Kort Havens
Kort Havens
Director / Producer / Photographer.
Los Angeles, CA
www.korthavens.com
instagram @korthavens
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I direct videos, take photos, and produce content for advertising campaigns, non-profits, editorial outlets, and documentaries.”
I make videos, photos, gifs, cinemagraphs, instagram stories, print campaigns, and whatever else is needed. I like to tell a story with a variety of mediums to give a campaign or story more depth.
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
Oh man. I've been a banker, barista, cook, ghost writer, marketer, event planner, assistant, and a handful of other things. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career until I took a course in digital storytelling at the University of Washington with Florangela Davila (an incredible journalist and educator). Her course flipped a switch in my brain, and I started taking photos, recording interviews, filming little stories, and anything else I could do that felt interesting to me. I eventually landed an opportunity to work with a production house in Seattle called Kontent Partners. The owners there became great mentors to me and encouraged me to just try whatever I wanted to try. That lead me to working in what I do now.
How do you stand out in your field?
I really love people. If I could choose anything to do with my time, I would talk with any random person. I think that genuine interest helps me connect with the people that hire me, my collaborators, the subjects of my projects, and the audiences that view the work.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
Right now, I am wrapping up a T.V. commercial we just filmed in Florida. On the personal side, I've been working on a photo series of crashed vehicles on a film camera I've started shooting with. Ever since I moved to Los Angeles, I've had this gut feeling that I'm going to be in a car accident. The odds are anyone who lives in Los Angeles will at some point be involved in one. I've started taking photos of the cars I see on the side of the road that haven't been towed away yet. It's a little morbid, but I think it brings me some level of comfort. Maybe I'm just trying to look into the face of something I fear.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
I like to hope that my love of people shows in the work I do. I love photography, architecture, and design, so I do think there's an element of composition in all my work. I prefer natural light and natural feeling images over stylized images or heavily edited footage/imagery. I'm a gay man who grew up religious, and I think that informs my perspective in a lot of ways.
WE ARE ALL SLASHIES WITH MULTIPLE SKILLS, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD DO MORE OFTEN?
I really love writing. I wish that I could spend more time writing stories or narratives for short films. I love the commercial work I do, but I'd love to find more balance with passion projects.
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
Book-keeping. Dear god someone help me!!!
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
Per last question, a book-keeper (is that how much a book-keeper costs???)
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
I grew up in rural Utah as an overweight, gay, mormon. I wish I could tell that kid that he was going to be ok and that there is nothing wrong with him.
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
I would really appreciate more insight from cinematographers. I don't feel incredibly strong with my abilities there, and I'd love insight on how to work better with cinematographers in a collaborative way.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I would love to direct videos and create content for more businesses that are focused on non-profit work, design, food, or anything with a documentary element.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
I had the chance to direct a few videos about women in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields who are making a difference. Sharing the stories of incredible people who are doing great things is a dream to me.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
Project costs can range quite a bit. I've created videos for free for a couple of non-profits. Most videos/photo shoots range from $5,000 to $250,000 depending on the scope of the project. I'm always happy to hear about a project and give a rough idea of how much it would cost. If I'm not a good fit, I usually know a couple of people who would be.
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
Just email me, text me, DM me on instagram, or call me. I'm easy to talk to.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
Read, see art, walk, talk to strangers.
This member profile was originally published in January 2019.