Meet Alexis Monét

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alexis Monét a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexis, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
Discovering your purpose comes after first, finding yourself. There was a long road of self discovery, the overcoming of trials and disappointments that occurred before knowing that creativity was my ultimate purpose. My entire life, the art of film has shown its head. Although sometimes I overlooked my calling, it always came back around waving in my face like, ‘hello I’m still here.’ Not afraid of the opinions of others, I decided to spearhead an entire film production on the campus of University of North Texas. Although I had done small projects prior, I had never produced a project of this magnitude, all by myself. I’ve been writing since I was 8/9 years old, so writing a script came natural, but this was my first time casting, scoping locations, gathering crew members, conducting a budget, directing, editing, etc. Going through the process, prayer was my only option because I knew this was something I was being led to do and nothing was going to stop me from getting it done. This was the start of not only finding my purpose, but aligning myself with my destiny.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a Screenwriter, Film Director and Producer. As a filmmaker my ultimate goal is to continue to share the under-viewed stories of minority women experiences. Most stories of the black woman are not told, or they’re overshadowed by misogyny. Taking life experiences of women who look like me while shinning a light on the joy, pain, underrated and disgruntled viewpoint of those women is what I focus on the most. I began my career in front of the camera; from NYFW and LAFW runway shows, to 5 page magazine spreads to television, commercials and film. Eventually I transitioned to behind the camera. Having both the experience of talent and crew allows me to have a different perspective as a filmmaker, relating to not only the needs of the audience but talent as well.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, the three qualities that were most impactful on my journey were the awareness of details, the ability to lead a team of any size, and being able to contain strong storytelling skills while motivating actors in the process. I’ve always been an observant person, so paying attention to details came natural. It’s very important to watch the movements and actions of people to effectively include those notions in your art piece. Having strong storytelling skills is extremely important because maintaining the viewers attention is essential. Also, relaying your message weighs heavy. Lastly, motivating and inspiring your actors to want to show up and portray their characters is probably one of the most important qualities. The more the actors feel inspired and seen, the more they want to convey the ultimate message. My advice for anyone just starting out is to research what it takes to be what you see in your future. And don’t be afraid to start small.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
In this industry, being well rounded is nonnegotiable. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and being honest with yourself about both of those can take you very far. Just imagine applying for a job, and being really good in one of the major requirements, but then theirs an opponent who is good in multiple endeavors. Sharpening the rougher areas is what I try and do on a daily basis, because my goal is to be my best in multiple lanes causing my value to increase. I’m way more valuable to this industry if all areas have been improved. I remember being hired as a Assistant Director for a project and when I showed up to set the Director didn’t know much about audio, needed assistance with capturing certain shots and wanted more producing ideas; of course I stepped in to fill those voids and became more valuable to that set because I brought so many other skills to the set other than Directing.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Empathy Unlocked: Understanding how to Develop Emotional Intelligence

“Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking action. It’s the impetus

Productivity
Where do you get your work ethic from?

We’ve all heard the phrase “work hard, play hard,” but where does our work ethic

Productivity
Boosting Productivity Through Self-Care

When you have a never-ending to-do list it can feel irresponsible to engage in self-care,