Episode 27: What Real Filmmakers Do with Elisee Junior St. Preux
The film industry is a highly competitive and challenging field to break into, especially in the United States. Real filmmakers who are successful in this industry possess a combination of skills, talent, and perseverance. They understand that it takes more than just creative vision and technical ability to make a successful film. In this episode, I am joined by Elisee Junior St. Preux, a Haitian storyteller born and raised in North Miami Beach, FL, who exploits his art through directing, writing, and acting, to explore some of the key characteristics and strategies that real filmmakers utilize to succeed in the US film industry.
Elisee researched assiduously from the numerous materials available to him as a self-taught filmmaker, such as books, blogs, podcasts, newspapers, digital articles, and documentaries. Soon after, he founded the film blog "The Movie Butter Playbook," as well as the screenplay label "La MODE Films," for black writers. Today, his work has premiered at Tribeca, he is a recipient of Indeed's Rising Voices in collaboration with Hillman Grad Productions, a nominee for the 53rd NAACP Image Awards, an HBO Short Film Award Finalist at the American Black Film Festival, and a Netflix Created By Fellow.
Elisee shares his experience of being raised in South Florida, the secrets to being successful in Florida, and how he has been so successful in his projects. He also talks about the first thing that he thinks about when working on a film, how to stay in the present as an artist, and what the real black filmmakers in the diaspora are missing. He discusses some of the things that real filmmakers do to be successful. Tune in to learn more about this and other exciting topics!
Timestamps
[06:11] The experience of being raised in South Florida
[11:11] The bullying of dark skin in colleges back in the days
[13:43] The secrets to being successful in Florida
[16:20] How Elisee has been successful in his projects
[18:54] The first thing that Elisee thinks about when working on a film
[21:55] How to stay in the present as an artist
[27:22] What the real black filmmakers in the diaspora are missing
[34:01] What the real filmmakers do
[39:00] Understanding completion bonds as a director
[45:00] The competition in the film industry
[52:10] Advice for young filmmakers in Florida
Notable quotes:
“If you live in an unpredictable world, you must be prepared everywhere you go.”
“The real filmmakers go out and make their movie and be unapologetic about it, and they are going to do it with all the skill sets they have and face all the trials and tribulations they will get. In the end, they are going to be proud and learn from it.”
“A lot of directors don’t understand anything about a completion bond. If your film doesn’t make a certain percentage, you will have a hard time getting money for your next feature.”
Connect with Elisee Junior St Preux:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eliseestpreux/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliseethecinephile/