Today we’d like to introduce you to George Coletrain.
Hi George, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My story is a bit unorthodox yet also ordinary, if that makes sense. I was born on the East Coast in Virginia and spent the first eight years of my life traveling overseas due to both of my parents being in the military. Living in foreign countries like Japan, Turkey, Egypt, and Bahrain was a strange experience, but it was all I knew, so it didn’t feel strange at the time.
Fast forward to the late ’90s, my father finally left the military while stationed in San Diego, and we moved to Vista. It’s been home ever since. Since then, I’ve grown into my own man and developed who I am into my early 30s. Faith has played a huge part in that, as well as a love for creativity, being a husband, and now a father!
I got my start in creativity, strangely enough, in church. A pastor gave me a camera and said, ‘Hey, I think you’d be pretty good at this since you love music so much.’ I had never thought about filmmaking or making videos. Growing up in the early 2000s, that always felt so unattainable and inaccessible.
Needless to say, after my very first video project, I was hooked. I knew that I loved making videos and wanted to do that for a profession. I had no idea how to do that but stumbled along, doing all the things that most young creatives do: weddings, events, projects for buddies, and a ton of work for my local church. I’ve done that for over a decade and loved every moment of it. I’ve got to be a part of a lot of the major projects, from huge YouTube viral moments to intimate weddings for couples to live event videos at my church showing 1000s of people at a time.
But over the past few years, I’ve really shifted my focus into telling stories and focusing specifically on filmmaking, as well as wanting to get into documentary work. Again, not having any traditional film school background, I’ve had to learn on my own and try to grow organically as much as possible.
No one told me growing up that creating films was even an option. But the great thing about technology and advancements in the world is that there is now more accessibility not only to high-tech gear but also to quality people and the craft of creating films. And that’s what I truly love to do: telling stories through the medium of filmmaking.” I especially love working with people who have the same core values and desire to build and create community locally as well as around those who have a foundation of faith and love for Jesus.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
You don’t know what you don’t know. I think the hardest part of my journey has been encountering problems and obstacles and facing a lack of resources/community who are pursuing the same desires. Undoubtedly, the truth of the matter is that Los Angeles has such a gravity for filmmakers and high-quality video creators. For me, I really do love San Diego and would rather stay local and build with people in the area who have a desire to create without having to move or relocate to Los Angeles.
But in that, a lot of times, there is a community of people that you want to connect with, build with, and work with to learn the ins and outs of the industry, but many of them move north to Los Angeles, creating a vacuum of resources as well and connections. I think that’s been one of my hardest obstacles—continually trying to build with people who love and want to stay in and near San Diego, who want to build in the narrative filmmaking space and see.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Again, over the past decade-plus, I’ve built a lot of relationships around church, work, faith, storytelling, and nonprofit work, as well as building teams around church creativity. I really enjoyed that work and value the mini projects that I’ve been able to create over my time, which helped build up the local church. I’m also very proud of the teams that I’ve built over the years. Learning to lead creatives is always an interesting endeavor, and as a young man, I feel very blessed to have worked with some of the most amazing creative people in the area. I’ve also been able to work with amazing creators outside of church as well. I got to work with a local YouTuber by the name of Beleaf In Fatherhood; working with him for many years, we got to experience some incredible breakthroughs, and the YouTube and TikTok space were featured on some of the most amazing platforms there are! My work has been featured on Oprah, CNN, Netflix, AppleTV, the AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL, and so many other incredible platforms.
I’m not really sure what sets me apart from others. But I would say one thing about me is that my faith plays a huge part in my creative process. A big motivation for what I do is representation for people like me. As a young black man who loves Jesus, I didn’t see many people like me in the filmmaking space, especially locally. So, I am unashamed and wear that on my sleeve personally, as well as creatively.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
Podcast
The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast
Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast
Team Deakins Film Podcast
No Film School Podcast
Contact Info:
- Website: georgecoletrain.tv
- Instagram: instagram.com/georgecoletrain
- Youtube: YouTube.com/georgecoletraintv
