Meet Edwin L. Williams II

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Edwin L. Williams II. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Edwin L. below.

Hi Edwin, so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?
How I personally beat creative blocks both writers and ideas is due to my personal weapon: my wife, Ilyssa Williams. She is one of my biggest assets that I can turn to when I have self-doubt or if I’m stuck on an idea. I usually can come up with the beginning of a film and the ending; however, getting from point A to point B can be a challenge. Enter Ilyssa, and I can get there more effectively by talking it out and filling the missing puzzle pieces together. Sometimes Ilyssa will look at a script that I’m working on, grab my laptop, and start typing up where she thinks the story should go. It’s a hit or miss; however her interactions contribute to overcoming my creativity blocks. After she stops typing, I would look at it and go either “Hmm not bad,” and add more of my lingo. Then there’s the other response, “This isn’t right at all,” which causes the light bulb switch in my head to turn on, and I’m able to get past that mental block. Other times, I just need her in the room with me as I type because just her presence motivates me. I’m very motivated to make her proud of the work that I’m doing. I want her to be entertained and of course looking forward to the next project. If I didn’t have Ilyssa in my life, it would definitely be the best advice I got from award winning playwright and screenplay writer Franky D Gonzalez. He told me to write and keep writing, and when I run into a stop, put *Will fill in later* and continue on and come back to the missing pieces. So without a question, it’s my wife who is my biggest weapon against creativity blocks.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m an award-winning actor, director, writer and cinematographer. I’ve been an actor and filmmaker for 9 years, and I have an Associate’s Degree in Performance Acting from KD Conservatory in Dallas, Texas. I was born in Seoul Korea but currently reside in the Dallas Metroplex, and the name of my small production company is called Digital ELW Productions. As of lately, I’ve directed and provided cinematography for over 10 projects ranging from book trailers, short films, web series, and feature films. My personal projects fly under the banner “a Seoul in the Cloud films” honoring my Korean heritage and my wife, best friend, and business partner Ilyssa Williams (McCloud). In addition, I do photography work under Digital ELW Photography. Since 2016, I’ve been represented by Teresa Natera and her agency, Core Talent. Currently, I can be seen in a national commercial for Sprouts Farmers Market, Geeked Out Productions full feature movie called “Retro Freaks”, an upcoming projects like Ryan Culver’s “Black Clown”, Ilyssa Williams’ award winning web series “Back to 1”, and a psychological thriller short film called “Dormant Psychosis”. In January of 2023, my psychological thriller that I wrote and directed called “Just Gina!”  won Best Thriller, Best Director, and Best Duo Awards at the prestigious Vegas Movie Awards. It’s been surreal so far. I do have a couple of short film projects for 2023, and I’m still working on my first Digital ELW original feature film.

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?

In my opinion, the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that I found most impactful in my journey were continuous acting classes and watching technical camera videos that involves: filmmaking, directing, and photography. Through the use of online videos , I’ve gotten better with using my Black Magic camera, utilized shadows to create dramatic effects, and improved with lighting. For every film or project that I make, I strive to outdo my previous production as a way to see how far I’ve come. For example, I rewatched my very first short film that I made called “Choices.” Although I cringed at multiple shots, I could proudly point out the mistakes I made which led to better film projects later on in my journey. Had I not continued with expanding my knowledge with a camera, I would’ve remained stuck with the quality work of my first film and had not gained recognition for my work. The acting classes I took taught me the importance of surrounding myself with people who truly wanted the best for me. At KD Conservatory, I encountered some of the most gifted individuals who have shaped me into who I am now: Phyllis Cicero, Linda K. Leonard, and Alfonso Davis III. Through their stories, I gained knowledge, aspirations, and inspiration that carried me throughout the years.

Here are the following advises I have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these:

Whatever you do, don’t let fear or fear of failure overpower your determination. Never be afraid to fail because when you “fail” you gain experience and lessons are learned. The ultimate “no no” is to not even try because that type of regret will forever haunt you for the rest of your life. Take risks, especially educated risks that you can stand behind. Remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint.

Make friends with the word “Patience” because you’re gonna need it to survive in this type of industry. Patience is a huge one. You will be dealing with hundreds of “No!” or “doors closed in your face” before you get your true breakthrough in this journey. I said before that this is a marathon not a sprint. Never compare your position to someone else because you do not know the type of hell the other person went through to accomplish their dreams. All you can do is focus on the task in front of you and fulfill the work you need to do to get you where you want to be.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always looking for like minded people to collaborate with. People can connect with me through email or social media. I wouldn’t say I am actively looking for people to help me, but I want to be around those that are just as knowledgeable about this industry as I am or have even more knowledge than myself. Currently, I like those that are not just showing up for a payday but who want to make a good project along with believing that their individual skills are an asset on a production. I like to ask questions and gauge people’s opinions on my sets such as, “What do you think? What would you do?” Things like that. I like for my projects to be truly collaborative and that your voice can be heard. I do work with beginners, but it is on a case by case basis. If you want to get better yourself, you have to work with people who are better than yourself or are striving to get there as well.

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