Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to William Gates. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have William with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I would say I get my work ethic from my father . He was the type of person that would never sit down growing up I watched him work on his off days doing construction, plumbing work and sometimes auto mechanic work but he was a Chicago Firefighter by profession lol .
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m an independent filmmaker I’ve been doing music videos, documentary and movies for 21 years now . I fell in love with film when I seen the movie Belly directed by Hype Williams, I can remember it like yesterday I’ve never felt that way about anything. I knew it had to be GOD giving me my calling, shorty after graduating from Highschool I attended Columbia College and I never put the camera down since lol . Filmmaking for me is therapy I feel 100 percent in control even when things aren’t going right on set , I feel alive . Because of film I’ve traveled the world got a chance to meet some very cool people even became very close friends with some very famous people. Some days I feel really down and in a not so good mood I can watch a movie or get a call from a friend and be totally fine and motivated to create. That’s why my saying is “ film is life “ because it really is for me. Just recently I finished my first horror film called The Candy Store . This particular project is special to me because horror is one of my favorite genre of films and I got a chance to film it in my neighborhood Englewood . If you know anything about Chicago you would know Englewood is not known for being a safe place but I call it home and any chance I can get to produce something positive out it I will .
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities that I think are most important is you have to believe in yourself, never stop learning and things will never be perfect do it anyway . These are the things that helped me along the way and because of that I was presented with opportunities I thought I would never have.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
Who has been the most helpful in helping me over come challenges. I would first say GOD just having faith and always having conversations with GOD the good things and bad things. Second my family and friends I can truly say having a good support system makes a big difference. And most importantly I’m always willing to learn I don’t think I know it all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Openworldfilms.com
- Instagram: Directorwillgates
- Facebook: William Gates
- Twitter: Willgates
- Youtube: Open World Films
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