BACKGROUND
Justin Perich is a filmmaker originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He studied Pop Culture and Psychology at Bowling Green State University before attending the New York Film Academy in 2007. At NYFA, Justin focused his studies on digital filmmaking and animation. While there, his greatest achievement was writing and direction a short documentary film exploring his other great passion: music. The film, which was extremely well received, studied how musical formats and technologies have evolved over the years.
As Justin makes his way into the film industry, he has found ways staying connected to the medium he loves. For two years, he worked at GenArts, an arts and entertainment organization which showcases emerging filmmakers, musicians, fashion designers, and visual artists. He also worked at Evergreen, an iconic music and video shop in the East Village.
MOVIE BUFF
Like any aspiring filmmaker, Justin Perich is a huge movie buff. He loves everything from John Hughes’ Planes, Trains & Automobiles to Quentin Tarentino’s Django Unchained to Jeff Feuerzeig’s The Devil in Daniel Johnson. Also a big television fan, Justin regularly watches Breaking Bad, House of Cards, The Wire, Mad Men, and Homeland. Justin loves nothing more than analyzing and arguing the strengths and weaknesses of TV shows and movies. He is particularly interested in structure, cinematography, graphics, dialogue, and acting.
JUSTIN PERICH’S FAVORITES
- Best at structure: Christopher Nolan – Memento, The Prestige, and Inception are all feats of genius structure-wise, incorporating thematic elements (memory, magic, and dreams) into the very architecture of each film.
- Best at cinematography: Richard Deakins, the master behind Shawshank Redemption, No Country for Old Men, Skyfall, A Beautiful Mind, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, to name a few.
- Best at special effects: Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson and Weta Workshop changed the game with that series.
- Best at dialogue: Justin loves campy clever dialogue from old noir films like Out of the Past, Sweet Smell of Success, and The Maltese Falcon.
- Best at acting: the best actor working today is without a doubt Kevin Spacey. His balance of freedom and control is unparalleled, and his range is constantly surprising.
Kevin Spacey – the greatest actor of our time.
JUSTIN’S DREAM
Justin’s greatest aspiration is to shoot a documentary about a musician or band, like The Last Waltz, Gimme Shelter, Searching for Sugarman, The Beatles Anthology, Stop Making Sense, or Don’t Look Back. The music documentary is especially appealing to Justin because of the combined power of live performance and behind-the-scenes intrigue. And he would be able to combine his knack behind a camera and his sense of musical talent.
