We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kermel Yohannes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kermel, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I’ve taken a lot of big risks to become a full time filmmaker and entrepreneur. I moved from Texas to the East Coast then all the way to the West Coast (and still moving around for sure). I started filmmaking in Dallas, where I grew up, then moved to Boston to attend Emerson College. I studied film production and business extensively. From there, I was able to be a part of our Emerson LA program, where I was able to have an internship at a film production studio while attending classes in Los Angeles. I think moving so much forced me to make hard core sacrifices in my life. I was challenged in each of these cities to make new friends, and get out of my past comfort zones. I think taking these risks helped me become a better creative because I was able to deal with all different types of people and energy. Now I feel super confident traveling for business and constantly working with new people.
Kermel, 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 officially got into the industry when I was a teenager. I was signed to talent and modeling agencies, which is when I got my first start. I was in a few big showcases in Dallas, where I got to perform in front of top casting directors and agents. From there, I was able to consistently get modeling gigs while also taking acting classes. When I turned 18, I moved to the East Coast to pursue a career in Film Production. I was able to graduate Emerson College with a major in Visual Media Arts and a minor in Business. In those 3 years, I was able to grow as a creative filmmaker rapidly. I worked on a new project almost every weekend when I was living in Boston. I held different titles such as Director, Executive/Associate Producer, Writer, Editor etc. I was able to challenge myself with different roles for over 5 years, which gave me the confidence to now have my own film production company. I’ve gotten the ability to work with some amazing names for the past 3 years and I’m super thankful to God for my journey.
I was able to produce and co-direct an amazing pilot with great creatives attached to the project. I’m super excited for what’s to come so definitely stay tuned for that. When I get last minute auditions, I’m forced to regroup, learn my lines real fast and submit. Same goes with last minute modeling opportunities. Sometimes I do get overwhelmed creating different projects, but I’m so eager to learn that I don’t even notice when I’m tired. I’m grateful to make an impact in the film industry as a black female creative director and I take it very seriously because I know how hard the journey has been. I came a long way, but it’s definitely still the beginning for me.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
I’m very intentional with my goals that I set within my creative journey. I selectively pick the projects I’m a part of. I believe it’s important to pick the right type of stories that I share. I try my best to work with diverse filmmakers who come from different backgrounds because they bring unique perspectives to screen. I try to make meaningful projects where people can see themselves being represented on screen. My biggest goal is giving the voiceless a voice. In the long run, I would love to give others an opportunity to showcase their talent. God has opened doors for me and I’d love to pass that on to others.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
There are so many rewarding aspects to being an artist. But for me, the biggest reward is being able to make my audience feel. It’s so beautiful to resonate with people who have always felt voiceless. I think right now we live in a world where things move so fast that it’s almost frowned upon to sit on your emotions. So for a project to have such a strong impact on someone where they’re almost forced to deal with their emotions- is a great thing. Our daily habits include what we watch and that seeps into everyone’s minds (if they know it or not). So I definitely want to create projects that can resonate with people and make them change the way they see things.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kermell.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kermel_yohannes
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Kermelxthexbeast
- Other:(Film Page) www.rechargeave.com www.instagram.com/kermelyohannes