We were lucky to catch up with CC Weske recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, CC thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My most meaningful projects to me have been the two short films that I have co-wrote and directed, Out of the Quiet (2019), and Planted (2023), both multi-award winning short films. Not only were they challenges in that they were done for a competition called the 168 Film Competition where you are given a theme, a Bible Verse, and 168 hours to film, edit, and submit the project, but the amount of challenge I faced inside of my person during the times each of these films were done, is a testament in of itself.

Out of the Quiet is based on a true story from my own life. The film dives into the real life story of the struggles with self-harm and suicide, but are put in their place because of the Redemptive love of Christ. The film was “too sad and dark”, I was told by a fellow filmmaker who was a part of the festival who had pre-screened the film. Which made me realize, in the world of “Christian Films”, there hadn’t yet been many that took the brave plunge into the real world conversations and topics that are plaguing our society, Christian or not. It was from then on I knew I wanted to take hard conversations and difficult topics, and bring them into the light, in hopes that once you shine light on something, the darkness must run and hide.

Planted was another story that was taken from a truer than true, real life story, that once I heard it, brought me to my knees. I had spent over 4 years working for a non-profit organization where I spoke to teenagers, young adults, and adults alike, about the realities of Unintended Pregnancies, STD’s, Abusive Relationships, Pornography, among many other difficult subjects; staring the tough stuff in the face doesn’t scare me. Having become a mother myself, I knew that I had more of a voice to speak about the difficult topics of unintended pregnancies and abortions more than most filmmakers out there, so that is where Planted was born. Balancing two children at home full time, among many other responsibilities, makes it a miracle that the film got done at all, let alone winning the entire festival with our story. It was an experience I will never forget.

Moving into the future with the limited time and capacity that I have because of my other roles, I have learned that I must be specific and extremely selective with what I put my time and focus into, as my priorities and responsibilities have changed significantly from the time of Out of the Quiet to Planted. I am excited and energized thinking of what the future holds with projects and creative endeavors that not only speak life and truth into difficult and painful subjects, but hopefully doing it with enough love and grace that help people not only enjoy our films, but feel inspired and compelled to make the difficult changes in their own lives, finding joy and peace in life’s struggles, and knowing that we are not alone, and never will be.

CC, 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?

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that there really hasn’t been a time in my life that I have not been around creatives and have not had art, specifically art on the screen, in my life. I grew up being on set from a young age with my father, Tim Weske, and have always been drawn to the art of photography and editing. I began creating timed slide shows on Microsoft Powerpoint to music with still photos I found on the internet at 11 years old, the next step was receiving a DSLR for my 13th birthday, and from there, the rest is history. A passion and excitement for creating still and moving images has been in my heart and pulsed through my veins throughout every chapter of my life.

As I grew older, I played and experimented with creating my own photoshoots with friends who were kind enough to model for me, and If no one was around, I did self portraits instead. Photography was the creative outlet that kept me alive in the darkest years of my teenage life where I battled self harm and suicide. It allowed me to be not only distracted with art and creativity, but also allowed me the space to express my painful emotions in a more healthy way.

The only “education” I had received was from my Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign classes in my senior year of high school, and a 5 day crash course of Final Cut Pro 7 in San Diego, California, for video editing. Other than those things, I am completely self taught, and not that I’ve taught myself all I know, but that my “formal” education did not come from schooling, but came from real life, on-set experience. I had a hankering to go to film school, and I am so grateful for my father’s wisdom in saying, “No.” Instead, he helped me land a job at 19 years old as a Post Production PA where I got to work in a space with the creators and artists of the shows The Walking Dead, The 100, Arrow, Haven, and so many more.

At the same time, my best friend and I started our own small Production House called, Pretty Blood Productions. I’d work at my 9-5 downtown Hollywood job during the week, would go home and edit our projects, and would take my weekends shooting our projects, along with my three other jobs of hostessing, teaching fencing lessons, and baby sitting. I sure was living the “Artist” life, and I loved it.

My career moved forward when I was asked to work for another Post house as a full time video editor, working alongside and with amazing artists who’d gotten degrees from high end colleges, But, I worked as hard as the rest, and learned quickly. I wanted to be a video editor for Red Bull, and extreme sports like Parkour, Snowboarding, and Mountain Biking got my excited juices flowing like no other. I had been training at a parkour gym in Los Angeles, CA called Tempest Freerunning, and I took the leap and asked to intern for their Production House, and amazingly enough, they accepted me, and welcomed me with open arms.

After that, my real free-lancing career took off. I began doing all of my own photography and video/video editing work with many different clients over many different genres of art. I had incredible mentors, for who I will forever be grateful, and had some “big breaks” with some really incredible jobs that pushed my career further on and got me more notoriety. All the while working as a stunt performer in the film and entertainment industry, marrying the love of my life, purchasing our first home, and starting our business, all by age 22.

