Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Epstein.
Patrick, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
At 18 and barely out of high school, I snuck into a movie theatre to see a film by a relatively new director in the U.S. called Ridley Scott – “Blade Runner.”
After three viewings and several hours later, I emerged with a huge desire to manipulate moving images and sound. At that time, my love for music developed into a strong itch to work at the legendary premier Rock Club and Danceteria – “FIRST AVENUE” in downtown Minneapolis. Eventually, I found a way to conjure up a fake I.D., with the intention of getting into the club to see the “The Stranglers” with the ulterior motive of convincing Steve McClellan (club manager) to offer me a job. In 1982, I became a VJ, at First Avenue (a Position I held until 1986) and cut all of the club’s video wallpaper. Throwing myself into many editing projects, I would often sleep overnight in the club’s mezzanine, manually editing visuals without the benefit of a video-editing controller, which allowed the two machines to talk.
There, I utilized experimental techniques and innovative methods in video editing, creating the video wallpaper for the club’s huge video screen and monitors spread throughout the club. During these times, I was recognized by RockAmerica© as the first video artist to pioneer video “scratching.” At First Avenue, I first previewed prince’s re-edited or manipulated versions of 1999, Little Red Corvette, and Controversy, which I had re-cut into elongated dance versions of the original videos while maintaining the song’s original BPMs (beats per minute). This caught the eye of Prince during one of his many visits to the club, which led to directing my first “live” Prince concert and the beginning of an eleven-year working relationship with Prince. Highlights include the “Alphabet Street” Music Video (director/camera), “Sexy MF” Music video club version (editor), and the “3 Chains O’ Gold” Funkumentary (editor).
Since then, I have directed several live concerts and various directing and filming projects for Prince and other Paisley Park artists, such as “Tweaking” by George Clinton and “Little Rock” by Eric Leeds. I had the honor of directing a number of “live” concerts for legendary artists such as Culture Club, The Cure, Motorhead, The Thompson Twins, The Time, Husker Du, and The Suburbs, to name a few.
It wasn’t long until I began developing other experimental ideas and concepts that permitted me to tack on many freelance corporate and documentary projects, which, along with numerous Prince projects, were becoming increasingly frequent and keeping me busy for several years. During this period, I began directing and editing numerous regional and national TV commercials for agencies and production companies across the globe.
Several years with this genre of work acted as a bridge and financial buffer to experiment with other work, including more Music Videos, Hi-End Corporate work, Documentaries, Live Events/Concerts, Non-Profit, and Reality TV, as well as any other opportunities that presented itself. From high-profile corporate and influential Rock & Roll to delicate award-winning non-profit work. My job is essentially to make all my clients feel like rock stars.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Aw, man. I’d be lying if I said yes. There are always inevitable bumps on the road of life… I think 911 was a big one.
People didn’t want to pay for what I did at the rate I was charging after that. As a private contract/freelancer, getting a client to invest in something in my line of expertise was extra hard.
The usual passing of a loved one, family, or friend always puts a damper on creativity and motivation. And, of course, when something breaks or you develop a physical condition that needs your full attention, that sands the wheels of progress as well.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Most have recognized me as an all-in-one independent but often appointed exclusively for editorial services with high regard for storytelling from the heart. I have been honored with a few awards throughout my career, so that’s cool. I’m very intuitive about the relationship between sound and picture as I have vast knowledge in Sound Design/SFX. That said, I was the sound editor on two IMAX films – “Extreme” and “Condition Black”. As a visual artist, I could stop all the other aspects of the production process and just cut and layer sound effects because it is fun and an important part of filmmaking.
I am most proud of being able to collaborate with the late artist Prince for around eleven years. I learned so much during that period due to his open-minded and let-him-run-free as-an-artist mentality. Not only was he a mentor and a teacher, but he was also a friend who paid well. One of the things that set me apart is my open-mindedness. Not only do I love to learn and teach, but I love to collaborate with others. I’m a pretty open-minded kinda guy.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
The number one thing is if you don’t ask, you shall not receive. There are a lot of people that would be more than willing to take you under their wing and show you the ropes. Always flock to the ones without attitude problems. Many of my mentors didn’t even know who I was and still don’t. Mentors don’t have to be someone you can converse with. When you like someone else’s work, study their methods – then develop your own. Take from what you need and throw the rest and put your own spin on it. You may be surprised by the success.
I would attach to someone outgoing and easy to approach and liked to show off their cool methods. In the entertainment industry, especially on the set, you will find some crew members that think they are better than others and would rather watch you fail. It’s also called job security. Those people will make you feel bad and discourage you from continuing with your goals and giving up. Stay away from loud, boisterous people that don’t want to share their trade secrets.
Some people get their kicks by watching someone struggle. Those people are mean-spirited with negative energy and should be avoided as much as possible. Actually, a good portion of my education came from watching at first, then mimicking their skills. Watch, learn, and study. Welcome failure because that is the best teacher.
Contact Info:
- Website: prepstein.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prepstein/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/prepstein/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/prepstein/videos
- Vimeo site: www.vimeo.com/prepstein
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