We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Korstiaan Vandiver a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Korstiaan, thanks for 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 risk after risk in this business, but my most memorable risk in making a move towards Hollywood and filmmaking was particularly a faith move to Los Angeles by way of Atlanta. I’d gotten an offer for a screenplay I’d written, but the offer had fallen through before I left. I was also in the running for a Steven Spielberg reality show, “On the Lot”. I had made it to the second round, but that was as far as I’d go. Strangely, losing that opportunity fueled me even more, it gave me another gear. I remember being stuck waiting out a snowstorm in an Arizona hotel when I got the email on my Blackberry that I was out. I’m dating myself, but it helps paint the picture. At that moment I thought to myself you can turn around and go back to Georgia or I can keep going to LA and figure it out, when the snowstorm died down I was back on the road to LA; I didn’t even stay the night. I got a screenwriting gig within 2 weeks of being in Los Angeles, I was hired to write a project that ended up going directly to Amazon. I received a very small check in the process, but it gave me even more validation that I was where I was supposed to be. Soon after I landed a job on a movie set, the producer and the director both fell in love with me. They helped me make my first short film and that relationship led to a gig with the Starz production, “Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Standup”. I moved my way up quickly from Assistant Editor to writing sketches, shooting, and directing segments and other projects. I stayed for four seasons, unfortunately, the show came to an end before I was able to showcase the new season ideas we created. Nonetheless, taking that risk propelled my career and it landed me some amazing gigs, I learned how to shoot green screen, I worked for Fox Studios doing work on “Night at the Museum” – I shot commercials and pilots, it was an unbelievable time. What was even stranger is that years later I would have a full circle moment and meet Steven Speilberg face to face, he invited me to coffee after hearing about my Tamir Rice project, I was hyped. That encounter led to CAA (the agency) setting up a meeting with the head of Amblin Entertainment which then led to a meeting with Focus Features about the project. Although I’m still waiting on that coffee with Steven you can only imagine what it’s like to be picked out of a crowd by one of the greatest filmmakers of our time on top of it being someone you admire as an artist.
Korstiaan, 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?
As a filmmaker, I’ve been blessed to play a part in the creation of projects that entertain and enlighten audiences around the world. I’ve worked in various roles within Hollywood whether that was for a studio or as an independent production. I’m proud to have played my part no matter how great or small in a number of productions. I produced in various capacities on Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” I worked in safety and locations for Taylor Sheridan’s, Emmy-winning, “1883” TV series. And with the acquired knowledge I’ve forged a number of great friendships and relationships along the way. I am proud of how far I’ve come, and truly I could have been in prison or dead based on some of my past choices, God truly saved my life. I never thought that I would go from being homeless and sleeping in a dollar movie theater to being a successful screenwriter, producer, and director. Furthermore, I thought I would have to be enormously famous to do it, what I learned is I need to always be purposeful. Understanding that my circumstances was actually the catalyst that piqued my interest in making movies and set me up to walk according to that purpose. It’s interesting because I’m still in the infancy of my career even with all the “success” that I’ve obtained my real goal to follow God wherever He leads has been my ultimate success. This is what makes me even more excited because as I measure my financial success and the creative strides I have yet to reach my full potential, but when it comes down to what truly matters I continue to grow spiritually, and that seeps into everything I do and how I live — I’m still learning and there is no ceiling with God. I have been blessed with a number of fantastic projects and I can’t wait for people to see them as they begin to emerge in the coming year or so. I recently signed on to direct an amazing historical feature and I just completed rewriting an awesome Jamie Foxx feature project that I’m also producing. I’m so looking forward to being branded as one of the next great storytellers of our time. And I honestly do believe that I’m one of the greatest producer, writer, directors waiting in the wings. So, to my future audience family, please be forewarned; stay ready for me so you don’t have to get ready — I’m coming soon.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
I do have a goal in mind that is tied to my personal mission. I believe that I have a calling in my life and storytelling is a partner in that purpose. I certainly want to entertain because this is the crux of what the industry I work in is based on; entertaining well is the only way you find longevity in the Tinseltown eco-system. Yet, I truly strive to stick to a certain brand of storytelling, to craft a particular style of narrative. This is because I am the kind of person who at my core longs for meaningful relationships. I see my audience as those relationships, the people I need to relate to. Using film and TV allows audience members to draw parallels and comparisons to their lives and in turn although, the character may be a criminal, a cop, or an alien we understand their stories as they relate to our own. To suffer loss, to experience love, to be angry, to laugh hysterically with friends, or even cry alone; we know what these things feel like. I am drawn to stories that whether fictional or non-fictional showcase God’s love in a unique way and oftentimes oddly those stories involve characters who commit crimes, swim upstream, and overcome tragedies. Regardless of the subject matter in their totality, the stories I gravitate to highlight our humanity, and raise questions about the choices we make as people. I always desire the outcome of the story to be redemptive and to give hope to the audience member even if the plot is a tragic one. The goal is that the climax will more often than not resolve itself with a powerful optimism.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
(Laughing) I don’t think there’s enough time to answer a question like this. But, if I had to say there’s something I had to unlearn — it’s seeing things based on my own timeline. You can want something to happen so badly that your desire for it to happen is the very thing that sabotages its fruition. I’ve learned that murmuring and complaining is a type of cancer. I’ve had a number of projects come together and fall apart over the years, the collapse would oftentimes be paralyzing and it would wreak havoc on my relationships and even future opportunities. I have raised millions of dollars over and over again at times and watched the funding disappear with nothing to come from it. Maybe an actor left the project, a producer was fired or you’ve parted ways, the money (investor) isn’t willing to wait on an actor’s schedule, the script may need more development yada, yada. Whatever the case, you can yell, kick, scream, or even cry and it won’t change the outcome. Recognizing that wherever I am in life is exactly where I’m supposed to be based on the choices I’ve made is a key to life and it can be very therapeutic in context. If I’m in the mall and I stop at a legend, there’s usually a red dot or something marking my “You Are Here” point. I’ve learned that instead of complaining about where I am and watching others going by all around me to their own specific destinations; now I reflect and look back at where I came from to get to where I am, I celebrate how far God has brought me. Afterwhich focusing on the journey ahead I now know where I’m going and the steps I have to take to get there. This makes it much easier to press on towards my destination in joy with an expectation of something exciting. I can visualize the thing I’ve been wanting and working to obtain. I can also make stops along the way if I choose to. I can shop, rest, eat, meet people, and form new relationships or I can be laser-focused on getting to the destination. There is no wrong way to press forward if my attitude is gracious and although I’ve made life sound like shopping at the mall (laughing), my point is because I know where I’m headed I can do the hard work with joy. So for me, unlearning to complain and replace a bad attitude with an attitude of gratitude while on my journey in life has been one of my greatest lessons.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.KorstiaanVandiver.com
- Instagram: @korstiaan1
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/korstiaan.vandiver
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/korstiaan-vandiver-b637374/
- Twitter: @Kors
- Other: www.BlueAngelEntertainment.com
Image Credits
Kimberly Vandiver