All of my work and experience, in front of and behind the camera, in production and post production, had offered a rare glimpse into a full picture of what it meant to take something off of a piece of paper (a script), get it in front of a lens, and then know what needs to happen for the post team to be able to do their job to the best of their abilities. I began to bounce around the idea of creating my own films/stories, and changed my navigation and focus in that direction.

I was given multiple opportunities to branch out into the unfamiliar territory of Producing and Directing miscellaneous projects from some amazing friends and mentors. It’s an amazing opportunity to try on so many different hats, but if i’m being honest, sort of ruins the experience of actually watching movies! Once you get to a certain point, there’s kind of no going back! But, you’re that much more appreciative when you see something that takes your breath away as well.

I decided that not only did I want to do my first short film for a world renowned film festival called 168 Film Festival, I decided I wanted to co-write, produce, direct, and edit the film, and it was done all under 168 hours. It was one of the most amazing learning and growing experiences of my life, and truly created a catalyst inside of my soul for what I felt I was called by God to do with my creative expression. I loved and still do love photography, it’s sort of my first love, and I can’t go one day without taking at least one photo, but the concept of telling a story and changing someone’s life through it, to me, there’s nothing greater when it comes to being an artist.

My life took a drastic left turn, when shortly after I found out that my husband and I were expecting our first child, right after I finalized in my mind where I wanted to steer our lives when it came to the world of filmmaking, but God had different plans in mind for me at that time. We moved states, changed our direction of intention, and figured this was something that wasn’t supposed to happen. Little did we know, that the doors to do what we wanted to set out to do weren’t closing, they were being opened in ways that were overwhelmingly miraculous and incredible.

A little less than a year ago, I got the itch, again. It had been close to 4 years since I had done much of anything when it came to my art. But, I decided I would go for it, that we would enter the 168 Film Festival again, where I would co-write, produce, direct, and edit our film, with an entirely new and local crew, and do it all under 168 hours. I knew in my heart it was what I was supposed to be doing, but to say it was difficult is the understatement of the year. Miraculously, we won the entire film festival, among many other accolades, and boy oh boy, did it feel right.

My life has changed more times than I can express, and with those changes, have come the best learning experiences of my life, which have flowed over in helping me become a more well-rounded person, but artist as well. The fullness of life at age 31 now, has helped shape me, my priorities, my time management, among many other things, that as an artist, can sometimes be hard to nail down or set in stone. But now, as a homesteader, a mother, a wife, among many other roles, my priorities have changed, but my love for my art and for storytelling has not.

I’m not done here, if anything, I know that God has placed some amazing opportunities ahead, and for them I am extremely grateful. I’m here to tell you, that you do not have to sacrifice the calling within your soul as an artist, to follow other callings and duties and responsibilities in your life. “Children are not a distraction from important work, they are the most important work.”

The biggest coolest job I’ve done or client i’ve worked with, is so puny and small in joy, when compared to the joy and fulfillment I have found in becoming a mother, and a steward in so many other ways. Nothing can take its place. Do I miss the hustle and grind as a full time-free lance artist living in Los Angeles? Sure, sometimes. But I know i’m not missing a thing when I look at my children and know they have a mother who, because of her creative journey, can help foster in them a respect and love for beauty, art, and more importantly, a love for the One who made it all.

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

I’ve chased my art since I can remember, but it hasn’t always been for the same reasons, and certainly hasn’t followed the same direction.

The innate urge inside of me to create has been something that has always clung to me, and I’ve never been able to shake, and trust me, I’ve tried many times to shake it. But, the understanding and beliefs about art, who and what it is good for, and why it is important, have changed for me many times.

What once began as an addiction and fascination with capturing amazing people in extreme sports, has evolved into a desire to tell stories that transform people’s thoughts and beliefs about who they are, what’s important in life, and what truth really is.

These are not opposites, it all goes hand in hand, but the emphasis in each extreme are substantial. One is focused on the art for the art, to glorify the thing, where the latter has a completely different focus, and it’s intention is to help foster the sometimes difficult work of becoming a better human each and every day.

My goal and journey now is completely focused on pushing forward the Kingdom of God and Truth in all it’s essence and Glory, and I am not afraid and have no shame in saying and doing so. Where once there was a time that i’d prefer to tiptoe around that premise for fear of offending or being misunderstood, that fear no longer lives inside me, and I can express that desire boldly.

It’s a miracle in of itself that those words are coming out of my mouth, “because if you knew me then, you’d believe me now, my whole world’s been turned upside down, He took the old and made it new. That’s just what the mercy of God can do.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ccweske.com
• Instagram: @ccweske
• Youtube: @playgroundculture

Image Credits
Chris Koeppen, Josh Yadon