Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Chris. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I believe this is a very interesting question because who says you cannot do both? I have held down “regular jobs” throughout most of my independent filmmaking career. At the moment, I am in the final year of my education program and will be a certified teacher upon graduation while I am also in pre-production for a web series I wrote called Tree of Life and working at an after school program. I find fulfillment from both sides of my career. As a writer and filmmaker I am able to feed the creative appetite, but I also could not imagine not working with students in some capacity. Being able to watch them grow, learn, and thrive also fulfills me. It takes great time management skills and knowing exactly when my body needs rest, but it is so worth it and I would not change a thing about my life at the moment. I am perfectly happy standing on the fence in between my lives as a creative and as an educator.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an award-winning screenwriter, independent film producer, and educator from St. Petersburg, FL who writes and produces micro-budget independent short films and web series. With my stories, I aim to paint a more accurate depiction of people of color, especially African Americans, and eradicate negative stereotypes that affect these communities in the fantasy & supernatural genres. Because of this, I am an advocate for partnering with inclusive production companies and fellow independent filmmakers that seek to diversify storytelling.
I stepped into independent production while I was a student attending Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL, which is a part of the greater Orlando, FL area. A few of my cohort members and I did not want to wait to be given permission to create, so we went ahead and began to produce our own personal projects. This is what made me fall in love with micro budget filmmaking. It is quite beautiful the way my team and I have been able to creatively dance around the need for a higher budget while still producing quality films and web series. It makes me so proud to think about all we have accomplished.
After graduation, I wanted to continue on my independent micro budget production journey, so I moved up to Atlanta, GA and began networking in May 2018. By the summer of 2019, my new team and I began producing our own projects and we have been going ever since!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Yes. One of the reasons I first began to write stemmed from an issue I noticed as a child. I have always really enjoyed stories in the supernatural and fantasy genre, but I always had a hard time finding someone who looked like me in these types of stories. So once I picked up the pen, I decided that I was going to create the change I would like to see. Now I predominately write stories within the supernatural and fantasy genre featuring characters of color, especially Black characters. Even though we are heading into a more inclusive space within these genres, there is still more work to be done and I want to continue being a part of what helps to shift the culture.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is simply the power of creation and perspective. Being able to come up with an idea, to move through the steps toward completion, and then to be able to present a final piece of art that you poured your all into to an audience is the aspect I find most rewarding. It is a very empowering process and not everyone has the ability to do what we creatives can. I also love the fact that artists have the ability to take an audience on a journey of perspective. Many of us are familiar with quite a few things, but artists have an interesting way of being able to show audiences the world through a different lens. It really can be life changing work and I feel blessed to be in a space where this all is a possibility.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://michaelchriswrites.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_michaelchris_/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchris0/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/smoothstarent
Image Credits
Karen Cannon Blake Bodden Catrina M. Wilson Justice Bigot Corey Lightner