We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cris Thorne. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cris below.

Cris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

During my senior year of high school, I had already made a couple short films but I hadn’t yet found my voice. My high school had an AM and PM news class that I was a part of, and I enjoyed editing the news stories. It was at this time that I took an interest in documentary filmmaking as a way of telling real life stories that were unfolding almost in real time or had already happened but had an angle that hadn’t been explored much.

I decided for the Black History Month assembly that I would produce a short documentary that compared and contrasted the effectiveness of the Black Panther Movement and the Early Hip-Hop Movement within the black community. The documentary would also explore how both movements were infiltrated by outside forces, Unfortunately, our principal didn’t find it appropriate and instead wanted to show another slavery documentary.

After a litany of racist remarks and actions from this principal over the past few years, the student body had enough. The censorship of my documentary appeared to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. A Walk-Out protest was organized and carried out successfully. While the protest itself did not directly result in the principal’s removal, she was demoted soon thereafter.

My documentary was shown and applauded by students and faculty alike and won awards. Coincidentally, I also made a documentary about our student protest which also received much acclaim. From that point on, I knew I was on the right path.

Cris, 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’ve always felt that saying I’m a filmmaker was too much of a generalization of what I actually do. Yet, when I describe myself as a Visual Storyteller that sounds a bit abstract. However, that’s exactly what I am and I’ve used a video camera and editing software to tell stories for the past 20 years.

I did not go to a traditional film school, but I took a few TV and News Room related classes in high school and I had great professors and mentors at Howard University. In high school is where I would discover my love for editing, and that would be the first area of filmmaking I excelled in. However, most of my learning would take place outside of the classroom.

Throughout high school I was in a NAACP program called ACT-SO where students competed in the arts and sciences. In my freshman year, I won a gold medal for a stage play I wrote about gang violence. The next year, my mentor put a video camera in my hand and encouraged me to adapt that stage play into a short film. This is where I learned how to use the resources I had available to me. I turned friends into Actors, used locations I already had access to, used original music a friend had already made, and used my mentors computer once a week to edit the film.

I realized then that there were so many aspects that go into telling a story using film/video as a medium. At Howard I would find a community of creative minds, including Kendall Frost who was also interviewed by CanvasRebel. Most of my time there was spent collaborating on sketch comedy and short narrative film. I got back into documentary and freelance work after graduating and returning home.

The towns of South Orange and Maplewood, NJ have continued to inspire me to stay creative. In 2015 I began the ambitious process of developing three web series projects simultaneously. I wanted to shift focus away from film to episodic content. There were many roadblocks along the way but I had fun and learned a lot. Every project didn’t get a chance to last more than one season, but we received a combined 66 official film festival selections from 2016-2021. We won about 20 awards in that time frame as well, including a personal award for my Cinematography.

Now in 2023, I am back in the swing of things having produced my first creative project in two years. This short dark-comedic film, “A Box of Chocolates” has already been selected in eight festivals and has been awarded as well. I’m looking forward to what the future brings.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Heading into the pandemic back in 2020, I was preparing for an international film festival tour for my acclaimed web series, “Dependence”. I was also preparing to head into production on its second season at that time. Once everything got shut-down due to the Covid-19, I found myself in a depressed state. I tried to stay optimistic but as time went on and the pandemic remained, I began to lose hope along with family and colleagues who passed away.

I also felt some relief if I’m being honest. I wear so many hats as an Indie-filmmaker, that I was probably more physically and mentally exhausted than I had realized. The pandemic shut-downs forced me to stop and enjoy the family around me, and it allowed me more time with my son. To fill the creative void, I reverted back to my first love- music.

I just listened to a lot of music, and eventually decided to explore the art of DJing. I hosted Flashback Friday Front Yard parties every Friday for a while. That kept my spirits up as well as my neighbors’. I booked a few gigs in 2022 and entertained the idea of becoming a full-time DJ. However, I just have too many stories left to tell.

I began writing new scripts towards the end of 2022, which led to me shooting a short film in April of 2023, and back on the festival trail as we speak. I have no regrets.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I feel that most Creatives just have a drive, a passion, something deep within themselves, that fuels them. My love for storytelling and crafting stories from my experiences and those around me, is something that never fades away. Even when I get tired or frustrated with all the other aspects of filmmaking, I just feel this need to tell stories through moving images.

I’ve tried writing books, painting, and other forms of creative art, but at some point I run out of interest or patience. I’m not in this to get rich or famous. This is a calling and a gift that I can’t stop using. This isn’t a “9-5” or even just a career path. Our creativity is part of who we are.

Contact Info:

• Website: Crizlassic-TV.com
• Instagram: @CrizlassicTV
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Crizlassicproductions

Image Credits
Cris Thorne Giancarlo Osaben Melissa De Leon