Meet Haeleigh Royall & Indeana Underhill

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Haeleigh Royall & Indeana Underhill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Haeleigh Royall & Indeana Underhill thrilled to have you on the platform.

Hae & Inde, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.
At CFA, balance as a prevention of burnout is a constant focus for us. We recognize the importance of supporting each other through our heavy schedules and lengthy to-do lists. As co-founders and business partners, we not only value our professional relationships but also our friendship. Open communication is key to our approach. We recognize that we’re learning to run a business while we do it and we’ve learned to make a point of regularly checking in with each other about our mental health and energy levels. This allows us to address concerns before they escalate and to provide support when needed.
One of the main strategies we employ is understanding that we’re in this together. We frequently express gratitude for the opportunity to work as a team on building Cinematography for Actors. This shared sense of appreciation helps us stay connected and reminds us that we have each other’s backs. If one of us is feeling stretched thin or needs time off, we trust that the other can step in and cover any necessary tasks without hesitation.
By prioritizing open communication, mutual support, and a strong sense of teamwork, we’re learning to navigate the challenges of burnout and maintain a healthy, sustainable work environment at CFA.

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?
As the co-founders of Cinematography for Actors, our passion lies in revolutionizing the way our industry collaborates amongst departments.

We created CFA to provide a foundation for community building, engagement, and education. As a cinematographer and an actor duo, we understand that growing in this industry begins with surrounding yourself with a solid community of like-minded filmmakers that are constantly creating.

Though our company, collaborators have connected, shot films, participated in lens tests, co-written scripts, and become friends. CFA community members can not only sharpen their skills with specialized workshops we offer but also find support, inspiration, and opportunities for collaboration. We believe that by fostering a strong sense of camaraderie, we can elevate the future of our industry and create lasting impact.

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?
1. Networking

2. Curiosity

3. Authenticity

Hae (Actor-side):
I think it’s incredibly important for actors (and everyone else for that matter) to let go of the idea that Networking is a scary, desperate, deeply shameful interaction in which they beg a power-wielding peer for a job. At its core, networking is friendship and friendship is the bedrock of the film industry. Approaching these friendships with curiosity, finding what interests you about the people in your professional network, and what it is about them that stokes inspiration for your work will lead you to authentic connections that align with your ultimate goals.

Inde (DP-side):
All three tie in to each other. Look out for new connections by being curious about your craft. Whether it’s a new product release, film festival, or way of doing something- asking questions and not needing to know all the answers are key parts of expanding your own mindset and connecting with others. Authenticity is a word thrown out right now a lot for marketing and branding. From my experience, these three qualities and skills are fundamental to progressing both professionally and personally.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Being first-time entrepreneurs is very much trial and error, especially without business degrees guiding us. We have to constantly remind ourselves to stick to our values and the reason we started the company. Although money tempts us to work in different areas, it’s been important for us to learn to say “no” just as much as we say “yes” to opportunities. We’ve become much more skilled in saying “yes” to the things that will propel us forward in the particular direction we want to be in one year, 5 years, 10 years from now.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Main photo: Vivien Kililea for Getty Images Bulk Photos: Charlie Nguyen

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