Richmond resident Jayson Johnson is producing his first feature film, “R.O.G.E.R. & Me,” which he describes as a heartwarming story that follows the tale of a young Richmonder who is sentenced to carry around a goldfish after crashing his car into a pet store.
Johnson, 50, says the film aims to highlight the experience of Richmonders, telling Richmondside that “underneath its absurd setup, it’s really a film about growth, grief, and the unexpected ways we’re pushed to connect — stories that resonate across the East Bay.”
Johnson’s filmmaking journey began in Chicago more than 15 years ago.
Before he moved to California in 2008, he studied radio, television, and film at Eastern Illinois University near his hometown of Chicago.
He said he always had an interest in cinema but was unsure how he would transform that into a profession. Fortunately, while in college, he got the opportunity to act in the film “Empire of Danger,” an independent full-length feature film produced by a small company, Westfield Entertainment, in Charleston, Ill.. The fantasy film takes place on Mars, where Johnson plays a cyberian guard.
Meet Your Neighbor
Who: Filmmaker Jayson Johnson
Neighborhood: Downtown Richmond
Richmond resident for: Johnson grew up in the greater Chicago area but moved to California in 2008. He arrived in Richmond in 2020.
He said: “I’m making a deliberate choice to make this film in Richmond, because I believe in it. I believe in that, I believe in the people, I believe in the businesses and you know, the city and the culture and the history.”
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Here, he was exposed to the ins and outs of working on a film set and the countless roles that contribute to a production.
“It was kind of like an introduction to a secret world,” he said.
From that moment, Johnson began making connections in the film industry. He moved to Napa in 2008 and began working for renowned film director, producer and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola.
He initially was a member of the Coppola winery creative marketing team but later became a prop master for Coppola’s traveling road show performance, and then was the administrator of Coppola’s small film festival.
“It was around that time that I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker,” Johnson said. “I worked for Mr. Coppola for four years at that time, but that was just the beginning of my journey.”
For the next nine years, Johnson assumed various roles within the industry, working for Indigo Films, ABC, Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, among other production companies.
Meanwhile, Johnson began creating short films. Since 2009, Johnson has made nine short films that have been featured in more than 90 film festivals. He has won six awards for his work.
Despite some success, Johnson has tried to remain humble and grateful for the opportunities that led him to where he is today.
“I started with a $35 camera that I bought off of eBay, and I knew nothing about filmmaking,” he said. “But you know, through doing a lot of searching on Google, praying a lot, just being positive and just, you know, the belief that you can do it, that’s led me to this point.”
Eventually working freelance became too unpredictable for Johnson. In 2020, he moved to Richmond in search of steadier employment.
He began working as a maintenance aide for the city of Richmond. During this break from filmmaking he discovered his inspiration for his current film.
An unlikely companion — a fish named Roger —inspires Johnson’s first feature film
Six months before he began working for the city Johnson bought a goldfish and named it Roger.
“That was a tough time in my life where, you know, I knew that I wanted to continue in film, but I wasn’t getting a lot of opportunities. I just needed something to, you know, to be with me while I stay at the table learning how to write,” Johnson said.
After Roger arrived, things started to turn around for Johnson.
In 2022, Johnson officially founded Strike Five Films (he had been producing short films under the unofficial banner since 2011) and also received an award for Best Romantic Short at the 2021 Las Vegas Film Festival for his film T.H.O.T.
Johnson said that Roger was a grounding, familiar force in his life at a time when everything seemed out of control. Johnson was transitioning from being a producer for hire and beginning to pursue his own creative projects.
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“He was kind of like a support network for me, you know, happily swimming along while I figured myself out.”
— Jayson Johnson, on Roger the goldfish
“Whenever you’re starting something new, you almost need that assurance from someone, and at that time, you know, my family was not close, and I was not in a relationship,” Johnson said. “Roger became that for me, in a very silent but assuring way, because you know he was there, regardless of, you know, me doubting myself or having imposter syndrome.”
A few months later, Roger later passed away, and Johnson said he was devastated.
“He was positioned on my desk where I would write, and he was kind of like a support network for me, you know, happily swimming along while I figured myself out,” Johnson said. “I feel like I relied on him a lot. And when he passed away, I no longer had that.”
Johnson hopes the film keeps the lessons Roger taught him alive.
The film follows the protagonist’s journey to grow and meet his goal to do more in his life as he learns that good things will come from perseverance and hard work.
Modeled after his own life story, Johnson hopes viewers will take away the same life lessons he has learned.
“Just because you’ve made a mistake, it doesn’t mean that you’re written off. You can get back in the game and keep pushing,” Johnson told Richmondside. “At the end of the day we’re all human.”
Johnson also hopes that the film will bring positive attention and energy to Richmond. Similar to the protagonist, Johnson explained that Richmond too is at a place of transition and crossroads for the better. He hopes to highlight all that the city has to offer and reframe the Richmond narrative.
“I’m making a deliberate choice to make this film in Richmond, because I believe in it. I believe in that, I believe in the people, I believe in the businesses and you know, the city and the culture and the history,” he said.
Johnson is currently working through the early stages of post-production and is yet to determine a timeline for the project. However, he is hopeful it will make a positive impact.
“This is a love letter to Richmond,” he said. “I think the takeaway for Richmonders is, you know, to be proud of the city.”
