We were lucky to catch up with Gille Klabin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gille, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I’ve spent 20 years as a freelance filmmaker. I started off creating music videos for unsigned bands and making comedy shorts with friends. As I got on with my career I placed way to much value in paying all my bills as a “director”. This mix of pride and insecurity left me directing any and all projects I could get involved with. What this eventually led to, was me spending way too much time trying to apply my biggest passion to jobs that would help me cover bills. My sense of self and identity became intertwined with the notion of earning money to direct. The problem with this dynamic was that I love directing, but rarely loved what I had to direct for money. The amount of my soul I would have to commit to a project that would have my name on it in the end, meant that I was often miserable and disheartened by the time the project was done. For example, if you’re making an uninspired commercial for a client that doesn’t want some creative flair and just wants a simple video, it’s hard not to feel jaded when you use your passion to create something mediocre that you’re not proud of.
The biggest turning point for me (embarrassingly) was only a couple of years ago when I made the decision to no longer direct just for money. I camera operate, edit, create visual effects, and all these skill-sets can also earn you money. So I focused on paying my bills by using my skills on jobs that didn’t require an emotional commitment, and only directed things I genuinely loved. As dramatic as it sounds, this helped me protect my heart from the endless disappointments of shitty jobs, and actually resulted in me earning more money and getting financially stable, all while sharpening my skills in other disciplines that then serve me better when it’s time to make things I care about.

Gille, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Gille Klabin. I’m a multi-disciplinary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. I primarily direct but love shooting, editing, and VFX. I started off creating music videos and shorts and gradually built up enough of a body of work that I landed a few commercials and eventually a feature film called The Wave, starring Justin Long and Donald Faison, among many other incredible actors.
I came up in music videos just as all their budgets fell apart so was forced to learn how to shoot and edit myself because there was never any budget to hire anyone. This sparked a joy in learning in me that I’ve worked hard to keep going. Expanding my technical abilities and going on YouTube so that some kid can teach me how to do something on a tutorial video, has kept me sharp and curious and allowed me to elevate my work when the budgets simply wouldn’t allow it.
I now run a small production company with some of my favorite collaborators (Antagonist.tv) and I get to spend most my time making short form products for clients while developing my next films, all surrounded by people I respect and admire. We make inventive and memorable videos for our clients by working together in various disciplines to create vivid worlds in our videos. I’m desperately proud of the professional relationships I’ve made and maintained, and feel increasingly lucky to be around people who can shine so bright in so many fields.
When I was coming up ion the industry it was unheard of for someone to be directing and editing, or shooting and creating VFX. It’s such fun for me now to be surrounded by people who can wear multiple hats, and wear them so well.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In my work you often create pitch decks to illustrate the worlds you intend to create, as a result I knew my way around graphic design and illustration software. When Covid hit and the physical realities of my work disappeared, I still needed to earn money and I still yearned to create. I took on any and all design and graphic work I could get. I made album artwork for an artist I was going to make a short film for before lock-down. I threw myself entirely into creatine worlds on my computer instead of relying on being able to capture things on camera.
This then led to taking on a video for Stacey Abrams and the rapper Common, who were trying to raise awareness for the Census in 2020. I took on an enormous animation video where I broke apart digital artwork and created moving worlds.
This was only possible because of the vast library of tutorials available online. Every idea I had i could bring to life by learning from other people online, and for free!
Pivoting during covid was terrifying, but I was really proud of the fact that i found the joy in it and expanded my abilities in order to survive and flourish.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish i realized early on how many professional skills you can learn online pro bono. Going onto youtube and learning from other people how to use different software has transformed my creative abilities and liberated me as an artist. I can’t encourage poeople enough to go learn something new, it’s all within reach.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.antagonist.tv
• Instagram: @gilleklabin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gille-klabin-9a1755266/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwWcHwYvyDSV9JVpkemBO8g
• Other: my personal website is www.gilleklabin.com

Image Credits
all good pictures taken by the incredible David Solorzano