“Swiss Army Knife Creatives” with Benjamin Ironside Koppin (GWTW763)

Getting Work To Work

Fun fact: Today’s guest was the very first person I interviewed over eight years ago when I started Getting Work To Work. Cliché statement aside, it’s incredible how things change over time. Thank the maker; I sound less frightened, more relaxed, and a better editor. But enough about me; this is about today’s guest, Benjamin Ironside Koppin. As Ben describes himself, he is a Swiss Army Knife filmmaker who directs and produces independent films and runs 1988 Films, a film distribution company with his wife. In this conversation, we talk about Pastor’s Kid, his latest film coming to theaters on March 15, 2024. Ben shares behind-the-scenes stories, the challenges of bringing an indie movie to theaters, and how hard it was to make an R-rated Christian film that didn’t fall into genre tropes. We also touch on what makes the best art, the artist’s power, how he handles good and bad reviews, and the age-old creative question, “Should I be a generalist or specialist?” No matter your beliefs, I hope this conversation with Ben will encourage you in your creative journey.

Show Links

• Pastor’s Kid
• 1988 Films
• Ironside Films
• Interview with Ben Koppin (GWTW12)
• “The Battle Against Time & Ego” with Benjamin Ironside Koppin (BYI07)
• Sundance 2024 Film Acquisitions
• A24 Films
• John Baldessari: I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art
• Peter Berg
• The Whale (2022)
• Wonka (2023)
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)