For some, watching a film is about escape, maybe entertainment, or just a way to pass time. But for Logan Williamson of Jackson, it’s way more than that. It's almost close to a diagnostic exercise - a trained parsing of storytelling and pacing where the visual language is most overlooked.
With a journalism background forged at Columbia University, Logan Williamson of Jackson brings an editor’s eye to cinema. It’s different, it’s unique, and it surely is refreshing. His approach might stem from education but isn’t really academic. It's more instinctive, intentional, and shaped by years of being taught to see what others usually miss.
Before stepping into the world of AI (artificial intelligence) as a freelance trainer at Outlier, Logan Williamson of Jackson spent years reporting from the ground up, covering stories in New Jersey, Maryland, and Wyoming. At Patch and the Buffalo Bulletin, he built a practice of listening closely and observing carefully and then shaping a narrative that worked under pressure. These skills have quietly carried over into how he interprets films.
Logan Williamson of Jackson finds it impossible to ignore the mechanics of storytelling. After years of honing the skill of distilling a 1,000-word story down to just 400 words without sacrificing its essence, they’ve developed a sharp eye for inefficiency—especially when a film squanders its scenes.
It’s not criticism for criticism’s sake. For Logan Williamson of Jackson, it’s about alignment between intention and execution, narrative and pacing. And this habit of observation doesn’t dull the experience of film; it deepens it.
While most audience members are pulled in by plot, Logan Williamson of Jackson often zeroes in on how the story is told. He pays attention to framing decisions, the texture of dialogue, and how a single line can signal a shift in tone. His Letterboxd feed is peppered with insight not just into whether a film “works,” but why or why not.
Source credibility is another critical concern, one that journalists are rigorously trained to scrutinize. Williamson, for example, approaches a documentary by considering not only who appears on screen but also who is behind the camera. This instinct to examine context adds depth to his perspective, blending surface-level storytelling with the probing mindset of investigative journalism.
Logan Williamson of Jackson is all around movies and his appreciation for filmmaking is quite evident. He notices everything: the visual, the emotional, the sonic, and so much more. Logan Williamson of Jackson gravitates towards high-concept and high-volume cinema, which basically covers genres like horror, sci-fi, psychological thrillers, and noir. So, it’s no coincidence that a longtime fan of metal music is drawn to films that celebrate the same emotions and sensory tendencies.
The tension-building of a Denis Villeneuve film. The grunge texture of early Fincher. The narrative complexity of Nolan or Garland. For Williamson, these are cinematic expressions of structure and he approaches them with the kind of layered reading that goes beyond mere fandom.
For some, films will just be something that they watch in a jiffy and leave. Sure, there are some films that stay, but it still might be restricted to the screen. For Logan Williamson of Jackson, films go way beyond the screen. It’s more about reflection. Watching films and journaling about them comes naturally to him, and it’s almost now become an act of mental calibration, a way to make sense of narratives that mimic real life. It’s a space where everything is raw, unfiltered, noisy, and nuanced.
The same discipline that shaped his journalism - precision, observation, empathy, now informs how he watches, writes, and works. It’s not about escapism. It’s about understanding.
Now, when Logan Williamson of Jackson straddles a unique professional line, journalism is still something that he keeps close to him. At Outlier, he trains in artificial intelligence, where he feeds data, reviews AI outputs, and refines prompts with human clarity and mind. His past as a journalist always sits at the center of how he processes the outer world and also newfound technology.
Logan Williamson of Jackson observes a notable overlap between journalism and artificial intelligence. While journalists dedicate their careers to uncovering and presenting facts within the complexities of the real world, AI attempts to do the same—albeit without the benefit of context. His role, therefore, is to ensure that AI doesn’t misinterpret or misrepresent the nuances of a situation.
It’s a role that, ironically, requires both storytelling intuition and skepticism, the same two qualities journalism drilled into him.
To watch a film through Logan Williamson of Jackson’s eyes is to tune in with more than your senses. It’s to ask better questions, notice smarter decisions, and weigh stories not just by their plots, but by their intentions.
In an age where algorithms determine what we watch, voices like Williamson’s are quietly restoring the art of watching. Thoughtfully. Critically. And with a journalist’s clarity.
