About Me

My name is John Kerr. My company, Crowsnest Films, is a premier production boutique producing exceptional films across all screen-based motion picture, television, and digital/interactive platforms.

I am an Award-Winning Filmmaker with 300+ Commercials, 10 x Feature Films, and 3 x MOWs as Producer Director, Line Producer, UPM, and/or 1AD. I create, organize, execute, and actualize projects from ideation, bidding, and development through production, and post-production.

Since 1999, as a Producer, Director, Production Manager, and/or First Assistant Director, I have been responsible for managing the planning, execution, completion, and delivery of superior quality motion picture, television, and digital media projects, including over 300 Commercials, dozens of Music Videos and web-based projects, 5 One-Hour Television Concert Specials, 10 Feature Films, and 3 Television Movies-Of-The-Week. I have also worked in various positions within the Assistant Director Department on more than 18 DGC Tier-A Hollywood Feature Films.

As a Producer, I am responsible for all of the creative and business decisions that go into organizing the initiating, planning, execution, monitoring, controlling, completion, delivery, distribution, and presentation of various motion picture, television, web video, and new media projects. I lead people and manage internal and external resources within the constraints of scope, time, and budget. I create memorable characters and tell compelling stories in a business fueled by dreams.

As a Line Producer/Production Manager, I oversee all on-set and offset logistics, day-to-day production decisions, locations, budgets, schedules, and personnel. Other duties include, but are not limited to: preparing or coordinating the preparation of the budget; supervising the casting process and the preliminary search and survey of all locations; securing releases and negotiating contracts for equipment, locations, film crew personnel, trades personnel, and performers; arranging for meals, transportation, and housing of cast, crew and staff; maintaining a liaison with studios, broadcasters, corporate clients, advertising agency executives, talent, talent agents, talent management, and recording labels regarding the creative and budgetary elements of various motion picture, television, and new media projects; and maintaining a liaison with unions, guilds, and local authorities regarding locations and the operations of the film unit.

As a First Assistant Director, I apply artistic, technical, and professional expertise as the on-set expediter responsible for maintaining optimum coordination among film crew personnel, trades personnel, and performers. Other duties include, but are not limited to: preparing shooting schedules within time limitations imposed by the budget, cast availability, location availability, and the requirement of complete coverage of the script; overseeing the search, survey and management of locations, ascertaining the specific requirements of those locations as they might affect the production; supervising the functioning of the shooting set and crew in order to maintain the pace required by the shooting schedule; directing background action; and supervising crowd control.

As a Director, I work directly with all the creative and technical elements of various motion picture, television, and new media projects, shaping and integrating them into one cohesive dramatic and aesthetic whole. In other words, my main responsibility as a director is telling the story. This means finding a structure to the script and setting up the events so that they are at once surprising and inevitable. I strive to create a succession of images juxtaposed so that the contrast between these images moves the story forward in the mind of the audience, causing the viewer to want to know what happens next.