We recently had Jon Bougher, Co-Founder & Director of Content at Emic Films, join us for our Office Hours Series. Jon met one on one with students in the Journalism and Public Relations and Corporate Communications program and then sat down with the Center to tell us a bit more about his background. Read on for more!
Center for Social Impact Communication: Describe your career path and your current position.
Jon Bougher: I studied film as an undergraduate, but switched my major mid-way through to focus on social work and community development. I worked on a Native American reservation for a couple years doing development work, but found myself drawn to documentary film. Living on the reservation, I developed a few youth film workshops and reservation film screenings. From there, I earned my MFA in Documentary Film and produced a series of documentaries focused on social issues, traveling to Haiti, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Armenia and other countries. I lived in Haiti for a few years and discovered an expertise in producing documentary-like stories for international organizations including UNDP, Red Cross, Oxfam and others. I met my business partner there and we decided to move to Washington, DC to form Emic Films – a video production company focusing on commercial quality, social impact video storytelling.
The Center: What is your best piece of career advice?
JB: Do the work that you want, and let business find you.
It’s easy to be reactive in any industry, but following your true interests will not only create your best work – it will also bring opportunities your way.
Most of my early opportunities came from people I met pursuing films that didn’t necessarily have a direct business benefit. This allowed for more natural introduction and opened career paths I may have never previously considered.
The Center: What career accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
JB: I made a 30-minute documentary in Haiti about the eviction of a tent camp following the earthquake. The film is not the most successful work I’ve done, but it was true to the kind of films that interests me – intimate, first-person stories that really take time to understand their subjects. I partnered with Amnesty International and screened the film across the United States. This experience connected me to a variety of social impact communicators and helped launch my current business.
The Center: What can someone do early in their social impact career to secure a position similar to yours?
JB: If you’re interested in film/video, there is really only one way to do it – get involved. This can mean making your own films, joining a small company as a producer or interning with a film festival/non-profit that specializes in outreach/advocacy. Everyone in this industry is extremely open, but it requires you to do the work and really have a sincere commitment.
The Center: What skills are necessary to work in film production, especially video projects that focus on advocacy or are educational in nature?
JB: It depends on what you want to do. If you are interested in the hands-on aspects, then you need to learn how to film, edit, etc. Even if you want to be involved in a Producer/Marketing capacity, this is helpful, because it allows you to communicate to people who are doing the hands-on work. At the very least, you need to understand how to tell a story. Understanding creative details like narrative structure, character, etc are essential in telling any kind of video story. This will help you even if you’re working on the advocacy/outreach.
The Center: What is your go to source to learn about cause communication trends?
JB: I look at recent documentary film festivals, and then follow organizations that work with filmmakers on outreach/advocacy strategy (Picture Motion, Fledgling Fund, Working Films, etc). I try to attend events in the city from groups like the Un Foundation who tend to have the funding to be on the front line of video communications, including Virtual Reality. In addition, I try to stay updated on non-profit communication conferences and follow the work of key speakers.
The Center: We have to ask… is your organization hiring?
JB: Definitely! We’re a young company, but always looking for the right kind of young, savvy marketing professional who would be interested in working with us on outreach. We’re selective, but definitely open to finding the right person to be a part of the team.
The Center: Thanks so much for the chat, Jon! We look forward to seeing future Emic Films projects.
