We were lucky to catch up with Desmond Faison recently and have shared our conversation below.
Desmond, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I learned by doing. And failing, a lot. I didn’t come up through the most traditional path, but I have always been obsessed with craft. Whether it was storytelling, visual language, or understanding how to move people emotionally, I’ve been wired to figure it out, even if that meant working three jobs while teaching myself the tools at night. So, I asked questions, paid close attention to people who had something real to say, and consumed doctoral course level of content from the prestigious University of YouTube.
Looking back, I could’ve sped things up by trusting my instincts sooner, especially when it came to collaboration and leadership. Early on, I felt like I had to prove everything on my own. What I’ve come to trust is the voice in me that knew all along great work happens when you build trust, communicate clearly, and create space for other people to be excellent too.
The most essential skills? Listening. Resilience. Knowing when to lead and when to follow. The technical side matters, of course, but without emotional intelligence, all you have is a good-looking frame with no pulse.
As for obstacles — there were plenty. Lack of access. Being underestimated. Resources that were promised but never showed up. But those constraints sharpened my voice. They forced me to be inventive. They taught me how to lead without waiting for permission. And that’s something no school, not even one as prestigious as YouTube U can teach.
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?
I’m a director, DP, photographer, creative, and problem solver. I work across film, television, branded content, and social campaigns. Basically anywhere storytelling and intention meet is where you will find me. I didn’t come up through the studio system or a traditional pipeline. I came in through life, through lived experience, curiosity, and an obsession with craft.
Some of my earliest lessons came from sports. I played quarterback in college, and that discipline, leadership, and ability to adapt under pressure still shape how I work. I never thought I would lean on those same instincts as an adult in the creative world, building stories, leading teams, and finding ways to make meaningful work even when the resources don’t match the vision.
Today, I direct for film and TV, create branded campaigns for companies that want their message to connect, and lead a media company that helps small businesses compete without inflated costs. I also recently launched a nonprofit focused on civic engagement, and am in the process of building a film fund designed to support bold, high-return stories that often get overlooked by traditional gatekeepers.
What sets me apart is how I lead. I bring clarity, taste, and care into every room I step into. Whether it’s a short-form campaign or a feature film, I know how to carry a vision from idea to execution without losing the soul of the story. My work doesn’t always fit in a box or all look the same, but it does always feels intentional, human, and sharp.
I’m proud of the fact that I’ve built all this without shortcuts. I’ve made mistakes, learned from them, built strong relationships, and carved out a lane that has earned me plenty scars and lessons along the way. If you’re new to my work, what I’d want you to know is this, I take this seriously. Not just the craft, but the responsibility. I’m here to make things that last, that resonate, and that move people to act or feel.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Absolutely. I’m driven by the belief that stories can shift how people see themselves, each other, and the world. I don’t come from a place of easy access, and I still feel like an outsider in a lot of rooms. But that distance gives me perspective. It keeps me honest. It reminds me who I’m speaking to and maybe even more importantly who I am speaking for.
Long before I ever knew I was an artist 2Pac’s music drove me to be the best on the field. Now as an adult TuPac’s artistry has become a creative north star for the work I create. Not just because of what he said, but how he said it, the urgency, the contradictions, the vulnerability inside the fire. He made you feel something, even if you didn’t want to and that has always stayed with me. Because of that I want the work I do to cut through the noise and actually connect. To provoke, to affirm, to challenge and move people to act.
At the end of the day, I’m chasing impact. I want to tell stories that leave a mark, even if they’re rough around the edges and I want them to always be.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding part is when the work connects. It’s when someone tells me that something I made made them feel seen, or understood, or even just made them stop for a second and think. Sometimes it’s because they loved it. Sometimes it’s because it pissed them off. Either way, it hit something real and real is what sticks.
My work lives outside the box of who I am, who I’m supposed to be, or who people assume me to be. I often intentionally build commentary and layers into what I make. One story on the surface, and the other running underneath it. I love when someone catches both. It’s not meant to confuse, but it’s also not meant to be simple either. It reflects life, with all its tension and contradiction.
Too often, stories ask us to understand one side by flattening the other. I’m not interested in that. I want both to be full, complicated, and human. I want the audience to walk away not necessarily agreeing, but understanding. If they can say, “I see how they got there,” then I’ve done what I came to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.desmondfaison.com
- Instagram: @director503
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ desmond-faison08 Vanity URL name
- Other: https://www.vimeo.com/faison
Image Credits
Donna Permell (On set photo)
Portraits – Desmond Faison