Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Julia Hairston.
Ariel Julia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am the Creator (writer and director) of a web series called Outlandish (found at YouTube.com/pashionistas). It started out as just an idea in my head. I sat on the idea for well over a year, fearing I didn’t have the right tools or connections to make it happen.
What’s most interesting is that once I started, I had the same amount of tools and connections as I had when I didn’t think I had enough. I shot the pilot with my own camera, in my own living room, with a crew of my own friends. (The actors were found as a result of me scavenging the internet.)
A year and a half after that pilot, I had produced an entire first season, with the help of the extremely talented crew and actors. They believed in my vision and decided to stick with it until we made something beautiful and worth sharing with the world.
Now, after starting from nothing, we have garnered over 125,000 views and 2,000 subscribers in two months, and are growing by the day.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I believe that as a creator, it’s almost impossible not to hit some bumps in the road; and if you don’t, you’re probably not challenging yourself enough.
Along the way, I’ve had to cut difficult actors. On set, I dropped my hard drive after filming the entire first episode and lost everything. I’ve had weather issues, locations haven’t always been easy to book, people haven’t always been reliable. (One actor told me he couldn’t make a shoot 10 hours before call time and I had to replace him — yes, in 10 hours, including 8 hours that should’ve been devoted to sleep.)
Thankfully, I’ve had an amazing producer, Kiah Clingman, who is also one of my key actors. She has believed in the project from day one, so much so that she decided she wanted to dedicate a significant amount of her time making sure it was the best it could be.
My advice to any aspiring filmmaker or woman wanting to create a short film or web series is to just do it. There will be mishaps, it won’t be perfect. People won’t always commit the way you want them to, especially if you aren’t paying them. You may (and probably will) end up having to do a lot of things yourself. There will be issues, and they will seem bigger to you than they really are because the project is your baby. But don’t let any of this deter you. Things that come with their rewards will likely come with their risks. There is never a perfect time where everything will align, but if most things align, that’s enough. Because if you wait for perfection, you may miss your chance at making anything, and if people can’t see your thing, it won’t matter how perfect it could have been.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Outlandish (web series) – what should we know?
I am a screenwriter, filmmaker, and cinematographer. Most of the cinematography in Outlandish was done by me. I have also worked as a freelance videographer for quite some time (my Vimeo is vimeo.com/arieljulia).
Outlandish is what I’m most proud of; it is my first ever project. It’s crazy because I have really created 8 short films by making this project, so it feels like more than just one thing. I hope it leads to even greater things.
Outlandish is a mockumentary-style comedy that centers on the unfortunate circumstances life hands three very different women, and how their friendship is entangled in their individual chaos.
As a black woman, I created the web series partly with the intention of tackling the lack of representation of the Queer Black Woman in media and the prevalence of bi-erasure. I also wanted a show that encompasses primarily people of color while still maintaining a diverse feel.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
In 2017, women only made up 11% of all directors in film, and 4% of cinematographers. Also, 80% of all showrunners are male.
The biggest barrier then, I believe, is media itself not giving women a chance. The way you combat this is to keep creating anyway.
Contact Info:
- Website: youtube.com/pashionistas
- Instagram: @arieljuliahairston, @beingoutlandish
- Other: Vimeo.com/arieljulia
Image Credit:
Bethany Stacy
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