Meet Ben Ball | Filmmaker/Actor

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

Hi Ben, why did you pursue a creative career?
I pursued an artistic career because I had the resources to. I think if I couldn’t afford it, or if my family didn’t support it I’d have possibly moved into a different field, either intentionally or by necessity. Often, people give up on their dreams due to financial reasons, whether they like to admit it or not, and I’m just lucky that I didn’t have to make that decision. I would always treat side jobs as distractions, and found myself moving past them whenever they got to be too time consuming, or if the responsibility got too great. Because I always knew I wanted to fulfill my potential as a creator since I was child. I was just lucky that I found myself in a position to tackle it with an honest effort.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What I didn’t expect from pursuing a life in the arts is the challenge of facing yourself, as opposed to facing the competition from others. Competing against my own shortcomings and insecurities has become the biggest challenge for me, which I did not expect. Until a certain point, it was all about having fun, and making sure the work was good enough to stand out and satisfy my vision. But keeping up the energy and momentum to continue creating at a level I’m satisfied with suddenly was the biggest roadblock to overcome. What might set me apart is my attention to detail, and my ability to stretch a small budget and make the work look more sophisticated. I suppose that’s a resourcefulness that I get excitement out of in every aspect of life. But otherwise, what sets me apart is simply my own perspective on the world, which every artist has. The trick is to find that POV that’s uniquely yours and to lean into it. And I think I’ve found that along the way and I’m continuing to clarify it further.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would go for KBBQ in K-Town, we would walk up to the Observatory, possibly hit the beach, and then do a road trip out to Joshua Tree or somewhere like that. We’d also have to eat some ramen and visit West Hollywood. Also movie theatres in LA are bomb so we’d have to go see a good movie too.

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 would like to give a huge shoutout to my grandmother. That woman had the courage to move from London, 10 years after hiding in bomb shelters during the war, to start a new life all on her own. And even when her friends bailed on her plans, and her family decided against joining her, she did it anyway. And now, many years later, she still has courage enough to allow me to take a massive risk with my own legacy, despite the possibility that she has to watch me fail after giving so much to set me up for success. She has never questioned once whether I should or could pursue my creative goals, and I’m endlessly grateful for that. I also just want to thank her for giving me experiences throughout my life, to show me how the world works. Every year on my birthday we would spend a day doing something unique and adventurous just one-on-one. And on my 17th birthday she gave me the ultimate adventure by bringing me to Kenya, once again just her and I, and it’s still the most fascinating trip I’ve ever been on. Shoutout to Nana. Big time.

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-ball-1b61b1b7/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BennyBall

Image Credits
Paige Margulies