Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Snead.
Jeremy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I founded my production studio ‘Mediajuice’ in 2004. In those 1st few years I began by directing and producing video game commercials for ATARI for the Dragonball Z franchise, which then lead to more videogame clients like Capcom, Konami and Activision. After a few years of commercial directing I sort of got bit with the filmmaking bug so I began studying screenwriting and shooting short films, none of which are any good by the way. But I think that’s sort of the point of short films, in the beginning anyway, just to get out there and learn, fail, get back up and keep working that filmmaking muscle. I bought my 1st DSLR camera in 2010 which lead to me shooting my 1st documentary feature, ‘Video Games: The Movie’. VGTM took me about 4 years to shoot, but it was 4 years of learning and growing I think I needed as an artist.
I was born in Levelland, Texas, and grew up with a steady diet of Science Fiction films, animation and was an avid toy collector from a young age. I remember we had HBO when it 1st came out.
Anytime you heard the opening HBO logo theme song, it was a call to come into the living room for ‘movie time’. Dunna nuhh nuuhh nuhhh naaNAnanuuuh! HA! My dream from age 5 on was to work for Walt Disney. I remember watching those Sunday afternoon “behind the scenes” episodes of ‘How Bambi was made’ with Walt leaning up against his desk explaining how the animators brought in real deer to study to draw Bambi. I thought to myself, “That’s what I will do, I’ll practice and practice drawing, get really good and someday I can work there.” After a fairly happy childhood I graduated from Levelland High School and attended Amarillo Junior College for 2 days. Yep, 2 days. I could tell immediately that college wasn’t for me. I’ve always had ADD and knew that I could learn more by doing than sitting in a classroom.” So that’s what I did, I launched my entrepreneurial career at 18! My startups included a cellular phone dealership in Amarillo, TX, a mortgage company in Lubbock, TX and my now production company Mediajuice Studios here in Dallas, TX.
On a short break after selling the mortgage company, I took a licensing job at a company called FUNimation Entertainment, a Ft. Worth based entertainment company responsible for the Dragonball Z phenomenon in America. It was there that I really rediscovered my childhood love of animation, toys and video games. At FUNimation, I made a real effort to devote myself to growing the toy, trading card and video game portion of the Dragonball Z franchise. I hope this doesn’t sound too braggy, but in 2002 I closed the biggest multimillion dollar licensing deal the company had ever seen with new video game licensee ATARI. I also landed other successful licensees like Jakks Pacific Toys, Rubies Costumes and Score Trading Cards bringing in multiple millions for the company. Back in those days the company was small (FUNimation) so there were times I even sketched out new Dragonball Z VHS and DVD cover ideas in my spare time, which many times became the blueprint for the final covers! I’d sketch one out, show it to the graphic design department head and 3 weeks later I’d see it fully illustrated on the cover! It was a lot of fun working there at FUNimation during the DBZ craze. Even though I was in the Licensing Department, I always wanted to venture around to the graphics department, Voice Over or Production departments and see what all the artists were doing. It fascinated me.
After several successful Dragonball Z video game launches with Atari, including Dragonball Z: Budokai 1 & 2, I took a break from the business world. I really wanted to scratch that creative itch I had since childhood, and having learned how to run a successful independent business, I felt I was ready for a brand new venture. So that’s where Mediajuice Studios that I mentioned earlier finally comes into play, which is my production hub to this day. I feel very blessed to wake up every day and truly enjoy what I do.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There have been plenty of obstacles along the way. I watched a documentary recently called ‘California Typewriter’ (great doc btw) where one of the interviewees said “Enjoying your work is the key to life.” He went on to say something to the effect of “We’ve been sold a bill of goods in America these past few decades that rest, ease and ‘time off’ are what will make us happy, and that’s just not true. What will truly make you happy is working hard and enjoying your work.” I couldn’t agree more and I think that’s true of obstacles and challenges as well, you have to embrace them, lean into them, because ultimately those are the things that shape who you are and where you’re going.
Now, don’t get me wrong if you’re having the same obstacles and challenges over and over, maybe you’re doing something wrong. Life is a great teacher, but a hard teacher if you don’t learn and grow. I think that’s where good mentors and principled values can really make all the difference.
Mediajuice Studios – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am the founder and CEO of Mediajuice Studios, based here in Dallas, TX. Mediajuice is a film and television production studio with a focus on producing commercial trailers, TV spots, documentaries and behind the scenes content for Entertainment companies.
While our client roster ranges from entertainment companies to consumer products companies and corporate, I feel like our team thrives best in the entertainment space.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is finding happiness AND joy (both) consistently. That for me is defined by having a thriving community around me, a family that loves me, enjoying not only what I produce but enjoying the process along the way. I think success is wildly different for everyone but I think the common denominator to success is joy. Are you experiencing consistent joy in your life? And if your practicing many of the age old principles of giving back, being intentional and letting your ‘yes be yes’ and your ‘no be no’ I think you’ll experience that joy more often than not.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1409 S. Lamr St. (suite 312)
Dallas,TX 75215 - Website: www.mediajuicestudios.com
- Phone: 972-709-9400
- Email: jeremy@mediajuicestudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mediajuicestudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mediajuicestudios
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mediajuicetwitt
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/mediajuice
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