Today we’d like to introduce you to Julian Roberts.
Hi Julian, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started filmmaking at ten years old through a love for YouTube. It was fascinating to watch unfiltered videos that were created by people just like me; it was better than TV. I was very animated growing up, so I saw an opportunity to further the gift and bring my own ideas to life. So, little inspired me went to my parent’s closet and secretly took their vacation camera to create videos. The first project I ever put out was my 6th-grade year. With influence from early YouTubers such as Deshawn Raw, 4YallEnt & HotDamnIRock, comedy-driven content is where I made my initial mark under the name Mr.ComedianStudios. That first video led me back to school the following week with an outpour of support. It was at that moment that I understood what a gift I had. My peers and family alike took a genuine liking to the content I was creating over the next few years. My mom was the catalyst in my pursuit of building a great production company, as she exuded an abundance of support for my craft; ultimately helping me build the confidence to create at a high level. I continued along my path until the age of 14, when I began to veer into music. For the 2 years to follow, I wrote, produced and engineered for myself and other friends that made music around me. In retrospect, that time in the music industry was one of the most impactful periods of my life. At 16, I returned to the multimedia field but with a completely different approach. I began to take interest in photography. Picking up a DSLR and adopting photography not only resparked the love affair I once had with filmmaking; but it taught me how to pick my shots. As a ten-year-old video creator, framing and composition ranked at the very bottom of my priorities; myself and the viewers just cared if it was funny.
However at 16, I saw things much differently. The landscape for independent content was far more professional looking than when I first entered the field. I understood just how much small details like motion in a shot could help a story become more comical. Or how a slow tilt can create tension in the audience. I began to study the way the human mind subconsciously connects with images through rule of thirds, leading lines, framing and many more DP tricks. The basics of cinematography were taking shape; I had finally found a language in the film that I loved to hear and speak. The following year after graduation in 2018, Jean-Luc Leroux, Alon McCall, and I came together to create a production company called Klir Canvas. Our goal was straightforward, to create a feature film. However ambitious we were, one thing we understood was the long journey it takes to get there. So, we started off small with a full swing of music videos with artists in Atlanta. We saw a lane to bring back narrative based music visuals. It was imperative for us to build the foundation for our feature film by creating music videos that felt just like a mini cinema. We treated each project as if it was a short film instead of just a performance based MV. Our plan saw incredible responses and our vision, chemistry and brand awareness reached heights far faster than we expected. The picture was becoming clear; we were making headway on our own with just the support of the city. No label, parent company, budget… everything was self-funded.
In the midst of Klir Canvas growth, I continued to do photography work on the side to keep my eye sharp. I was hopeful about my future as a freelance artist but also still dreamt about life on a big set. It wasn’t long before I was confronted with a choice. In the summer of 2022, I had just accomplished a major feat in life; I graduated college with a degree in Film. My mind began racing at the array of opportunities that were soon to be at my fingertips. Only a 22-year-old me didn’t quite understand the real world yet. As a college student at Georgia State University, I worked as a video assistant at the marketing department; a lead photographer at a studio and a production assistant on a PBS production. My introduction to the film industry was going as smooth as could be. Or so I thought. See, one-month post-graduation and 30 applications down, I hadn’t received a call nor email. I didn’t stress though, I know all good things take time. 30 days turned to 60 and a new reality began to set in. My intuition was telling me that I wasn’t destined to work for a company, but rather build the company that other young creators wanted to come show their gifts. I was already constructing a successful creative company with Jean-Luc and Alon, as we were in pre-production for our first independent show only three years after we’d begun. I could’ve sat and waited for one of those companies to give me an interview, or I could bet on myself. I chose to trust in me and create a brand around myself, The Original Julian, CEO of The Original Films.
The blueprint to entrepreneurship as an independent filmmaker was already in my DNA. The choice was simple, assume full control over your productions, ideas and pay scale. Rival the production houses that you admire, but own everything in the process. Artists such as Dom Kennedy spoke a lot about the importance of being independent and owning rights to his music, and having the autonomy to call the shots. I felt that needed to be done for filmmakers. The summer of 2022 was the launching pad of a lifetime. I began working with talented artists such as Lil Ayi Hit and JaxxPaxx on single and album rollouts. I became interested in marketing schemes to reach more listeners, it was honestly evolving into a complete care for the delivery of the product as whole and not just my role as said filmmaker. How can we create a world that makes everyone who hears this song and sees this visual want to return? Along with the love for music, I was creating fashion concepts with models such as Fiona and Sam Cassidy. Musicians love fashion and fashion creators love musicians; therefore, my projects saw exponential growth due to the crossing of industries.
