece, is so strong, it’s easy for Jason to articulate. While he refuses to put a timeline on his dreams, Jason knows exactly what he’s striving for.
“I think with any documentary filmmaker, it’s a desire to tell stories, tell real stories. And for me, specifically, the films that I make, it’s about boosting the voices of people who are doing incredible things outside of the spotlight. And so I hope that when I’m done, if I’m ever done, that I can look back on my IMDB page and be really proud of the people that I helped. And I hope my kids think I’m cool.”
Connect with Jason:
Website: onecityfilms.com