We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Deniz Akyurek a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Deniz, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

My Child, my most recent short film and my senior thesis at Emerson, has been the most meaningful project. It’s a surreal coming-of-age nightmare about childhood, growing up, and the loss of innocence. We shot it this past summer over the course of several days in several different locations. It’s an ambitious short with a wide scope. I’ve been working on the film for over a year now and it’s now in it’s final legs of post-production. The reason I find this project most meaningful is not only because it’s my biggest yet, but also because it’s the first film that I feel personally connected to, which for me is both exciting and scary. I made it with a lot of my dear friends, which makes it all the more meaningful and personal.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Deniz Akyurek and I’m a director & editor. I got into filmmaking through years of sports editing on instagram and vine, back when I was in middle and high school. I didn’t get into filmmaking through a love for watching films, it was always about the craft for me. Around my junior year of high school I made my first short and I’ve been making shorts ever since.

My narrative films are genre-infused, utilizing striking visuals and sound to tell a story. They explore personal themes by toeing the line between the surreal and grounded reality. I also make docs, using varying formats and mediums to tell stories that feel meaningful to me. My last doc was about The Friends of Belle Isle Marsh, a grassroots conservation organization. Right now I’m currently looking for commercial and music video directing/editing gigs. I’ve been an editor for a long time and it’s probably what I’m best at. I’ve wanted to make the transition over to music video and commercial work for a while, because I think my particular style of audio-visual filmmaking really aligns with that world. That’s what sets me apart and is the element of my craft which I’m most proud of.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I recently moved out to LA for my final semester at Emerson, and for anyone that lives here they will know that there is an atmosphere which really rewards networking and building connections. I think networking is vital, especially in filmmaking, but I’ve realized lately that sometimes getting swept up in that environment makes you lose focus on what you’re truly passionate about. I stumbled across this acronym earlier which really encapsulated everything I’d been feeling since moving to LA. FOYA. It stands for “Focus On Your Art.” I just love that quote and I think it’s important as a creative to always remember why you started making art in the first place. What you hoped to accomplish and why it made you happy. For me it was always about the process of creation and self expression. For that reason I’ve been trying to live by FOYA whilst in LA.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Continuing what I said about FOYA, for me I believe the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is creating. It’s all in the process and the love for your craft. I only feel good about myself when I’m in the process of making something. Usually I like to be doing two or three projects at once, each one in different phases (development, prod, post). I love the craft of filmmaking and the process of doing is something I chase every day, not just in filmmaking but in life. Self expression for me is only achieved once you’ve finished the thing and can look back at it and feel proud of your work.

I also think it’s really important for creatives to find other avenues and hobbies that can take a weight off your shoulders from time to time. I played hockey for my whole life up until college, and athletics really help me with filmmaking because it’s a break where you can just turn off your mind for a while.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.denizakyurek.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dzakyurek/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/denizakyurek

Image Credits
“My Child” directed by Deniz Akyurek