Meet Stephen Ohl: Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephen Ohl and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephen, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
This is the number one existential question that I sit with almost daily these days. It’s a time when things have never seemed more uncertain. Both for my own future and for the future of the world. And with nothing but time to reflect on past decisions and the current state of one’s life, much ruminating has been happening for all of us.

But as for the question of giving up or continuing on, I feel as though I always come to the same conclusion, which is that I don’t really have a choice…

I came to LA like a conquistador who burned his ship upon arrival, so he couldn’t go back even if he wanted to. “Conquer or die.” This doesn’t mean that I don’t contemplate quitting on the daily, but ultimately I know that this life is very short, and quitting just wouldn’t make sense.

Keep going. Even if you have to crawl for a little while. Even if you have to take a nap. Or take a job you hate… I know that I have to keep going, otherwise, I would be a shell of a man. I would have nothing to live for.

And so, I keep going.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Every step of the artist’s journey is challenging. Artists love to create. We don’t necessarily like to market and sell, which is what our society is pretty much run on. So, we struggle to fit into a world that we don’t agree with. And we struggle to make a living in a world designed for commerce. This is the main conflict that an artist faces. This has been by far the most challenging aspect for me. In a world that wants content now! It feels as though the days of meaningful art that makes us ponder our humanity are slipping away. This is the work I want to keep alive.

Stories mean something beyond entertainment. I LOVE ENTERTAINMENT. But I think that entertainment entertains my soul even more when it’s served with a side of depth and existential pondering.

Art is what separates us from the animals. Our knowledge of death, our awareness of consciousness and our ability to express it, is what makes us human. This is what I am passionate about. This is what my work is about. It’s about the struggle between the animalistic desires in us versus the moral and intelligent humanity that we possess. It seems to be an endless battle and as we become more machine, it’s also possible that we are losing more of our humanity as well.

I tell stories that remind us of what it means to be human. The messiness. The pain. The conflict within. And the love that is our only savior.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When my friends come to visit, my ideal itinerary is as follows:

1. Take a hike. It’s one of my favorite parts about LA. Maybe a hike to Griffith Observatory or the Wisdom Tree.
2. Get a bagel at Yeastie Boys.
3. Tacos from a taco truck. Taco Zone in Echo Park is one my favorites.
4. Go to Venice. Maybe stop at Abbot Kinney for a drink.
5. Hop on some electric scooters and take them over to the Canals. Maybe enjoy some of Cali’s fresh greenery on a bridge.
6. See a movie. Damn I miss movie theaters. Ideally take them to screening of an old flick at The Vista or New Bev. Maybe catch a second film at the ArcLight sometime during the week too. Did I mention I love movies? LA is full of screenings you can’t get anywhere else. 35mm projection and films that were dug out of archives. I can’t wait to get back to theaters…
7. Get a SMASH burger somewhere. Tripps Burger is currently one of my favorites.
8. Check out a Brewery. Plenty great ones in DTLA.
9. If we had time take them up the coast to BIG SUR.
10. I can go on and on. I really do like LA. And I look forward to her recovery. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shoutout many of my friends and family for always supporting and believing in me. I don’t think I could continue on without them. But in this moment, I’d like to give thanks to my girlfriend of 6 and a half years, Annie Newton. She’s been there with unwavering support since I met her. And she’s also an actress and creative force of nature. She inspires me with her artistic taste and love.

Website: https://www.stephenohl.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sohlranger/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenohl/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephenOhl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.ohl

Youtube: youtube.com/user/SohlRanger

Image Credits
Tina Thorpe, Greg Baker