We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hanelle Culpepper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hanelle below.

Hanelle, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

My first dollar earned as a director was shooting a series of informational videos for LAFLA: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. These videos would be on rotation in their lobbies across the city. I believe there were about 10-12 of them, and we had to shoot them in English and Spanish. I directed and produced them along with my producer Richard Courtney. We didn’t have much of a budget, so we used all kinds of favors (and had the support of LAFLA) to find locations and pull it all together. It was a challenge, but it was fun and felt so great because I was finally paid to do the job I loved and we were doing something good.

Hanelle, 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?

I was raised in Birmingham, AL. The directing bug hit when I took a directing elective class my Senior year of high school. I truly enjoyed the process of finding the material, working with actors, and solving the puzzle to bring the script to life in a way that entertained the audience.

I then earned my B.A. from Lake Forest College and an M.A. from USC’s Annenberg School. While at USC, I worked on numerous student and independent films in all positions from PA to grip to producer. After graduating, I worked for a few writer/directors, but it was during my stint at Sundance that I changed my approach. I was inspired by the filmmakers who were not waiting for Hollywood to give them a break. They made their own break by whatever means they could. And so, I used a bunch of savings to shoot my first short The Wedding Dress. Based on the strength of that short, I was one of eight women selected for AFI’s prestigious Directing Workshop for Women. My short A Single Rose won numerous awards and screened at film festivals worldwide, including the 2004 ICG Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival.

A Single Rose plus my viral short film spoof Six and the City, led to my first feature, the supernatural thriller Within, starring Mia Ford, Sammi Hanratty, Sam Jaeger, Lori Heuring, Brent Sexton, and featuring Aisha Hinds. The film won Outstanding Feature Film at the Big Bear Horror Film Festival and had its television premiere on Lifetime. I then went on to helm multiple indie thrillers, including Murder on the 13th Floor starring Tessa Thompson.

My television career took off after I was selected for NBC Universal’s Directing Initiative which led to directing an episode of Parenthood. The network was so proud of my Christmas episode, that they submitted it for Emmy nomination. Since then, my body of work is truly diverse and includes pilots, network TV, premium cable and streaming work. My credits range from superhero action adventures to thrillers to genre films to character-driven dramas. Some titles include Star Wars: The Acolyte, Westworld, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, True Story, Counterpart, Mayans M.C., Criminal Minds, Grimm, American Crime, The Flash, Gotham, S.W.A.T., Star Trek: Discovery and NOS4A2.

I am so very proud of my first pilot, Star Trek; Picard. Not only was it a game-changer for my career, but it was also historic because I was the first woman to launch a new Star Trek series in its 53-year history. And because I have also directed episodes of Star Wars, I’m the first person to direct television in both universes. (J.J. Abrams has directed in both universes in the feature world.) In 2020, I followed Picard with the pilot for the CW drama Kung Fu, which ran for three seasons. And in 2024, Amazon will release Anansi Boys, based on the series by Neil Gaiman, and for which I directed the pilot and another episode.

In 2019, I was selected for the inaugural class of ReFrame and earned Variety’s Inclusion Impact honor. In 2021, I won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing for my work on the Star Trek: Picard pilot. In 2022, I was nominated for my work on Netflix’s True Story starring Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes, and again in 2023 for The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey starring Samuel L. Jackson. And in 2023, I was honored to be included as one of Indiewire’s TV directors to know.

Always desiring to give back and lift up, I proudly serve on the TV Academy’s Directors Peer Group Executive Committee, and as an alternate for the DGA’s National Board, and Western Directors Council.

In your view, what can society do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Society can best aid artists by supporting them at all levels. There are many programs to support and financially help newcomers, but not so much for mid-career artists. Though Hollywood is making efforts to diversify its talent pool, the effects of historic biases mean that some people can break in, but may find themselves stagnating at a certain level. We need to help those artists continue to rise. ReFrame Rise is one of the few programs that supports mid-career filmmakers. And AFI’s DWW+ requires that you have worked in the industry at least 5 years to apply. We need more programs like those.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is affecting your audience. Whenever I read or hear how my work has moved someone, or inspired them, or made them rethink an issue, then I feel I’m doing my part to make the world a better place.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hillview798.com
• Instagram: @hanelleculpepper
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanelleculpepper/