Meet Alex Sapp | Filmmaker & Photographer

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

Hi Alex, how do you think about risk?
Overtime, I have learned to embrace being out of my comfort zone. When I begin to feel “too comfortable” within a career situation I start to feel uncomfortable. I have always enjoyed being in pursuit for more. I don’t stay in one place too long. That might be too sporadic for some people, but I believe it’s important to work different types of jobs. It has helped me learn what I love doing and more importantly what I don’t like doing.

Working in the creative corporate world was really important for me. I learned so much, but I quickly realized that path would not lead me in the direction I wanted my career to go. I had to choose between routine and stability or flexibility and freedom. As I was starting to feel burnt out physically and mentally, the pandemic began.

Anyone with a creative career knows that there is no straight path to success. It is a constant state of unknowns and “WTF am I doing?!” moments. The silver lining of the pandemic was that it allowed us to reevaluate our personal lives and careers goals.

The pandemic allowed me to take risks I never would have. Although luck, timing, and hard work allowed for the opportunity to present itself, the biggest risk I took was leaving NYC to make my documentary film full time. Never in a million years did I think I would EVER do that, but the things we do for our art is really something else. The whole experience was a logistics and emotional learning curve.

Taking risks is about being vulnerable enough to take the leap of faith. If you’re brave enough to take the risk you’ll work hard enough to get yourself to success. Success doesn’t happen over night so being patience with your choice takes a lot of courage and endurance. Being an artist is about trusting your gut and following where opportunity leads. As a young person, the thought of having regrets makes me more uncomfortable than taking risks honestly. What do you have to lose?

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a freelance director, cinematographer, photographer, and (occasionally) a video editor. I currently balance brand and editorial work while making documentaries. I’m most proud of my ambition and staying calm under unknown circumstances and pressure. Since the pandemic, I’ve really tried to embrace the moment and take one challenge at a time. I use to work myself to the extreme and commit to way too much. Although it was good for my career and overall connections, I was pushing my mental and physical health to the limit. I’ve learned that there truly is a balance to self care and working hard. It’s true that long nights and no sleep are apart of getting ahead, but I have reached this point where balance is key for me to keep it sustainable. For the past four years, I’ve heavily focused on one long term documentary project. It has been the most fulfilling experience, however, dealing with the logistics and emotions that come with making a feature length film has been my biggest challenge ever. I’m still currently climbing the mountain in post production, nevertheless, it’s a beautiful journey to watch my art slowly come to life.

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?
We would start in Venice and get brunch at The Butcher’s Daughter. Their Matcha Latte and Country Breakfast hits the spot. Then we’d spend most of our time enjoying the beautiful nature on a hike in the mountains or just walking along the beach in Malibu. I grew up on the east coast so the weather is honestly my favorite part of LA. Some other activities we’d do would be gallery hopping or going to a museum!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Three inspiring women that have helped shape my career and outlook as an artist would be Janette Beckman, Tory Rust, and Olivia Zimmerman. Janette was my photography professor at Parsons School of Design. Over the years, I’ve assisted her from time to time and have gotten to see her iconic photographs up close. Her experience as an artist in the industry and the stories behind her portraits will always inspire me. She’s a great friend and mentor that has always hyped me up. I met Tory on a brand shoot. She was shooting photo. I was shooting video. I ended up assisting her on editorial and brand shoots in undergrad. Tory has always inspired me when it comes to navigating freelance life as a photographer and more while being a total boss. She gives the best lifestyle and career advice while always reminding me to prioritize self care. Luck and timing is how I met Olivia. She has been my ride or die collaborator when it comes to documentary filmmaking. Olivia has been there throughout the whole journey. She has always helped whenever I needed her. She’s the queen of logistics moves and making things happen. I’m so grateful to have these three women as my inspirations and friends!

Website: alexandrasapp@gmail.com

Instagram: @alexandra.sapp

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

Image Credits
SAPP-SHOUTOUT-LA-1: Self portrait of Alex SAPP-SHOUTOUT-LA-2: Portrait of Kobe by Alex SAPP-SHOUTOUT-LA-3: BTS Portrait of Alex filming Victoria SAPP-SHOUTOUT-LA-4: Portrait of Leighla by Alex SAPP-SHOUTOUT-LA-5: Portrait of Olivia by Alex SAPP-SHOUTOUT-LA-6: Portrait of Ella by Alex SAPP-SHOUTOUT-LA-7: Portrait of Emma by Alex SAPP-SHOUTOUT-LA-8: Self portrait of Alex