Today we’d like to introduce you to Elijah Winfield.
Hi Elijah, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been a writer, even at a very young age. But toward the end of middle school/the beginning of high school, I started playing sports and kind of forgot about my creative dreams. Sooner or later, though, I stopped. And, I returned to being creative. At around 16, I began editing/shooting music videos and even earned a bit of notice locally. But I grew bored of it. I felt like I was being stamped as a “music video director” instead of an artist in general, and I wasn’t a huge fan of that. So, I started watching *a lot* of movies and started to get into screenwriting as well, and ended up writing a web series on YouTube, titled “Misunderstood” at around 17. As always though, I soon grew bored of that and I just felt uncomfortable, or even immature, doing it. It wasn’t my style. So, I took some time off from creating anything and just experienced life, sort of like how I’m doing now. I watched a ridiculous number of movies, and like 6 or 7 months later (I believe), I created a documentary: “The Story of a Black Boy”, right before I turned 18. After that, I felt like I still hadn’t found an identity as a writer or director, so I started watching even more movies! Haha. A couple of months later, I wrote, directed, and edited a short film titled “I Can’t Wake Up”. It was an experimental piece if you will. It was definitely a step in the right direction, but in my eyes, I still hadn’t found my style. So, I didn’t create anything for a year and some (Co-vid hit I believe?), and came back at the end of 2020, with a short film titled “Time Waits for No Man”. Which was definitely me finally finding a sense of identity. Something I created, which I could say I was very comfortable with. It gave people an idea of what to expect from my films. Not only that, it made people take me seriously as a filmmaker because it was a very mature piece of work. And, I had just turned 19. Soon after that, in the spring of 2021, I released another short which would go on to win me an international award at a film festival for ‘Best Romance’. “And So, It Goes”. A project meant for 2020, but I could never get it done, mainly because of Co-vid. By the time And So, It Goes was released, I had a pretty firm grasp on what I wanted to do as a filmmaker, the type of feelings I wanted to convey, and the stories I wanted to tell. As a writer/filmmaker, I focus heavily on the ‘human connection’, and themes of isolation, loneliness, existentialism, the passing of time, and the great unknown of love. Barely a month after releasing And So, It Goes, I wrote a short film titled “Absence of Color” that I planned on shooting in the summer (Which I did). Funny enough, Absence of Color ended up being extended from a thirty-minute short film, into a feature with a runtime of 1:15:06. And, It’s also my debut feature. A couple of my friends and I worked on it, day-to-night. We had $300 to work with, one camera, two lenses, and two weeks. Once, Absence of Color was finished, I almost immediately had to get back to classes at my university. Now, I’m 20, going on 21 once July 25th hits. And, currently, I’m burnt out, creatively. I recently shot a short film: “Yesterday, it rained”. I plan on releasing that later this year, along with Absence of Color.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not.
I wouldn’t want a smooth road, though. I think struggle creates the best artists. As a writer, when you experience life, you have to consider all aspects of life, and pain is one of them. It creates honesty in not just a writer, but an artist. You’re no longer *trying* to get your audience to feel anything. What you’re giving them is the absolute truth, and they have no choice but to recognize that.
More specifically though, regarding struggles:
Money (lol).
Also, I was definitely ridiculed at the beginning of my career. No one took me seriously, which is a bit fair since I was like barely 16. On top of that, I basically taught myself everything I know about editing, writing, and almost filmmaking as a whole. Through trial and error. So, of course, that was tough on me as a kid, and it’s still tough now as a young adult. Always wondering if you’re doing *something* right.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a writer and director. I’m known for that as well.
I summarized a lot of my career as a creative in the first slide I believe. So, I’ll try to answer these questions without being repetitive.
I’m very proud of my debut feature: Absence of Color. I don’t think it was perfect but it was a true learning experience for me. And, I truly do believe I’ve created one of the most daring, and bold debut films of all time. I think in the future it’ll be studied by film students at film schools, mainly because it shows that film is an art form, and art has no boundaries, so why should cinema? You can create anything, as long as you’re honest with it. As long as you love it.
Regarding what sets me apart. I guess if we’re talking in my demographic (young filmmakers), I don’t know about them of course, but I’m willing to die over this. I love it way too much. Now obviously, I don’t want to die over filmmaking, but I would without question. And I guess a plus is that I have an identity as a filmmaker. I know exactly what I want to tell and how I want to tell it.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Currently, I’m in Winter Park, FL, for film school. But I spent most of my life living in Charleston. And, I still go back home like every 5-6 months or so, whenever I’m visiting my parents.
I don’t like the smell that much. But you get used to it.
I like the creative space in Charleston. There’s so much talent there. Emphasis on ‘so much’. I know a lot of brilliant artists in the city who just don’t get the recognition they deserve. And Charleston (for the most part) always shows love to its people. They’ll always support you.
Contact Info:
- Email: eliwin4@gmail.com
- Website: https://elijahwinfield.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elijahsbday/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/elijahisvisual
- Other: https://www.priceofwisdom.art/artists-blogs/elijah-winfield
Image Credits
Elijah Winfield
Jordan Midder