My talent began to expand past purely cinematography, photography and filmmaking but more into creative direction. Artists would trust my ear and opinion on music just as much as I’d trust their ideas when it came to the ideas they wanted to see from the visual side of things. I continued to push and infiltrate the sports community as the creative director for an Atlanta AAU team named ETG; creating a mini-doc series for the team called ‘After The Buzzer’. There were moments where being independent was unforgiving, I lost hope a couple of times but I never stopped working. The floodgates have just continued to open as I’ve partnered with brands such as Extnk Clothing, Freeminded Records, Hoop Atlanta, and was recently interviewed on Mike-Will-Made-It’s platform called “The Wxllxm.” Working with independent artists Blaunc & Lil Ayi Hit have taught me the importance of patience. It’s not about working with the biggest star, it’s about building one another up to eventually become the biggest stars. I’m forever grateful I never received a call back from any of those applications I sent out. Outside of creating content for other brands and artists, I’ve also been able to create original content for my own network The Original Films. I now have the autonomy to make creative decisions, choose my clients and set my rates. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
As Klir Canvas gets set to release our biggest project in the Fall of 2023, The Original Films continues to appear as a fresh look for the multimedia marketplace. I want The Original Films to feel like a network, a hub of talented individuals that crossed paths because we needed each other. I want to conceptualize great art and talent on the biggest stage at the highest quality possible. The goal is to do it without having to work 20 years as a PA before you’re finally called to do something that they deem is important. Never put all your eggs in one basket. Always give yourself the option to create something for yourself. 50 individual humans make up one film set, and not one of them should underestimate just how important they are to that production. There’s immense value in every creator, and it’s up to us to recognize that, cultivate it and not sell it off to a company for a quick check. We could evolve the film space past a monopolized industry to one that has parity and equal opportunity. Independence is what I believe in for musicians, filmmakers, and every artist alike. I couldn’t go through life giving all of my greatest ideas and years to a production company only to receive a fraction of profits and notoriety. What my collaborators and I do is 100% original; you’ll see the remakes very soon.
Alright, 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?
Early on in this process, I fell flat on my ass because I didn’t understand business from a macro perspective. There are generally hot and cold seasons for each industry, and it’s imperative to know when yours are. It was difficult having to train myself as a businessman, as the creative aspect was the only area of operations I’d focused on. Professionalism isn’t something anybody is born with; it’s a skill that needs to be developed. I struggled with communication and deadlines due to having ample free time. I had to learn how to keep myself on track and on schedule because I was my own boss. Client retention is essential in freelancing, so I had to create a business model that empowered my clients to return. I began focusing on creating synergy and chemistry with my collaborators by actually looking long-term as if we’d already inked a deal for six months. That mindset and approach led to the manifestation of month-long contracts; I had to see it in my mind’s eye before it appeared physically. You have to know it, believe it, and feel it before you can expect anyone else to buy into your brand. You must be your biggest champion; make yourself big!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Cartoons have had some of the greatest impacts on both my art and personal life. The limitless possibilities that artists can simply draw and voice-over is priceless. I honestly try to mimic that same autonomy in my work; a film should never feel like it has boundaries even though our real world presents many of them. In my day to day, I wake up and live life just as a cartoon character. We never saw Ed, Edd N Eddy or Jimmy Neutron do the same thing on two different episodes. Every single episode was a new adventure, a new storyline that led to a development in their character arch. Whether it’s a production day or a blank schedule; I aim to live each day with a new quest in mind. I feel like this approach to life leaves me with a constant flood of inspiration, opportunity and everlasting desire to grow. I read a quote years ago by Susan Meiselas that reads, “The camera is an excuse to be somewhere you otherwise don’t belong. It gives me both a point of connection and a point of separation.” I live by that quote and always try to be someplace novel.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
You will have to sacrifice a lot of sleep to be great. I wish there was a shortcut, but there isn’t. 5 hours of sleep is my daily average; that’s just how much work there is to be done. Some weeks are tough, I feel like I’m missing out on life when I’m editing all week, but then I switch my perspective. When I’m constantly working and can’t find the time to balance with all the leisure life has to offer, I know my next opportunity to enjoy myself will be grand because I worked so hard. Your craft needs to be a full-time job that you do overtime every single week. You put a limit on how big you can be; it’s just like a muscle, you can work towards growth. The idea of being well-rested should be just that, an idea. Eventually, the success and residuals will allow for rest one day, but until then forget it!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/theoriginaljulian
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianrobertscine/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpQwBdxp1OWQuiOjA6EB9dA
Image Credits
VoyageATL Cover shoot: @35mmeii
