Ron Moler & Jeff Smith: Founders of Aspect Ratio & Open Road respectively
Ron Moler Ron started his career at the young age of 13 shooting surf movies with his mother’s movie camera. They weren’t very good but it set the hook. Ron Graduated from the Cal State Fullerton University film department. First Job CBS Television, Television City. Worked his way up to promo editor. After freelancing around for a couple of years he started Aspect Ratio with Bob Israel. Ultimately after 20 years of hard work they became the largest of the motion picture advertising agencies. Not being content with just cranking out trailers Ron produced Bachelor Party, I love you to Death, and The Endless Summer 2. Ron sold his interest in Aspect Ratio and directed two movies The Runner and Local Boys. Missing the trailer business he started Ignition Creative with Martin Kistler in 2003. Finally deciding it was time to follow his adventure dream of sailing the world and making documentaries, he sold his interest in 2012. Now happily semi-retired he still does consulting work. Ron is blessed with 3 children. Jeff Smith After graduating UCLA as an Econ major, Jeff moved to Australia for a year before coming back home to work at KNXT (CBS)news for three years. In the late 60s he became disillusioned with the political climate here, and moved to London, where he went to film school at The London School of Film Technique (now called the London Film School). Jeff stayed in Europe for 4 years. Returning to LA to work in the film business as a cameraman and grip where he worked on low budget movies. Eventually Jeff burned out on that, and started making furniture. After 2 years, and after in haling too much sawdust, he was offered a job in the finishing department at Kaleidoscope Films...then the preeminent trailer company in LA. He lasted there two years before he found is true calling...to become a screenwriter, which he did, with varying success, for the next three years. But dirt poor, $27,000 in debt and living off credit cards, Jeff took what he thought would be a six months job at Aspect Ratio. Jeff's title was producer, he was good at doing graphics and reels, but his real job was to keep the owners, Ron Molar and Bob Israel, from killing one another! Jeff was successful, and as the company grew, he forgot about his writing career and began what would become his life long career in the movie advertising business. For a number of years he was Ron and Bob’s consiglieri, and produced all the reels and special projects. Eventually Jeff became Co President along with Mark Trugman, and ran the company til he left. In 2001, Jeff opened Open Road Entertainment. "We were one of the first boutique agencies, stating with just 11 people. Over the years we grew, expanded, contracted, moved and had a great time together." In 2017 Jeff sold the company and now after 33 years, and what he thought would be a six months job, he has returned to writing. "I loved the trailers business, it was exciting, demanding, creative, frustrating, tiring, and filled with some of the best people I have ever met. But now I am happy to say, I am ecstatic to be out of it, and writing once again."
2h 20m
