Artist Spotlight: Sara Jackson

Jul 11

Hey Sara, it’s good to see you! We’ve known you for a while now. How did we first meet and how have you gotten involved in the Elephant Scout community?

Headshot by Finding You Pictures

This is true! I believe it was 2015 when I joined the Elephant Scout family, so about 5 years now. I got called by the DP, David Icely, on Eddie Mummy about needing an actress to fill in for one of the roles, so I jumped on it. From there Chris Scott and I became friends, I helped out on some more projects with casting, and from there I graduated to the brainstorming team for marketing.

So, you’ve been an actor, part of casting, brainstorming & marketing—out of all those things, what are you most interested in?

I’m most interested in acting, but opportunity is few and far between right now, so I’m trying to do what I can from home more-so in the marketing realm. I do think it’s best to have multiple outlets/streams of income, especially as an artist. For me it’s helped supplement either areas where I needed more income or time.

Media image from Roadrunner Theatre’s ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’. Sara Jackson as Maggie and Robert Anthony Peters as Brick. Photo by Focus Scout.

How do you feel like Tucson has contributed to your career?

Oh man, well, I was born and raised in Tucson, so Tucson is everything to me. I only recently moved out of state, so starting new in another city/state is a huge adjustment. I took a lot of familiarity for granted. I’m now realizing how great it can be to have a smaller community that supports one another and can befriend quickly. I am excited to be in a new place, but life in Tucson helped establish most foundational aspects of my life. Lifelong friends, a college education, a film/theatre resume, professional actor training & growth as an actor, healing & a sense of self—the list goes on.

Much to be grateful for. Do you feel like Tucson is a good place to start out as a filmmaker?

I think it can be! I think wherever you are, it’s up to you to put in what you want to get out of it. Some of the great things about Tucson is it’s pretty easy to connect with other filmmakers/collaborators, locations are easy to obtain (permits are rarely required), Tucson has great unique looks, and you can find really good talent. I do think it’s tougher for talent to make a living in Tucson, but it’s a wonderful place to get started or continue to develop your repertoire.

BTS shot of Good Cop Mom Cop. Photo by Kelsey Fernandez.

Some of the many reasons why we call Tucson home! You’ve worked on a couple Elephant Scout projects, what’s a favorite memory?

Sometimes I pronounce things in my head that are just flat out wrong, but I say them so seldom aloud, it’s not a big issue. So, on Good Cop Mom Cop, mine was the pronunciation of “homicide.” I kept saying “home-micide” rather than “hom-icide.” (Clearly I have a lot of experience in the detective realm). Every time I thought I got it right, I was wrong, and Chris would just laugh and shake his head. We had to do ADR for that word and I still couldn’t get it right for most of the takes. If I’m ever in another crime scene, hopefully this will have saved my career.

That’s pretty funny. What are you looking forward to in the near future?

Well, like I said, I recently moved (to Los Angeles), and I’m looking forward to building a new life. The industry is a on a hiatus, much like the rest of the world. I have no idea how that is going to affect my trajectory, but in the meantime, I’m hoping to work alongside some of my housemates and do some creative projects.

We’re wondering what’s going to happen as well. As you know, Elephant Scout aims to tell stories that represent diversity. There is a lot going on in current events that is relevant to that. How do you feel about what’s going on around us?