South of Springfield Productions is owned and operated by the Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Phillip James Sieb, working under the pseudonym of J.S. Phillips. He has nearly twenty years of experience producing, directing, editing, and crewing for films.
A graduate of Grand Valley State University with a B.A. in Communications and Film, Phillips first gained professional experience in the public media realm, serving as Station Manager for two public access television stations based out of the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. He later moved to Los Angeles, California and worked for clients such as The Food Network, The History Channel, The Travel Channel, MTV, MSNBC, Oxygen, and others. Being a Millennial with heavy student loan debt and a few major projects in the works that crashed and burned, he eventually made the tough decision to give up his dream and return home to the Midwest in his beat up Jeep. Halfway across the country and somewhere he can’t quite remember, his engine caught fire and the ol’ Jeep died, coming to a final stop in front of a sign that read, simply, “Springfield: 20 miles.”
There is a Springfield in California, and a Springfield in Michigan. There’s one in Oregon, Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, and more. Even the Simpsons live in Springfield. Which one? That’s probably their point. The point here is that substance and beauty can be found anywhere, and the hopes, dreams, and stories of every Springfield matters. After moving around for a bit, Phillips met his wife, Katie, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and settled there. He created South of Springfield Productions to focus on stories of resilience, passion, and dedication found in the nooks and crannies of the American landscape. The Master Craftsman, his first documentary under the banner, won him an Emmy.
Phillips is also available for hire as a producer, director, or editor. In addition to his producing and editing skills, he flies drones and is a Certified Remote Pilot with his Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Not one to rest on his laurels, he is actively seeking investment opportunities for his next projects. If you would like to collaborate, click here to learn more about what is currently in the works, or feel free to reach out to him at jsp@southofspringfield.com to inquire.
In addition to filmmaking, Phillips is an author, adjunct professor, and realtime writer. If you found your way to this website looking for his books, or would like to learn more about them, please visit Flatfish Publishing.