Meet Elle Jae Stewart | Filmmaker, Writer, Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elle Jae Stewart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elle Jae, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is tricky. Risk is scary. Risk exudes doubt. Risk is a darkened field with no known directions, blueprint, or guidance. Therefore, life itself is a risk. The audacity to live in color, dream out loud, and actually take steps toward making those dreams come true are all risks! I look at my life, the hardships endured, the obstacles crushed, the successes earned, and honestly, I do not believe I had any other choice but to be a “risk-taker”.  The moment I decided to pursue my craft as a creative (filmmaker, director, writer, photographer, teacher, producer) I made the conscientious decision to take a risk every day of my life. The risks make up the DNA of my career, it is etched into the fibers which make its fabric. Honoring the outcome of risks is how they have played a major role in my career because without them, again, my creative journey would not exist. I am selling my perspective, my views on the world, my appreciation, my hopes, and my dreams. Everyone is not going to see what I see, hear how I hear, or feel the way I feel. Having the opportunity to cross any population outside of my own with a specific-curated vision is what makes all the risks worth it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a filmmaker, I lead with a simple approach; to hold a mirror to society and show her-her true reflection. I like to focus on two essential elements of storytelling. To begin, I am very particular about the lighting of each scene. Its purpose is to set the mood and/or highlight a perpendicular performance that will entertain the audience and creatively challenge the “norm”. Secondly, I love to pull focus or heighten the tension on the power of vulnerability or any ruminating emotion during the absence of language. Oftentimes I achieve this by allowing the camera to roll in the opening of a scene before saying “action” and after a scene before I say “cut”. This allows me to capture the idiosyncrasy of the moment. I am most proud of every project I have worked on and for trusting and loving myself enough to walk away from toxic work relationships in this industry. Practicing discernment has been my saving grace. The challenges in this industry are the lack of opportunities and sullied people. The way I’ve overcome both is by creating my own content and dismissing anyone and anything that does not serve the betterment of my mental and emotional wealth. There is nothing easy about sharing pieces of your heart with a judgemental world. But I answered the call to create so complaining about the challenges is asinine. I’ve discovered three important things which have helped in times of doubt or despair: 1). Invest time and energy in activities that have nothing to do with my career. 2). Watch reality tv shows for entertainment (not movies /tv-shows cause I am always studying them) and 3). Quality time with my family minus all electronic devices. What I want the world to know about my story is that I am a survivor of sexual/mental/emotional/verbal abuse, therefore, everything I do has a heartbeat. I am an old-school artist who believes in taking my time and releasing art when it is ready. I don’t have the bandwidth to create microwavable content so know when you see the name, Elle Jae Stewart, it was marinated in love, time, and talent.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my children, Lauren Elizabeth and Josie Taylor, my angels! Both of you pushed Mommie to be her best, taught me the value of patience, and encouraged a fierce life of bravery—-thank you for loving me! I’d like to shoutout my best friend, husband, business partner, and anchor, Thomas H. Stewart. He is and forever will be the light of my life, the spotlight bringer when I slip into darkness. Thank you for loving every broken piece of me, delicately and innocently. My mentor, Rory Pullens has been the pillar of righteousness equipped with an immense level of wealthy knowledge and experience.  Vanda Lee for believing and providing me with an abundance of opportunities I could only dream about. My best girlfriends, Crystal Lee, Mimi, and Anika for keeping me grounded and focused. My little brother, Tyce for his resilience, support, and unconditional love, and last but not least, my mentor, Tonea Stewart. She is beyond a mentor, she is GOALS!

Website: ellejaestewart.com

Instagram: @ellejaestewart

Twitter: @ellejaestewart

Image Credits
Michael Carson Shydia of Creative Chaos Media