About/Contact
Jonah Best is a filmmaker in New York City studying film production at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He has worked professionally and academically on dramatic short films, promotional videos, music videos, and documentaries. As well, he has spent much time making short films with friends in his spare time, just practicing storytelling.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Professionally, Jonah has experience as a writer, a director, a director of photography, an editor, a sound mixer, and a visual effects and motion graphics artist.
He is trained on the RED Scarlet, on most Canon DSLR cameras from the 5D to the Rebel T4i, and on the Sony EX Series. For sound, he is trained on the Sound Devices 702 Unit, the Zoom H4n, and a variety of Pro Tools studio setups.
For editing, he is trained in Final Cut Pro 7, Avid Media Composer 6, and Adobe Premiere Pro CS6. For sound postproduction, he is trained in Pro Tools, and for visual effects, he is trained in Adobe After Effects and Photoshop.
BACKGROUND AND PAST PROJECTS
Jonah was born and raised in Northeast Washingon DC and attended predominantly minority DC public schools throughout his primary and secondary education. Upon graduating from Capital City Public Charter School in June of 2012, he was the only white male in his class. Immersed in the city’s Black and Latino cultures, Best holds a unique perspective on DC and its issues with race and class.
Never having received formal training before Tisch, Best learned much of his filmmaking skills from books, documentaries, his various employers and mentors, and mostly from practicing the craft on his own time. He entered the realm of professional filmmaking at fifteen, and now at nineteen, he lives in Manhattan studying film and television production at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
He has worked as an editor, graphic designer, animator, and production assistant for social justice documentary filmmaker Ellie Walton, who was featured in a Washington Post article about her work in the DC community. He created multiple short films for performances at GALA Hispanic Theatre, taught video editing at CentroNia — a charter school and arts center in the neighborhood — and traveled to Borlänge, Sweden to create a variety of media, including promotional films, short documentaries, and music videos for the Peace and Love music festival in 2011.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
Jonah’s work has won awards from organizations such as National History Day and Double the Numbers DC; been recognized by Teaching for Change, the Zinn Education Project, schools, and arts organizations; connected him with notable individuals such as Cornel West; and earned him admission to the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and NYU Tisch, two of the most distinguished and exclusive undergraduate film programs in the United States.
Best was the valedictorian of Capital City Public Charter School’s class of 2012 in Washington DC. At NYU, Best was selected to be a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar, one of approximately 75 students per year chosen to receive a large academic scholarship and participate in an immersive social justice program while studying at the university.
ONLINE MEDIA
Many of his personal and school projects from high school and earlier are on a youtube channel called NonchalantFilmmakers and a vimeo channel also called Nonchalant Filmmakers.
His older work (2010 and earlier) is on a channel called Porcupine325Q.
However, this website is the easiest way to browse through his work.
CONTACT
The best ways to contact him for questions, comments, or to explore possible collaborations, are through email: Jonah.L.Best@gmail.com, or facebook: Jonah Best.