We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julian Thedford a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Julian, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Creativity never dissipates; however, I believe it is human nature to slip into a state in which one feels uninspired. When moments like that arise I’ve had to learn where to draw creativity from. The main blockage is mental, the first step in overcoming that is understanding that creativity isn’t something that comes and goes, it’s constant, whether you’re choosing to tap into it is another story. Art is everywhere, you just have to choose to see it. There are a number of tactics I implement to further my personal submersion into a creative realm. I frequent art museums, being that film is a visual medium I believe there’s a significant amount of crossover between paintings and the art of filmmaking. Additionally I frequently consume other forms of media, including music, literature and of course film. The allure for me with film is that it’s one of the few art forms that stimulate multiple senses, giving it the most diversity and cross over with other artistic mediums. Perhaps the most effective tactic for me when it comes to channeling creative energy is simply pulling from what I feel, I view emotional states as the strongest creative muses. Effective filmmaking in my eyes is film that makes you feel, film that emotionally immerses you into a story. In order to effectively convey emotion one must understand emotion. I spend hours lost in my mind and journaling, simply figuring out ways to draw from my own emotion and lived experiences. Typically what I untapped opens the door for endless creative potential and new forms of expression as there are endless ways to express emotion.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m a filmmaker originally from the South Side of Chicago, currently LA-based. I shot my debut film When I Wake during summer breaks while attending Howard University and premiered it two months after graduating in 2022 at Amazon Studios in LA. Following that I passed on job opportunities to take the film on the festival circuit, showing it in over 5 different cities and 3 different HBCU’s, accumulating 10 festival selections in the process. The film landed a distribution deal with Mansa.com and is available to stream there for free. Throughout the past year and a half, a desire to begin building something larger arose; that’s when I, along with my business partners Brianna Mottey and Brooklyn-Raye Conley, decided to launch Lucid Village Productions.
Officially launching in May of 2023, Lucid Village Productions is a next-generation production company, founded by and for artists and storytellers, dedicated to creative spaces that uplift community and explore multi-dimensional concepts across different platforms. Lucid Village gives us the ability to explore multiple venues for further expansion, as we continue our quest to reshape the media landscape through empowering the underrepresented and dismantling stereotypes and bias’. Since May we’ve expanded from a team of 3 to a team of 8 and are hoping to continue that growth into the coming months as we prepare for upcoming productions.
Speaking of upcoming productions: our next film Seekin is in preproduction, and it’s going to be groundbreaking. It’s a thriller that takes place in the woods that explores Black family dynamics and serves as introspection on Black masculinity. The way the story is going to be told is going to blur the line between space and time- if you’re not sure exactly what that means, you’ll have to wait and see. On the last film, we had finite resources and no crew so the final product was only a glimmer of what I truly envisioned in my head, yet the project still saw a good amount of success. The idea with this next one is that everyone working on it will be able to fulfill their full potential and fully execute what they envision throughout every facet of production. Meaning the end result will be stellar. Producers or Financiers interested in being a part feel free to reach out!
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.Don’t wait for permission
If there’s something you aspire towards, start with what you have and build from there. I see so many people waiting for the right circumstances to pursue their passion or dream. The cold reality is there will never be ideal circumstances. You have to relinquish fear and begin building where you are. Remember that you can’t fail at what is meant for you. been the basis for my approach within everything.
2.If no one understands your vision, make them see it.
That’s been the basis for my approach within everything. Coming into the entertainment industry at such a young age, I’ve been written off countless times as “inexperienced”. So time and time again, I’ve proven what I’m capable of and commanded what I want through showcasing that I’m worthy. That’s what the process of blazing your own trail looks like. I believe everyone should create the reality that they want to live in to the best of their abilities. If something you want is being withheld from you, prove that you’re worth it and what’s meant for you will appear.
3.Pursue excellence not success
Those are the words of Brianna Mottey and have served as my phone’s lock screen for the last 6 months. So many get caught up in chasing the idea of success that they fail to realize it’s a mirage- it simply doesn’t exist. Success is subjective and can be defined in so many ways. Chasing success will lead you down a spiral of seeking external validation. Instead, be the best you can be at whatever it is you love and the results will come.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I love being overwhelmed because it typically means I’m doing something right. That may not sound like the healthiest outlook but from my perspective being overwhelmed means you’re being challenged and challenges are what constitute growth. You’re rarely faced with the same challenge twice because once you’ve conquered it, it’s no longer a challenge. In my experience, being overwhelmed is a test of one’s perseverance and dedication. If you can persist through adversity the results will always show, oftentimes sheer will will out do practicality. Heading a production can be one of the most overwhelming/ stressful experiences you can go through. During the production of When I Wake, we had a particular night in which lead actor Caleb J Smith and I were on set until about 2 am struggling to figure out how to shoot a VFX sequence. We had to make it look like he was falling through an abyss with the use of a green screen. Figuring out the proper way to position him with limited resources was a nightmare. Tired, defeated, and overwhelmed I nearly pitched the whole scene. I looked up towards the ceiling begging a higher power for some form of clarity or solace. Literally moments later the studio manager who’d gone home for the night hours earlier walked in. He said he was coming back to just make sure we knew how to lock up, a process he’d already gone over in depth before leaving the first time. Not blocking the blessing, we immediately asked him for help and he helped us set up the shot in only a couple minutes. Not to over-dramatize it but moments like that feel like divine intervention; the universe doesn’t want you to lose, you simply must show it what you want.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lucidvillageproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jt_shot_that/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-thedford-b63a37192/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUMpbISiRQwcuuRrcr5357Q
Image Credits
Ricky Pettigrew
