With a university degree in film and TV production, and credits in directing and editing, what does a 22 year-old Apple store Creative do after nearly three years on the job? Well, Jess Brillhart left her job when she won a part on the Fox TV show “On the Lot,” which will award the winner a $1 million film deal with DreamWorks later this summer. Brillhart competed by making two short films before she was voted off the show by viewers on June 26th. But her film career isn’t over–she’s formed her own Brooklyn-based production company that’s already booked some projects.
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Bob Varkis
July 11, 2007 at 9:52 am
Viswakarma
July 11, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Jim Harnig
July 12, 2007 at 7:41 am
Your comments...
I KNEW I’d seen her before! I was on a business trip in New York and stopped into the glorious meca that is the Fifth Avenue store. I had Final Cut inquiries and she spent an hour with me putting the project together.
Jessica was enthusiastic and an incredible teacher. I was blown away by how much she knew so young. She didn’t talk over me–she was right there with me.
I’ve been watching the show and she had the same grace and confidence that I would expect from meeting with her. I was sad to see her go. Not only does she handle herself like a champ (at 22 years old, incredible!) Her work pushes the envelope in so many ways. She takes amazing risks with her work.
She’s a great representative of Apple. She emodies everything about it for me. It’s innovation and “don’t back down” sensibility. It makes me just happy to know that a company I love so much has people like her working for it.
Bravo, Jessica!
Fox TV audience are dumb. Studies after studies have shown that Fox TV viewers are the least informed in the World. They don’t know what good stuff is. No wonder Jess Brillhart was voted off.
I am an avid watcher of “On the Lot.” Not fan necessarily, as the show’s got a lot of flaws but is still a great concept.
I figure it’s my duty as one of the few watches to fill you in on what happened:
The judges tore into her in a way I haven’t seen since. It was vicious, with no respect for her film whatsoever. It was painful to watch. No comments on her great visual style, her unique story idea, sound design…nothing. Granted, the film wasn’t as accessible as I’m sure she had hoped, but she was getting rude comments that had nothing to do with her film, really.
Another contestant had the same issue in the week previous, and his responses sent him home. He was vicious back. Wrong move. Another on a previous week merely stood on stage shaking. Couldn’t even open his mouth to speak.
So surely the youngest pretty GIRL would cry? Embarrass herself? Choke? It was a great move on the part of the producers, at least from a creative standpoint.
And she DIDN’T. I practically choked on my supper. Jessica responded…perfectly. She stood up for her work and was more respectful to the judges than I would have been. I never saw Wes Craven as shocked as he was. Carrie Fisher practically jumped out of her chair. “Finally!” she screamed. I noticed her reaction afterwards. She couldn’t stop smiling at Jessica. It was like a proud mother - although I despise Carrie Fisher and find her comments to be disastrous at best.
I know I’m rambling, but I figure most people who read this site haven’t watched the show so may never know how she did. Or they’ll go to the website — which is a complete joke.
As a share-holder and fan myself, for pete’s sake Apple, if you still got her, DO SOMETHING WITH HER. Something great, something that will continue to inspire. If you don’t, you are wasting a valuable resource.
Jessica inspired a great deal of people on a failed reality show, including myself. If she can do that much, imagine what else she could do.
-JH