New Hound Director/Cinematographer Jason “J.M.” Harper’s Directs Spot For The Obama Foundation

Noted Brooklyn-based commercial director/cinematographer Jason “J.M.” Harper’s public service spot for the Obama Foundation’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative debuted on both ESPN and across the NBA’s suite of channels on Christmas Day, during a full slate of festive basketball games.

The piece, which features President Barack Obama, Chance the Rapper and Steph Curry, follows a message which travels from a teenager in the middle of Brooklyn all the way to the President's office and is designed to spotlight the Obama Foundation's mission to address the persistent opportunity gaps facing young men of color.

“The message is incredibly important, especially in this political climate,” says Harper, who had the thrill of a lifetime when he filmed Obama in Washington, D.C., for the spot. “Inclusivity and diversity need to be embraced with pride.”

In addition, Harper announced that he’s joined the L.A.-based branded content studio Hound. Said Executive Producer/Partner Jamie Miller, “Jason is a tremendous addition to our team here at Hound, and his commitment to social causes in his work makes him a perfect fit for our own goals and mission.”

Harper, born in St. Louis and raised outside Chicago, the son of a surgeon and a teacher, graduated Princeton and first became interested in film while studying media theory in Berlin. He has filmed acclaimed spots for Walker & Company’s line of Bevel razors and trimmers, including a series filmed with master African-American barbers and one featuring legendary rapper Nas. Harper has also traveled around the world, filming more than 100 short documentaries for Google, including a stunning piece in Africa on the Samburu “Save the Elephants” campaign.

A combination director and cinematographer, Harper insists the image is just as important as the message in his work, and wants to follow the path of Bradford Young and Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, who also graduated from industrial films and commercial work to feature-length motion pictures.

Having built his previous home, Lonelyleap, from editing in his friend's kitchen to a full-fledged 20-person production company with offices in Brooklyn’s fashionable DUMBO neighborhood, Harper believes Hound is the perfect fit for his next challenge.

“I want to spend more time with the work, and less time with the day-to- day administration of a company,” he explains. “Which coincided perfectly with being approached by Hound. This is the future for me. Trust is important in my work, and I trust Jamie’s intuition. My goal is to break ground, and this is the best place for me to do that.”