Get to know Jason Allard of Uncommon Sense Media

Updated Oct. 2024

Your name: Jason Allard
Website: www.uncomsensemedia.com
Youtube: YouTube.com/JasonAllard

  

1. Tell us about your channel.
My YouTube channel is home to my “Abandoned From Above” series, which documents abandoned historical icons throughout New England through drone cinematography. I visit locations ranging from abandoned amusement parks and schools, to train tunnels and radio towers. I have roughly 11,000 subscribers and two million views to date—and it’s growing every day! The series is a great creative outlet when I need a break from my full-time job in corporate video production.

 2. Is there a story behind the name of your account?
My YouTube channel is listed in my name, Jason Allard, but my Instagram and freelance production studio are listed under Uncommon Sense Media. It’s something I came up with in in high school and stuck with me all these years. I love progressing as a filmmaker but having my original name to remind me of where I started. 

 

3. How did you get started?
I started making videos when I was 13. My parents bought a hi-8 camcorder from a friend and I was immediately drawn to it. The first videos I ever made were recreations of battle scenes from Lord of the Rings with my cousins. Through middle and high school, I always had a camera with me to capture whatever my friends and I were doing. It was much different than what I’m doing now but it really grew my passion for filmmaking and storytelling. 

 4. Where do you draw your inspiration?
I draw most of my inspiration from music. That’s always been a huge part of my videos since it always sets the vibe. I can lay five different tracks under the same video and every version will convey something completely different. I’m always listening to hip hop and writing down shot ideas, scene settings, and camera movements. I’d say Kid Cudi, Yung Lean, slowthai, and Juice WRLD are my go-to artists right now. It’s so much fun to hear a song and be able to visualize how it sounds, then turn that into a scene in one of my videos.

5. Every picture tells a story. Do you have a favorite story behind one of your posts?

My favorite story has to do with a photo I captured last year at abandoned mill remains here in Rhode Island. My wife and I took some wrong turns trying to find this place, but in the end the journey was worth it. It sits completely isolated on a quiet river and was easily the most peaceful abandoned place I’ve ever been to. It’s being reclaimed by nature, with the river slowly making its way through the foundation under the structure and vines and bushes growing in all the cracks.

It’s one of those places that’s beautiful no matter when you visit and shows how peaceful urban exploration can be at times.

6. Do you have a personal-favorite photo in your account so far?
This is a photo of me inside an abandoned bank that I remember going to as a child when it was open. At one time it had a beautiful interior with gorgeous stonework and ornate offices. Today, it’s fallen into disrepair and been vandalized. I was shocked at the condition it was in, but knowing I still had the chance to tell its story made it a meaningful place for me to visit. 

 7. What’s your most popular post so far?
If you consider most popular to be the video with the most views, then that would be one I produced in college about effective interviewing skills. It has nothing to do with abandoned places or history, but it did accrue over one million views. That video taught me about Google Analytics, post optimization, and YoutTube viewing habits. It’s still on my channel today in case anyone wants to improve their interview skills and then learn about abandoned places right after.

8. Do you have any favorite Rhode Island accounts that you follow?
Rhode Island has so many talented artists and creative people. I highly recommend everyone check out @MikeCohea for amazing landmark photos, @FilmmakerDave for shots of Blackstone Valley, and @sabin.shipspotter for the cleanest drone shots at Rhode Island’s shipping ports. 

 

9. How long have you been in Rhode Island?
I’ve been in Rhode Island my whole life. I’ve had the opportunity to travel for work, shooting videos around the world, but Rhode Island can really hold its own against almost anywhere I’ve been. I love it here.

 

10. What do you {heart} about Rhode Island?
The beaches! My wife and I visit South County frequently throughout the year. I love surfing at sunset at Narragansett Town Beach whenever we can get down there. It doesn’t get any better than grabbing food at Iggy’s then driving down along the seawall to relax on the beach all night. I think we’re very lucky to be able to experience that so close to home.

11. Favorite place to take out-of-towners?
If not the beach, then anywhere in Providence. There are so many good food spots on the East Side, Federal Hill and Downtown. My current favorites are Bun Fun, Plant City and Little Sister (try the Horchata!). You also can’t go wrong with a takeout pizza from Caserta and picnic in Prospect Park.

update: BunFun is now closed.