After picking up his first Super 8 camera at NYU Film School, Chatmon started his career making short films, and went to the Sundance Film Festival with his NYU thesis film,, which premiered on Showtime after a limited theatrical run.
Chatmon moved to Los Angeles, where he continued doing branded work—but stayed open to other opportunities. “As TV directing became a higher volume, that got added to the portfolio,” he says. But beyond that, he learned that to go the independent route, he needed to understand the commerce of his craft, too. “You have to be aware of the business side of it, the specifics of your business,” he says. “It’s different for film, TV, commercials.”