Douglas Martin, Jr

Douglas “Da Big Body” Martin (born 1981 in Great Lakes, Illinois) is a young but growing filmmaker. The son of working-class parents, he grew up not really knowing what he wanted to do with his life. He just really enjoyed playing sports and being competitive.

Douglas Martin began his filmmaking career while receiving his first degree, which came from Winston-Salem State University where he received his degree in Radio/Television Broadcasting from the School of Communication. His second degree (Bachelors) was in Film from Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida.

Douglas’ inspiration for film came from my first degree, which its focus was news. Douglas knew he didn’t like news at all but he loved working with the camera and talent. That interest in the camera turned into a 6 episode soap opera series (“Undergrad U.”) and several short films (“When Mama Cried” and “Perfect”). Douglas eventually ventured into the music video and commercial world. And with over 50 projects worked on (Director and 1st Assistant Director), Douglas is here to stay in the industry.

Some of the projects that Douglas has been involved in have been featured in the River Run Film Festival in Winston-Salem, NC. Music videos have been featured on BET, MTV2 and some prominent Hip-Hop websites.

What’s next for Douglas? Douglas is pursuing the next phase of his career which is feature films. We a very successful 2010 and 2011, he feels very confident in the transition. While his first love is music videos he knows there is more of a challenge for him and he is ready to meet that challenge face to face!

As a 1st AD, Douglas does not consider myself a “screamer.” He has found that running an efficient set can still be accomplished without creating unneeded tension. He does this by understanding what the crew is up against trying to do their jobs and treating them with dignity and respect. That is not to say he is a push over, but he still commands authority; he just does it without degrading people. Crews like him and he works well with Directors and DP’s.

As a Director, his interest is really telling a story that can touch people’s heart and really make them think about something really deep. Whether is drama or action, he feels he can make the story written on paper come to the screen and have the viewer take in the story and them come out like they either learned something or felt something.

For the future, Douglas has positioned himself for a West Coast film industry takeover. In efforts to avoid the pitfalls of the millions that head to California “trying to make it” every month, he has spent a significant amount of time refining his skills on East Coast film scene. With a much stronger resume and a lot more experience, his impact on the Southern California film community will be much greater.