Jacob K. Hotaling was born in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, to Theresa Hotaling, a dedicated school counselor, and Keith Hotaling, a skilled Mechanical Design Supervisor. He has a younger sister, Abigail Hotaling, who is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree at Springfield College.
Jake's fascination with cinematography began during his high school years as he started exploring portrait photography. His interest in fashion photography soon followed, and he found himself drawn to the creative freedom it offered.
Although he had an early interest in cinematography, Jake initially pursued a degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Maine. However, his passion for videography grew stronger during his first year and a half, particularly after being inspired by the work of Indy Blue Severe. He seized every opportunity to hone his skills, creating "travel" videos on his trips and capturing events for school admissions and Greek life.
Jake's sophomore year marked a significant turning point in his academic and creative journey. He wrote and produced several short films, which ultimately led to the creation of his first feature-length film. The script was born, and he knew he had to bring it to life. He opened up auditions to the University of Maine community, where he met his talented colleague, Ethan Rhoad.
As the director, shooter, and editor of his film, Jake poured his heart and soul into the project. The result was a zero-budget film that accumulated over one million views on YouTube and won four awards at the IndieFEST Festival in San Francisco, California. The film took home awards in the categories of LGBT, Film Feature, Lead Actor in the Merit Award category, and Lead Supporting Actress in the Recognition category.
