University alumnus Aaron Godfred used to be just your average film lover.
Since the age of 16, Godfred, now 31, had been making films but had no intent of pursuing it as a career after he graduated from Linfield College with an undergraduate degree in international business.
It wasn’t until Godfred graduated from the University with a master’s of business administration in sports marketing that he decided to make a bold move and pursue film.
A few years after graduating from the University, Godfred’s boldness and persistency has paid off.
Now promoting his first feature-length film — and co-producing an upcoming horror film starring Paul Giamatti — Godfred is proof that with motivation and drive, filmmakers in Oregon can, and do, make it in the film industry.
“The one thing I do have is that I don’t quit,” Godfred said.
Godfred, originally from Anchorage, Alaska, became seriously interested in filmmaking when he attended the University for graduate school. With little-to-no experience under his belt, he applied for a documentary filmmaking class at the journalism school, for which he was initially denied. After getting in and taking the course, Godfred produced a short documentary about the University during the years of the Vietnam War, which won a Northwest Emmy.
Godfred said after making the documentary he “realized that film was something to pursue for a career.”
So, he used contacts in L.A. to get a job at the production company, High Definition Studio, where Godfred rented out equipment to filmmakers.
“At that point I wanted to be the guy checking out the camera,” he said.
Although Godfred had mostly worked with documentaries up until that point, he said he changed his interests after working to produce a short film with a friend.
“That was the first time working with a script,” he said. “After I got a taste of that, there was really no going back.”
Godfred ended up working at Endeavor Talent Agency, which represents big-name actors such as Matt Damon and Seth MacFarlane. But like most aspiring filmmakers, Godfred worked long hours with bad pay and little reward.
“I had an MBA and I was pushing mail around,” he said. “I thought ‘what the hell am I doing here?’”
But he persisted and began working at a motion picture and literary agent’s desk, where he wrote the script for “Little Blue Pill,” which became his first feature-length film.
After Godfred left the agency, he decided to pursue the film as an independent filmmaker, with a budget of $10,000.
Godfred is promoting the premiere of “Little Blue Pill,” a comedy about an unlucky guy who accidentally takes two defective erectile dysfunction pills and goes through a day of mishaps and adventures.
The film was shot in Portland in summer 2009, and a lot of its supporting cast and crew are from Oregon. The appeal of shooting in Oregon, Godfred said, was that it is much cheaper and easier to work in than L.A., and he was able to utilize the talents of friends and connections he had from college.
From his work on “Little Blue Pill,” got a job as co-producer on the horror film “John Dies at the End,” starring Paul (“Sideways,” “Barney’s Version”).
 
“I’ve always loved his work,” Godfred said. “(Working) with him has been one of the highlights of my career.”
Currently, Godfred is busy promoting the world premiere of “Little Bill Pill,” while also writing the script for his next film, “10 Weeks Notice.”
 
Looking back on his career since he first started, Godfred said he is glad he was persistent and pursued film.
“The important thing to do is to find something you’re passionate about,” he said. “It’s never too late to make a change, (and) I always knew I wanted to do film.”
 
The premiere of Godfred’s film “Little Blue Pill” is Saturday, March 26 at 9 p.m. at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland. Tickets can be purchased online for $8.

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