Visiting Artist - Jared Hess
Workshop with Jared Hess鈥�
February 26, 2025
Cinematic arts students had a chance to participate in a workshop with Jared Hess and hear about the biggest lessons from his career during a lively conversation moderated by faculty members Daniel Garcia and Ben Dolezal.
Jared Hess is an Academy Award nominated filmmaker from Preston, Idaho. His directorial debut鈥疦 apoleon Dynamite鈥痯remiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival and went on to become a comedy box office hit. His other films include鈥疦acho Libre, Gentlemen Broncos, Don Verdean, Masterminds鈥痑nd the animated feature鈥疶helma the Unicorn.鈥疕e also produced and co-directed the hit Netflix documentary series鈥疢urder Among the Mormons鈥痑nd 鈥疢uscles & Mayhem: An Unauthorized Story of American Gladiators.鈥疘n 2024, Jared and his wife Jerusha were nominated for an Academy Award for their animated short film鈥疦inety-Five Senses.鈥疕e recently directed鈥疉 Minecraft Movie鈥痵tarring Jack Black and Jason Momoa.
Below are key points from the Q&A session with the renowned filmmaker.
What is the biggest lesson you have learned from your career?
Jared Hess: Do what you love and stay open. Don’t be too cool to embrace opportunities — they often lead to the best experiences. I never planned to make the Minecraft movie, but by asking, “How can we celebrate this and create a dorky, good time?” I found unexpected joy in the process.
What advice do you have for students submitting to film festivals?
Only submit to reputable festivals — entry fees are expensive, so choose wisely. Don’t get discouraged by rejections; you can’t control how others experience your art. Keep submitting — good opportunities can come from persistence.
What is your approach to working with actors as a director?
JH: Communicate constantly — no two actors work the same way. Use every tool at your disposal to convey your vision clearly.
What details do you keep in the script and don’t?
JH: Do not goof around. You are going into production with one draft. You have to write so much tone into it…
How to navigate differences in style?
JH: Communicate, communicate, communicate. There are so many tools at your disposal to help you communicate and be collaborative. Honor the truth no matter how hard it seems, and care about the work – not ego.
Can you name one thing you learned from Peluca (2003)?
JH: Never wait for something to be perfect. Even at the highest level of filmmaking things get imperfect
How to get to know a character, according to Jared Hess:
- Character is the most important thing.
- It is such an incubation.
- You have to have a personal connection to the material
- Everything Napoleon says and does in Napoleon Dynamite are the lowest moments between me and my brothers (I grew up in a family of 6 brothers)
- Get to know the people whom you are writing the story about
- Do your research
- Collect things and experience life
- Think about personal stories you have and why you are telling people those stories. What seems exciting to you about these stories – that is your voice. That’s it. Start there.