We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Erin Devany. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Erin below.
Erin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
Everything that I know, I learned through experience and mentorship. I decided very early on that I wasn’t interested in the college route, I didn’t want to fee boxed in to a curriculum or overwhelmed with other classes. This led me to being able to learn while being paid, as well as meet real people in my community through natural methods and incredible projects. The most exciting aspect to learning what it means to be a filmmaker and photographer is being aware of the fact it’s impossible to know it all – that there’s always a new challenge to unearth. I’ve made sure to dive into projects of all varieties, taking on scary feats that were extremely new to me, loving every second of the thrill. Every moment I’m working, I’m learning, and every moment I wish to learn, I’m furthering that passion. It’s invaluable to me. I wouldn’t change the way I got to where I am, I feel like every opportunity that’s led me to where I am has happened exactly as it was meant to, I just wish I could convince the budding artist that I once was that I have the ability to conquer even the most daunting aspects to this job, even if it takes a long time and is uncomfortable in the process. The only real obstacles in my way are money and time, something that no one ever seems to have enough of.
Erin, 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?
Overall, I consider myself to be a filmmaker. But under All Hallows Productions, I am anything I want to be. A photographer, graphic designer, event planner, art director, whatever keeps my heart feeling fulfilled. The love for filmmaking actually stemmed from a lifetime of writing, of creating worlds on paper that I deeply wished to bring to life. Until one day, I did. My first time directing a project was when I was 16, an experimental short film about a girl who woke up in a strange wasteland and was forced to confront her real life fears in order to return to herself. My incredible AV teacher, Mr Robb, was so dedicated to his students and submitted our works to film festivals every year. That year, I won runner up at the Austin Youth Film Festival, amongst a whole army of talented kids my age. It was the beginning of a lifetime love and obsession. Since then I have moved up to Denton, become integrated into the unbelievable DFW music and art scenes, and created over 75 projects that I wrote, directed, filmed, and edited myself. Not to mention taken tens of thousands of photographs of the local scene in all its glory. I am so incredibly lucky to have landed in a community that uplifts, supports, and is present for each other. I began my journey having no insight towards the process of becoming a full time creative, and now I get to pass on that knowledge to those who are getting started out themselves. I have a never ending list of people to be thankful for, who have helped pull me out of ruts and kept me creating. I will cherish these formative years so much, and hope within the next few years I can open my own studio to continue working with this amazing collection of people.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
The most effective way to support the artists and creatives around you is to give them visibility. Everyone has a platform, no matter how small, and even just sharing someone’s work to your timeline could be the difference between them paying their bills that month. If you are looking for someone to perform work for you in the arts, pay them their rates without question. If you can’t pay, communicate that you will reach out when you can. Every time you hear someone mention they’re looking for someone to take their photo, or paint a picture of their dogs, help with flowers at their wedding; shout out your friends! You are as important to their network as the one they themselves build. Come out to shows, be present towards people you care about, as well as your community beyond that.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There are a plethora of rewards that come with this job, but mostly its the people I get to connect with. Being able to emphasize to someone how beautiful and important they are, how much they are unique and have a voice, it’s something that no other career can compare to. I have met some of my favorite people on earth doing what I do, and have experienced things that still blow me away. Providing a space for others to be able to stretch their creative wings is also so important to me, as I would not be here without people doing that for me long ago. Every single project I get to pour my passion into fills me with more and more light, light that I hope to be able to use to make a difference wherever I can. Every time I pick up my camera, I’m rewarded with the excitement of being the person I’ve always wanted to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://allhallowsproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allhallowsproductions/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allhallowsproductions/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy7348s1sqDPr5Ti8iHJFCQ
Image Credits
All photos by Erin Devany of All Hallows Productions