Meet Taylor Alahn | Director & Photographer

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

Hi Taylor, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I look at risks the same way I look at opportunities. I feel as though out of every risk you decide to take whether its for your career, love or moving to a new location there is an opportunity on the other side of that risk and it is up to you to decide if the opportunity is worth the risks you may have to take.

Working as a creative and being in the Film/TV industry is one huge risk in itself. You can be working on a movie set or TV show for 6 months and not working at all for the next 2-3 months. I had to decide if my dream was worth taking the risk of instability and long days and nights where I will have to be away from people I love. I went to film school, and decided I was willing to risk all of these things for my passion for storytelling and visual art, no matter how difficult it may get you must make your risk worth it. I promised myself it would be worth it and I will never regret the decision I made for myself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I was in high school I was completely lost on what I was actually interested in up until about 12th grade, I found out about a visual arts program at my school called AVPA. I was instantly interested but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to take theater classes or film. So, I took an improv class and loved it, but I felt that I would be better fit behind the camera so I signed up for film classes as well as the program. I fell in love with filmmaking in that classroom with my peers. They had been doing it for a while so they pretty much mastered the process in my eyes. It was a lot to take in at first, but I learned so much from that program.

I created a lot of connections with some of my peers from the program, and after I graduated I found out that I was recommended for an internship at Sony Pictures Studios. It felt surreal, like someone recognized me and how much I want this. I finished the internship and went off to film school, that only secured my love for the process, I feel like in order to be happy in your career, you have to fall in love with the entire process, and going to school confirmed that my dream can become my reality. Nothing has ever been easy, just like I said about risks there are many you have to take to be in the industry at the level of success I aspire to achieve. I had been struggling to pay my rent and get food one moment and buying everyone things I love the next. It is all a sacrifice to get to where I know I will be.

I learned that anything is achievable, it sounds cliche but it is true. You cannot expect things to happen for you if you aren’t working two times harder then the next and keeping your faith strong in whatever you believe. I have to keep working everyday and chanting because the day I stop is the day my goals become unreachable. The people that get up and get it, get it and the people that don’t, don’t.

I just want the world to know that my brand will always be a dedication to my mother Jhana, my family and the city of Los Angeles. That is me and represents who I am. I want be apart of the shift in the industry that is currently changing how Black cinema is viewed. There shouldn’t be a differentiation on a Black movie versus a white movie, just watch the movie. I will create thrilling stories that tie in Black tradition, my own experiences with Sci-Fi/horror. I want to tell our stories through a new lense, my lense and my POV and I cannot wait to share!

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?
If my friend was coming for a week we would first have to grab breakfast at Wii Jammin Cafe for sure, if she wants coffee after we will stop at Hilltop in Inglewood or Harun Coffee in Leimert Park. If she is out here on a Sunday then we will definitely stop at The Black Market Flee where we could shop, support Black businesses and eat some great lunch and listen to music!

We could grab dinner at The District on Crenshaw and listen to live music, eat some delicious cajun pasta and drinks which is always fun being around people in our community. These are places I love to go to socialize, I also love scenic views and trails, Runyon Canyon is a nice trail to hike. However, I mostly like to chill in the backyard with my fire pit, play some good music and relax after getting good food and shopping.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout a fellow black female filmmaker Sam Thornell, she went to film school as well and is launching her film instagram page soon. (@samxvisions) She has worked on multiple production sets and also produces film as well.

Sam Thornell
Main instagram : @dssknct

Instagram: @alahn_ & @alahnvisuals

Twitter: @alaahn_

Image Credits
@alahnvisuals