UNLV graduate films his journey to stardom

June 7, 2010 by Maggie Leon 

Former student has an eye for cinema, works with local bands

Fresh from graduation, Jeremy Cloe is sharpening his résumé as a writer, director, cinematographer, photographer and editor of several short films and music videos.

Proven by his wins at the Spring Flicks Festival, he is a promising student emerging from UNLV and onto the movie and music scenes.

Winning two out of three awards at Spring Flicks, including $2,500 for best films, came as a surprise for Cloe, who also won the respect of his professors and the admiration of his peers.

“I hate Jeremy Cloe,” joked film editor Chris Grace. “He’s too good. But without a doubt, he has a strong grasp on the craft and an eye for cinema.”
Cloe remains humble about his accomplishments, hoping that they didn’t alienate him from his peers.

“It was a great feeling but … when you’re walking out of there with two checks, you feel like everybody hates you. There were a lot deserving people,” Cloe said.

The UNLV class that most influenced Cloe was Music Video Studies, taught by Wolfgang Muchow. He said the class showed just how much work goes into a music video.

Currently, Cloe is working on a music video with local electronic band Afghan Raiders and a script for an independent feature. In the future, he plans to move on to feature films and commercials, working as a director full-time.

Dabbling in film back in high school, Cloe put clips together for skate videos, but he never imagined his career would escalate to where it is now.

“Whenever I hear Jeremy is involved I am always more than eager to join in,” said Spencer Burton fellow photographer and drummer of Hungry Cloud. “He is always prepared, enthusiastic and dedicated to getting the shots he needs.”

Cloe also directed many of local band Kid Meets Cougar’s music videos, working closely with singer and fellow UNLV alumnus Brett Bolton.

“He understands and excels at the entire process from writing to post-production,” Bolton said. “He can listen to one of my songs and create a story based solely on the way the music sounds and flows.»

Bolton attributed Cloe’s understanding of music as a skill that separates him from other filmmakers.

Bolton, who created original scores for two of Cloe’s short films, continues to work with Cloe on various projects.

“I know we’ll always come up with a sweet product we’ll be proud of,” Bolton said.

Concepts for Cloe’s films stem from his own life and experiences, he said. His film “Something in the Air” is based on a friend’s funeral that he attended.

“They did this balloon release and had us write a message to my friend,” Cloe said. “I just thought ‘What if somebody found that message and responded back to it?’ So that’s where the idea started.”

Among his other accomplishments and endeavors, Cloe was also able to attend the Sundance Film Festival this year. Cloe witnessed his competition and some of his favorite movies of the year.

“It’s amazing how many good and horrible movies can be in the same showing. It’s inspiring in both ways,” Cloe said. “You see really good movies and want to make movies like that, then you see bad movies and think, ‘I already make movies that are better than this.’”

Samples of Cloe’s work can be found at jeremycloe.com.