We were lucky to catch up with Espie Randolph III recently and have shared our conversation below.
Espie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Honestly? Reject me. I now it sounds crazy but being rejected isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes we take a blow to the ego because we didn’t get the response that we had hoped for. But each rejection is really just a recalibration sending us back to the drawing board – back to commiserate with our wounds and collaborate with our imagination to figure out the next big step on our path. Information is power. And rejection is information. We can pick it apart in an attempt to gain further knowledge of whomever rejected us or, more importantly, we can use this as a moment of introspection to gain a deeper understanding or ourselves. And we can choose to see the kindness in the rejection that was given to us that allows us to move away from that thing that was not for us and closer to the thing that will truly be ours.
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?
Well, allow me to introduce myself – I’m Espie nice to meet you! I’m originally from Texas but now reside in Los Angeles. I’m an actor/writer turned indie filmmaker who also has a weekly podcast.
After several festival submissions for my short film “Project & Serve” I’m happy to announce that we will be having our World Premiere at the Micheaux Film Festival July 14th at Regal Cinemas at LA Live! Getting into this festival is such an honor as it bears the name of one of the pioneers of Black Cinema, Oscar Micheaux. Our film concerns the struggles that POC face in our dealings with law enforcement and I can’t think of a better place for the film to premiere. I’m looking forward to the festival and to all the other festivals that await us this fall. Stay tuned for updates on when you can catch the film! On top of all of that, I’ve been working on new episodes of my weekly podcast “YESPIE” on Apple. I’ve just launched Season 2 and on top of the funny unscripted satire about all trending things that are streaming, you can also get some behind the scenes stories about my film festival journey as it is happening in real time. Tune in and join the fun!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I’m always actively in the middle of a pivot. I’m currently in a bit of a wild pivot as I’m now halfway through getting my MBA. I’ve always been an artist and I’d never thought of myself as a businessman. But, as I worked hard self-producing my short film “Project & Serve” I was constantly reminding of how important a working knowledge of business is as we filmmakers navigate this process. After all, its showBUSINESS. Its ART MEETS COMMERCE. You kinda have to know both. So about a year ago, I set out to get people’s eyes on my film and also set out to get my own eyes into some books and learn what I need to know about the business of this business. I encourage everyone not just to embrace their pivot but also to lean into it. Yes it has been hard for me to make this pivot, but it has also been both eye opening and extremely rewarding. And my business strategy game is top-tier now, so everyone watch out!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding thing about being an artist is seeing the response from the audience. And let me be clear – the response isn’t always gonna be good. But that’s actually fine. I don’t put pressure on myself to create easily digestible things that everyone must immediately agree with and like. I’m not here for the likes. That’s not my goal. That’s not real art. I create to make you think, and MOST IMPORTANTLY I create to make you FEEL. As artists one of our most important jobs is to make the audience FEEL something. I’m here to translate and transfer feelings. If you view my art and feel nothing, then I have failed. But if you see it and hate it, well, that’s a wild success as far as I’m concerned. I’d like for you to love it. But you don’t have to. Just don’t be apathetic and feel nothing. I’m here to give you all the feels!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.espierandolph.com/
- Instagram: @espierandolph
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spedolf
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/espierandolph/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EspieRandolph
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yespie-w-espie-randolph-iii/id1660195014
Image Credits
Espie Randolph III Aditya Gupta