Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Cleavland.

Hi Steven, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We’re Found Format – A directing duo Steven Cleavland and Kyle Kadow

Our story began about 7 years ago now. Kyle and I had just dropped out of our respective colleges and were looking for the right fit. Aimless, I had started shooting photos and video and decided I wanted to take it on full time. Kyle had started to dabble in shooting music videos for some friends’ bands so I decided to reach out and see if he had any advice. He told me “if you’re really serious get some gear and start shooting with me.” That week I opened up a credit card at Best Buy and maxed it out to get a Sony a7s – the camera that seems to start most film makers journeys amongst other things.

I remember Kyle laughing and being like “damn okay you’re really serious!” haha.

Almost immediately we started shooting together. Whatever we could shoot we were doing it. That turned into us shooting and editing weddings for a couple years to learn the ropes, how to interact with clients, and shoot under pressure.

I think we were about a month or two into shooting weddings and on the way back from one Kyle turned to me very seriously and said “hey, you want to make this a business or something?”. After months of trying to figure out a name ‘Found Format’ was born and became our alias going forward.

From weddings, we shifted into taking on much bigger music videos, short films and commercial pieces. Those were some of the hardest but most exciting years of my life so far. The number of sleepless nights, backbreaking sets, and insane deadlines thickened our skin.

We were kids when we started this and though we’ve grown quite a lot we never let go of that kid. Being an artist is letting yourself experience life through the eyes of a child and capture that in your respective medium.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the last few years we started getting more consistent work and inquiries in Los Angeles. We recently moved from Wisconsin to Oregon to pursue that market.

It has been really difficult ‘starting over’ for lack of a better term. We are still connected to and work in the industry back home but the challenges we have faced since being here has been intense to say the least. It takes time to meld into a creative community. There’s a lot of trust and comradery that needs to be built before you’re truly “In”. For months we’ve been reaching out to just about any and everyone. We’ve met some pretty amazing people, agencies and production companies and the fruits of our labor seem to be finally paying off to some degree. Consistency and trusting the process has been key in staying focused and positive.

Often we have talked about how being in an industry such as this one is much like climbing a proverbial ladder. Each time you reach a new rung and start to feel comfortable that means it’s time to reach again and get out of your comfort zone. Moving across the country is a pretty big reach and I think I’ve learned more about myself in the last 6 months than most of my lifetime.

This new chapter has been nothing but growth and all we can do is take it day by day.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We’re Film Directors at our core. That being said, we do a wide array of things in the film industry. We’ve both been in many different roles throughout the years ranging from directing photography, gaffing, camera operating, producing, writing, editing, and the list goes on.

Currently we do a lot of freelance remote editing as we continue to grow our network in a new place.

Many people would probably say we specialize in dark and moody music videos that have a very Avant Garde aesthetic and that’s true. But as we enter a new chapter that is something we’re shifting away from.

Before filmmaking ever made us money we primarily did it (and still do) as a form of therapy to deal with various trauma’s in our early lives. That naturally came out in dark and cryptic art pieces that we’re really proud of and needed to be made. But we’re ready to move on. This life has given us a lot to be happy about and we want to show that through our art. We’re currently focused on comedy and telling people’s real stories through documentary and narrative work. We want to bring joy to people by showing the beauty of the world around us. If our work can make someone smile, or not feel alone, or get through a tough time, we’re living our most honest truth.

I think what sets us apart from others is how unique the dynamic is between Kyle and myself. Though we enjoy a lot of the same things, as human beings we are actually quite different. Where I lack certain skills Kyle absolutely exceeds in them and vice versa. It allows us to be incredibly malleable and take on just about any task set before us.
Additionally, I think our philosophy as artists sets us apart. I think a lot of folks starting out in this industry or really any creative industry for that matter struggles with staying true to themselves. For years we really struggled with the idea of saying ‘no’. Even if a project wasn’t right for us we would still take it on out of a need of cash flow and experience. But that comes at a cost. It’s easy to let the years go by while you’re lost in the grind. But there’s a point where you have to ask yourself: “when’s the last time I made something for myself?”. The truest and most honest pieces of art are the ones where we can say “if I was the only person to ever see this would I be proud of making it?” If the answer is ‘yes’, you’ve made YOUR art.

What are your plans for the future?
We have several goals in mind for the kind of work we want to pursue but at the end of the day the main focus is this:

Make art that we’re proud of.

-FF

Contact Info:

• Website: www.foundformat.tv
• Instagram: found_format
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoundFormatFilms
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevencleavland/