Conversations with Hallease

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Hallease.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always loved watching movies. When I was younger, my parents would give me $10 and drop me off at the movie theatre. It was enough money to see two movies back to back. I got my first camera around 11 or so years old. I bought it with my chore money from Circuit City. After that, I became the family photographer, taking pictures of everything whenever I could afford more film. From there, I bought my first camcorder (also from Circuit City).

I would film little skits with my neighborhood friends and document myself and my family. I didn’t realize it then, but I was essentially vlogging. I would edit the videos together using a VCR. Fast forward, I went to a magnet school in San Antonio, Texas, called Communications Arts High School. It was there I learned how to edit using non-linear editing software and learned that I could turn my passion for film and video into a lifelong career.

I went to the University of Texas at Austin and majored in Radio-Television-Film. I spent some time interning in LA before becoming an independent producer in Austin. Through it all, I started and maintained my YouTube channel as a way to connect with people. I ended up quitting my traditional production job in 2018 to start my own production company, StumbleWell and I’ve been out here stumbling through it ever since.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been interesting. I wouldn’t say it’s been smooth, but I’m grateful it’s been consistent. I started my creative business with two grants. One is from YouTube directly, and the other is from Adobe.

Once those grants ran out, and I started to get scared, I got hired to produce a web series for PBS Digital Studios. That job funded my company for about a year. Then once that concluded, I was feeling burnt out, so I decided to live off the company’s savings for six months to take a break and create videos on my YouTube Channel and not take on any client work. That was in 2020. We all know how that went. In the end, it worked in my favor, but that was a whirlwind for a year.

My biggest struggle has been reacting to new opportunities rather than generating those opportunities on my own. Last year, I had very few opportunities come my way, forcing me to think critically about diversifying my income streams and being more pro-active or offensive in my strategies.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a filmmaker and storyteller. My chosen medium is film/video, and I distribute it directly online via my YouTube channel, Hallease, and other social channels. I’m most known for my scripted comedy web series called “This Coulda Been An Email,” but my strength is documentary storytelling. I tend to tell stories that make you question your ideals or beliefs in an approachable way. I’m always interested in studying and exploring what it means to be human while trying to find the thread that connects all of our experiences (however varied) together.

I’m also known online for teaching what I know about filmmaking and storytelling. I think what sets me apart from others is my approachability. I try to minimize talking about filmmaking and storytelling in grandiose language. I want to see more diverse stories told across all mediums. My motto is “I went to film school, so you don’t have to,” and I take that seriously.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m developing a comic with an illustrator.

I’ve hired a local independent comic book editor and everything. We’re developing one of my husband’s spooky short stories (he’s a writer). It’s a completely new storytelling medium for me, so I’m really excited to see how this first comic goes, and I’m hopeful that this will develop into a series of comics.

Contact Info:

• Website: stumblewell.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hallease.mp4/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HalleaseN/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hallease/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hallease
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/hallease

Image Credits
Othello Banaci and Bria Woods