Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethan Paul.
Hi Ethan, 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?
For as long as I can remember, I knew that entertainment and performance were my path. Early memories place me in the church playing the drums and singing. Then shortly after, acting came into the picture. Theatre was fun, but what truly fascinated me was the screen. Movies, TV, commercials, you name it, I loved it. The arts all blended for me. Every time I heard a song, I saw a movie scene, and every time I saw a movie scene, I would think about all the elements, from the camera angles to the acting to the soundtrack. It was truly a symphony to my senses. As a kid, I would make sketches and come up with a bunch of different ideas for shows and movies. As I grew older, I became more impatient with my thoughts not being a reality, so I decided to change that and materialize my dreams. I created my production company and Youtube channel when I created my pilot episode for the show I wanted to make. Since then, my multimedia channel houses every project I put my hands on.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was not a smooth road by any means. The biggest obstacle is that I don’t have a certified team to help me bring my pieces to life. I can find people to help, of course, but it takes a great deal of effort to find someone for a specific role every time I want to create something. Just the planning of that alone can be overwhelming enough sometimes to deter me from starting a project. Seeing a project through from creation to distribution takes an enormous amount of time and effort, and if I’m not in my mode, it’s easy for the project not to get off the ground.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an omni-creative. I write, direct, and produce films and other forms of visual media, like song breakdowns, food reviews, and more. I am also a musician and actor. Everything I create can be found either on social media, like Instagram, or on the Redd 13 Production YouTube channel (redd13productions). I am mostly known for my films, which is also the thing I am most proud of, because it encapsulates everything I love about being a creative (especially putting my music to a movie scene).
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I feel like risk-taking is good and helpful as long as the risk isn’t large enough to completely put you out of business or ruin your whole brand. The only major risk I could think of is when I created my pilot episode. I received around $13k in COVID money, and I used the majority of it on the production of the episode. It was a risk because I used all my money in hopes that the episode would help me sell the show or have someone help me fund the project, or at least land a spot in a film festival, but unfortunately, it didn’t land anywhere. I don’t think total loss. I am extremely proud of what I was able to accomplish, and the experience opened my eyes to just a tip of the industrial iceberg. In my case, this was a good risk because this was practically free money I received, my brand is still intact, and I am free to create more projects, but now I have a better understanding of what to do. I think risks help you grow and give you a better understanding of what’s your lane and what’s not your lane. You will never know where gold is if you strike for it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/redd13productions
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@redd13productions11?si=aBD-Uk7Djx8xpv5A
Image Credits
Nadia Walker
Jai Jefferson
Sisipho Mehlo
