Today we’d like to introduce you to DJ Remark.
Hi DJ, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in Akron, Ohio in the arts, and knew early on that entertainment was what I wanted to do. I attended arts-focused schools, starting with dance and eventually moving fully into drama and filmmaking. By my late teens, I was already acting in small projects and making my own short films, learning the fundamentals the hard way by doing everything myself and figuring things out as I went.
After high school, I studied TV and radio broadcasting, which gave me a technical foundation and led to working in music. I played in a heavy metal band, helped handle promotion and media, secured a record deal, and toured on a small scale. That period taught me how creative work intersects with business, marketing, and audience building. Less glamorous than people think, but far more useful in the long run.
I’ve been a huge movie buff and cinephile since I can remember and in 2018 I started directing short films, steadily improving my craft while staying realistic about budgets, logistics, and distribution. I wasn’t interested in chasing a break, I wanted to build something sustainable.
That mindset led me to move to Jacksonville, Florida, where I founded Bloodscribe Creations, a genre focused production company. I wrote and directed my first feature film, The Hellgate, navigating the entire process from development through post-production and distribution. I went to the Cannes Film Festival in 2025 and secured a distribution deal and a theatrical premiere.
Alongside filmmaking, I became deeply involved in the local arts and business community. I co-founded the Jacksonville Horror Film Festival, helped build partnerships with local organizations, and focused on creating platforms that support other filmmakers while strengthening the city’s creative ecosystem. That work led to recognition from the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, including being named Small Business Leader of the Year for the Downtown Council and then elected Chair of the Membership and Outreach Committee for the Downtown Council.
Today, I’m focused on scaling Bloodscribe Creations, producing one film per year with increasing scope, and building long term infrastructure around genre filmmaking, events, and distribution. My path hasn’t been fast or easy, but it’s been deliberate. I’m less interested in chasing trends and more interested in building a body of work and a business that lasts.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest struggle has been financial instability. Independent filmmaking lives in a constant gap between effort and payoff, and for long stretches I was working full-time on projects that wouldn’t generate income for months or years. I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck, carried debt, and had periods where continuing meant real personal risk. Learning how to survive financially while refusing to abandon the work was a grind that never really makes it into the highlight reels.
Another challenge was realizing that talent and passion don’t move projects forward on their own. I had to teach myself the business side of filmmaking; contracts, budgeting, investor relations, distribution terms, and marketing, largely out of necessity. There were mistakes early on, deals I didn’t fully understand yet, and moments where the learning curve felt intentionally unforgiving.
There was also the emotional side. Creative work invites rejection, comparison, and long stretches of isolation. When you’re building something independently, there’s no external structure telling you that you’re on the right path. You have to supply your own discipline and confidence, even when results aren’t immediate and support is inconsistent.
Relocation was another major hurdle. Moving to a new city meant rebuilding my network from scratch while still trying to make progress creatively and professionally. That process took patience and a willingness to walk into rooms where no one knew who I was or why they should care.
None of these struggles disappeared overnight. They stacked. The difference over time was learning how to absorb them without letting them derail the work. I stopped waiting for things to feel stable before moving forward and focused instead on making incremental progress. That shift is what made everything else possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work centers on writing, directing, and producing independent genre films, with a primary focus on horror. I specialize in projects that balance strong atmosphere, character driven storytelling, and practical execution within realistic budgets. I’m interested in horror as a vehicle for exploring deeper stories with a healthy dose of spectacle. The goal is always to make films that are emotionally grounded and commercially viable at the same time.
Through Bloodscribe Creations, I oversee development, budgeting, investor strategy, distribution planning, and marketing. I don’t separate the creative and business processes; I treat them as parts of the same system. That approach allows me to retain creative control while still making decisions that support sustainability and growth.
I’m probably best known for taking projects from concept to completion consistently. My first feature film, The Hellgate, went through the full independent pipeline and secured distribution and a theatrical premiere. That experience proved to me that it’s possible to build momentum deliberately, even without large budgets or studio backing. I’m also proud of co-founding the Jacksonville Horror Film Festival, which was created to support filmmakers, grow the local creative economy, and give genre work a serious, professional platform.
What I’m most proud of is persistence paired with structure. I didn’t rely on shortcuts or hype. I built skills over time, learned from mistakes, and kept moving forward even when progress was slow or invisible. I’ve also made a point to create opportunities for others, whether that’s through the festival, collaborations, or community building.
What sets me apart is my long term mindset. I’m not chasing a single breakout moment. I’m building a slate, a company, and an ecosystem that can support consistent work year after year. I care about ownership, creative integrity, and longevity. That combination of creative focus, business discipline, and patience defines how I work and what I’m aiming to leave behind.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’ve been fortunate to have support from people who believed in the work long before there was any external validation, and each of them played a very important role in helping me move forward.
Samantha Spaniak has been a key partner in multiple ways. She’s the co-founder of the Jacksonville Horror Film Festival and also worked as the architect and designer of the cave set in The Hellgate. Beyond her technical and creative contributions, she’s been a consistent supporter and a trusted collaborator. Building projects at this scale is far easier when you’re working with someone who is equally invested and dependable, and I’m genuinely grateful to have her as both a partner and a friend.
Jason Orr has been my longtime best friend and creative sounding board. He helped start Bloodscribe with me and has been an ongoing source of creative advice and writing support. Having someone who understands my taste, instincts, and long-term goals has been invaluable, especially during early development stages when ideas are still fragile and untested.
The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce has also played a major role in my growth. Their support opened doors to relationships, opportunities, and visibility that accelerated my career in ways I couldn’t have achieved alone. Being part of that community helped bridge the gap between creative ambition and real world business traction.
Robin Wahby has been an important business mentor and advocate. She helped send me to Cannes, where I had the opportunity to pursue distribution for The Hellgate, and she continues to support the broader development of Bloodscribe Creations. Her guidance has been especially valuable in helping me think strategically and long-term about sustainability and growth.
Lastly, my parents deserve credit for their unwavering support. They stood by me through uncertainty, financial strain, and unconventional choices, even when the path wasn’t clear. That kind of belief gives you room to take risks and keep going when logic alone might tell you to stop.
None of this work happens in isolation. Every meaningful step forward has been reinforced by people who chose to invest their time, trust, and energy into what I’m building, and I don’t take that lightly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bloodscribecreations.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloodscribecreations
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BSCreationspage
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-remark-1009ba174/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1YAhdLJKNJlPEtnsNARXUA
