Every filmmaker has that moment when the light turns on — when they realize storytelling is the one thing they simply must do. For Jamie Buckner, that revelation came after dabbling in nearly every creative field imaginable — art, music, architecture — before realizing film combined all of them into one powerful form. From there, he immersed himself in cinema, devouring screenwriting and production books, and hustling his way onto sets like Seabiscuit and The Departed. He worked his way from production assistant to production coordinator on John Wick: Chapter Two, all while nurturing his dream project — a romantic bowling comedy called Split.
What makes Jamie’s story stand out isn’t just his impressive resume but his relentless commitment to writing and creating despite the chaos of production life. Between long hours on major film sets, he carved out time to develop Split — a movie he describes as “a bowling rom-com that just makes people smile.” Over several years, he wrote, revised, and self-financed his film, turning a short proof-of-concept into a full feature distributed across dozens of streaming platforms. His journey offers an unfiltered look into indie filmmaking: making time to write, raising funds through Kickstarter, calling in favors, and managing endless post-production delays.
Jamie Buckner also offers valuable insight for aspiring screenwriters: creativity is a muscle that must be exercised constantly, even when you’re exhausted. He credits years of reading production scripts — including works by Cameron Crowe — for refining his sense of structure, tone, and pacing. His advice is refreshingly grounded: “If you can do anything else, do it — because this industry takes everything you have. But if you can’t not make films, then you’re one of us.”
Please enjoy my conversation with Jamie Buckner.
