We were lucky to catch up with Talibah Ometu recently and have shared our conversation below.
Talibah , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I wrote relentlessly as a young adolescent, which I think is the foundation of my intrigue and passion for storytelling. As a college student I always had a mini-dv camera in tow documenting life as I saw it and I never shied away from asking my friends and family to open up about their lives as a way to dive deeper into the human experience. When I was in undergrad most of what I learned about my craft was the historical foundation of filmmaking. Towards the end of college I was able to take a course where we were asked to assemble narrative stories that we came up with on our own and it was through this exercise that I first started to assemble a narrative using film and editing language. During and post college I had many internships ranging from writing script coverage to PA’ing on music video sets. I landed a post production assistant gig with a director I admired and this was the pinnacle moment where filmmaking and my desire to make a career out of filmmaking cemented. I became the director’s personal assistant after my first leg working with him and I was able to see a film made from start to finish. After observing this process I decided I wanted to attend film school to pursue filmmaking seriously. Knowing what I know now the only thing that could have sped up my learning process was watching more films, writing more scripts, being on more sets, and making more of my own content. The skills I think are most essential are clear communication and the ability to pivot quickly when roadblocks are presented in production. Funding is an obstacle that has typically stood in the way of learning more, but now that we can make films on our phones there are really no excuses for sharpening your skills within the craft of filmmaking.
Talibah , 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?
My name is Talibah Ometu. I am a filmmaker. I got into my industry through various internships and apprenticing under a director as well as going to graduate school for my craft. I distill the human condition into stories that are accessible to others through the filmmaking lens. I am an actor’s director and my voice sets me apart from others. I am most proud of my ability to learn and work within various sectors of the business of storytelling spanning from digital video to theatrical/studio filmmaking. I want potential followers or fans to know that filmmaking is a marathon, not a sprint. I have made non-fiction, commercial, branded, and fictional work and my focus is currently on making a feature film based on one of my short films. I am always looking to connect with producers, financiers, investors, and team members who want to be apart of a larger vision and who love the craft of filmmaking as much as I do. This is truly a craft of passion as it requires so much from the individuals who commit to the journey and I wouldn’t have it any other way as I love what I do.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Society can best support artists through providing opportunities for artists to work on their mental health, provide child care support for women in the film industry, and open the portals for financing and networking across the aisle. There are various barriers to entry in the film industry that many are tackling today and one huge step forward is to support local artists and the various platforms being created to support those artists.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to turn ideas into tangible products with a village of creatives as well as being a portal for others to be able to experience aspects of the human condition they wouldn’t have been able to had you not told a particular story.
Contact Info:
- Website: talibahnewman.com
- Instagram: iamtalibah
- Linkedin: Talibah Newman Ometu