We were lucky to catch up with Colin Lawrence recently and have shared our conversation below.

Colin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

It’s easy in this business to focus on the negative. There’s so much of it. The same goes for my childhood (lol). But that’s part of living through tragedy at a young age. But that didn’t stop me from savoring moments that sent me down the road of the creative arts. I think it all started with my dad, James. He was an ex-marine, Vietnam vet, trying to find himself after the war took nearly everything from him. The only thing he was good at was being a soldier, but after the first Iraq war, he decided to leave the Marines so we didn’t have to worry about him going to another conflict. He never held a real job for long. Just wasn’t cut out for office work. He was a wild man. The kind of guy who’d disappear for days, then come back and have some wild drinking story: like the one his buddy told at his wake about a bender in Catalina with the boys where he wound up naked riding a buffalo, trying to break it. Like many ex-military folks trying to find their way, he ended up in Hollywood. He always wanted to be an actor. Because he had the looks for it (he’d call himself Mel Gibson’s better looking brother), but also because he’d been acting his whole life. He grew up living with a neighbor as a feral street child in DC while his dad was oversees with the Marine Corp. Like a chameleon, he’d code switch to survive. And working on a film can feel a lot like being in the military. The last few years of his life, I’d spend weekends with him in Hollywood. He was chasing acting, getting tons of auditions and quickly building a community. He’d told me he nearly got a role in Tarantino’s first film RESERVOIR DOGS, and just missed getting the job as Jack for the Jack In The Box commercials. Me and my brothers were along for the ride. We’d rent movies every weekend, go to plays off Melrose in the LA theater heyday, see movies at the cinerama dome, paint and do pastel work, go to comic shops, and hit the Sunset Grill for burgers. The full experience. He showed me what the highs of a creative life could be like. It was rich with passion, creativity, energy and excitement.

My mom helped sustain that creativity where she could, but it was hard after my dad took his own life. We’d go to movies as often as possible. She got the Blockbuster gold card so I could rent 7 movies a week (one for each night). She’d let me make movies with my friends in the park. She got me into music therapy shortly after my dad died. That’s where I learned to play the bass and drums. She let me convert my bedroom into a music space and supported my band for years. And let me pursue the arts in high school by changing from quant courses to sculpture and video production. She knew what I needed to keep me going, even before I did.

Colin, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a Filmmaker and Executive Producer at CEL Films. I started working in development at MTV Networks. My first job. Then I jumped between shingles like Scott Free Productions, Heyday Films, and Dos Tontos at Fox. A year later I got into the Entertainment Marketing and Content space for four years. I cut my teeth as a Producer working on some of the biggest most notable films in the world. And in 2016 I jumped at the chance to go freelance, start my own creative services company, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I started Writing and Directing films in the Aughts, but didn’t make any money at it until 2014 or so. I was Directing internal creative and special projects at New Wave Entertainment. Then I started Directing 2nd unit on Indie features in 2016, and by 2018 I was Directing TV Movies. Right now, my focus is on developing, producing and delivering feature films, television and digital content and I’m taking on clients who need creative, post and production services. While I write and set up my next Directing project, something bigger in scope than smaller TV movies, I’m moving a slate of films and a few series forward as a Producer. I’m most proud of my creative execution on shoe string budgets. Like my film GASLIT (retitled to IS MY DAUGHTER REALLY DEAD, and FATAL DECEIT overseas), I can make a lot out of very little. All of my films have done extremely well financially, and opened doors for producers to create bigger work, or slates of films. Have to think that says a lot about my creative touch, vision and execution. Now Imagine what I could do with a decent budget.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

More tax credits, grants and donations to the arts. The US doesn’t value culture the way other countries do. The ideal model would be a combo of the UK tax credit program, and the French Arts endowments and grants.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Growth. I’m obsessed with it. Not just artistic, but scope as well. I’m always trying to get better. At everything. Each time I plateau, I push further. Right now I’m making the push to get into higher tier work. It’s a long difficult road, but it’s the only one I want to take.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.celfilms.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colinedwardlawrence/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinelawrence/
• Twitter: https://x.com/ColinEFLawrence
• Other: Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/colinlawrencefilm

Image Credits

Clair Chang Films