John Paget: Inspiring Buffalo Creatives Since 2005

By Vanessa Oswald

Buffalo is the empire state’s best kept secret. Sometimes our city gets a bad rap for the way the media portrays us in the news or because we’re not at the top of everyone’s vacation destination list because of the whole winter perception. Despite the fact that we have this reputation, the people who inhabit the Queen City know different, and people like John Paget set the example by shining a positive light on Buffalo and showing the rest of the country what we as a city have to offer.

     “When I first got here people would ask me, ‘Why did you come here, did you lose a bet?’” said 41-year-old Paget.

     Paget who is originally from Olympia, Washington moved to Buffalo in 2005. He says it was like the city had some sort of gravitational pull on him, and since moving here a lot of his documentaries seem to portray themes that sort of align with the essence of Buffalo.

     “If you look at the themes of a lot of my work it has to do with telling the stories of people or things that have been misunderstood or forgotten or neglected or undervalued,” said Paget.

     From Elvis impersonators to Alcatraz to Route 66 to his newest venture, “Believe,” which takes a look at the lives of real-bearded Santa Clauses; Paget’s subjects are all pretty much out of the ordinary.

     How he stumbled upon filmmaking though wasn’t unusual, through working for his high school’s student-run news station.

     “Our high school had a news service,” he said. “They would shoot and produce their own news program. I got involved with that and sort of enjoyed doing that. I didn’t know then that I necessarily wanted to do that for a living or anything. I didn’t have any plans for that, but that’s kind of why I started doing it.”

     Since his high school days, Paget has accrued a cabinet full of documentary ideas. His inspiration stems from several different places, such as photo essays, coffee tables books and The New Yorker. Basically, he spends a lot of time in used bookstores.

     “My ideas come from stuff I read,” said Paget. “I read a lot of non-fiction, like the New York Times, New York Times Magazine or The New Yorker. I use human interest stories, like the odd stories that you read about.”

It was in a used bookstore where it dawned on him that Elvis impersonators would be an unusual, yet intriguing subject for a documentary.

“There was this little photo book of Elvis impersonators, black and white photos,” he said. “Just seeing the richness of the visuals in some of these photo books sort of inspires you. I get a lot of inspiration from great imagery.”

Some of Paget’s other influences have come from distinguished filmmakers as well, like Godfrey Reggio, Terrence Malick and Woody Allen.

Reggio, an American director from New Orleans, focuses on experimental documentary film work, and caught Paget’s eye because of the unconventional and groundbreaking nature of his films.

“Yes he’s inspired me,” said Paget. “You always have to say that with a grain of humility because you’re not comparing yourself at all, but he really has influenced my sort of style.”

Some of John’s most recent work, such as “Alcatraz Reunion” (2008) and “Almost Elvis” (2001) have captivated several audiences at film festivals all over country and earned him numerous awards.

Paget’s films delve into the lives of people who the general public wouldn’t normally think about on an everyday basis, but they are people who are passionate and have meaningful and riveting stories to tell.

“I really admire him because he is really fascinated by groups that are more on the margins of society like Elvis impersonators and ex-cons and the subculture Route 66,” said Robin Paget, his wife of three years. She first met John in 2005 at a party when he was talking about an Elvis impersonator that died onstage. “He’s really interested in those people and that’s just so cool because he doesn’t dismiss people because they may be different or weird.”

As Paget put together “Almost Elvis” he realized that normally Elvis impersonators are perceived as the butt of the joke, but when really getting to know them from behind a camera and off camera, he realized there was more to them than just a wig and shiny suit.

     “What I try to do with my films is portray the passion, artistry, dedication and sincerity and really kind of dignify who they are and what they are,” said Paget. “I think that’s what made the film the success it was. Yeah, it’s comedic, but all of the impersonators in the film are among the proudest of the film.”

     Paget also tries to add various aesthetic elements within his pieces through a series of different shots, which can display a whirlwind of emotion from humor to drama while still maintaining the realness of every situation.

“I would say his strengths are that he is super creative and hard-working,” said Robin Paget. “I’ve never ever known him to cut corners when he’s working. He will do whatever it takes to get the right shot.”

“Alcatraz Reunion” is Paget’s favorite documentary he’s made to date. The documentary follows a group of ex-cons as they reunite with the guards who used to torture them while they served their time at the famous prison. Now it’s known as a popular tourist spot where people can visit and learn about the prison’s haunting history.

“It’s an amazing story because these guys would have killed each other,” said Paget. “If you can imagine, today it would be the equivalent of Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Imagine 50 years from now they have a reunion and the guards who tortured those terrorists are now having a picnic with their children and their grandchildren are hanging out and they’re friends now.”

Each one of Paget’s films comes to fruition after he has explored down avenues that no one else has gone down, or as in fully in-depth, and finds the real story behind these people, places, or things that have gone unnoticed or have been misconstrued, like Buffalo itself in some cases.

“I feel like Buffalo is a city that is the epitome of all of that: the underdog, the forgotten town, the empire that was left behind, the abandoned place. I think I was destined to come here. It was part of my nature or something.”

Besides showing his documentaries on the film festival circuit, Paget’s films have also been aired on PBS, Documentary Channel and Ovation. He is also currently producing a series of commissioned short films for the Buffalo Convention & Visitors Bureau. Paget also owns his own media company True Blue Buffalo, which creates episodic online programs and branded content.!