We were lucky to catch up with Mikell Edwards recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mikell , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Well coming up with the name for my brand and business turned out easier than I thought it would be. First I prayed about it and discussed it with my family, then the realization came to me that I am a creator, and I want people to create with me. So, the name CreateWithMikell Enterprises, LLC came to be. The whole goal of my business is to tell amazing stories, be it screenplays for the big screen, short stories for audio listening or commercials for advertising. Recently, I have begun the process of creating a comic book, and anyone who has created a comic book knows it takes a team and I need people willing to work, i.e. create with me to get these amazing stories to the public.

Mikell , 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?

I have always been an avid reader and writer. Even as a child I created my first book about a girl learning how to yo-yo. This was not a school assignment or a project my folks asked me to do, it was something I did on my own, so reading and writing is a foundation within me. Somewhere along the way, I got off my path, I think this occurred in high school and flowed into college. It wasn’t until after I’d graduated with a master’s degree in a field I am no longer pursuing that I learned about scripts. It took ten years after leaving high school for me to learn that all movies and TV shows start with a script. Once I learned that, my mind was opened to a new world of possibilities.
I took several classes on script writing, read books on character development and researched correct screenplay format to educate myself, because I definitely did not feel like going back to school and paying tuition. But all the while during my research and self-educating, I was writing stories and reading free scripts online. I felt like I was playing catch-up, too busy comparing my skill level with other newbie screenwriters trying to break into Hollywood.
In this period of growth, I joined multiple Facebook groups and made film-making friends. I learned new skills along the way. I became a location scout for an independent production company, and successfully found a store for them to film in Savannah, GA. I had never done that before, but guess what, I did it and it worked out. Also, having people hang up on me let me know that being a location scout can be frustrating and demanding. I’ve also co-wrote pilots with other writers, written short commercials and all this work was free. However, those free jobs led to paid jobs.
Now, when I consult with people, or they bring me on board for their project I can ask pertinent questions depending on the project. Especially, if it’s a writing project, I ask them what’s the budget, not just for my own pay, but for their production, because they need a script that is filmable.
Once people read my stories, they react positively towards it. I’m always a little surprised because as an artist you don’t know how your work will be received. Also, I tend towards more genre pieces such as sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. I can confidently say that the worlds I build and the characters that inhabit those worlds are interesting enough that people ask for more. And I don’t mind giving them more.
CreateWithMikell Enterprises, LLC is still a growing business and brand, I am continuously learning and honing my writing and film making skills. I encourage those who want to tell amazing stories to connect with me so that together we can create well told stories.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Free money is out there for writers and film-makers through grants. If I had known this earlier in my creative journey, that would have helped me financially. Knowing how and where to find them and knowing how to apply for them can be so helpful to beginning film-makers and honestly to the ones with years of experience too. Thankfully, I found someone on Instagram who puts out information on grants and I follow her to stay up to date. The money is out there, we just have to apply.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Networking has been the most effective strategy for growing my clientele. Going to different events on Eventbrite, or film-making organization meetings or meetup groups have expanded my network. On the flipside, networking can be challenging because you must put yourself out there and talk to people, which is fine, but it’s that underlining tension of trying to get the next gig that has the potential to make it awkward and insincere. Personally, I have found out if I ask a few questions to whomever I’m speaking with, that person will talk enough for the both of us and then right before we break away, we exchange socials or business cards. I prefer business cards because they are objects that I can hold in my hand and make notes on.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createwithmikell/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@createwithmikell5220

Image Credits

Juliana Díaz, Sergia Starr, Amie Hudspeth, Krystal Michelle