Meet Clinton Cornwell | Film Writer + Director

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

Hi Clinton, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
When I was a teenager and trying to decide what I was going to do with my life, I was listening to a Deftones song called “Digital Bath” and was visualizing along with the song. Images popped up into my head of a man and woman fighting and the image was twisting and warping as though their relationship twisted and warped and after it was over, I decided to pursue filmmaking right then and there. To me it feels very random, like filmmaking chose me, I didn’t choose it. Luckily, through all these years I’ve found it as an art form that challenges and fulfills me and that I want to continue to grow and improve in. I can’t see myself doing anything else and I feel like that’s my soul or the universe or however you want to put it guiding me to the place I am meant to be. Where things feel fun for you and fulfilling for you, that’s where you should be putting your time. And if things feel the opposite, maybe you need to make a change. I made a lot of big changes in my life recently, getting away from the things that didn’t feel good.

So many aspects of the filmmaking process are exciting for me. Being struck by inspiration and coming up with a new weird idea that only I find exciting. Working with actors to create life on screen and bring out the best in them. Collaborating with the rest of my team and leading them to try to be their best selves and bring their best creativity and artistry to the story we’re trying to tell and seeing audiences have emotional reactions to the work. All of it is where I feel the most excited and focused in my life. The only thing I’m trying to figure out now is how can I do it all more and who can I find on the same wavelength so we can go on the journey together.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What sets me apart now is the boldness of the vision for my films. I revel in exploring the extreme edges of the human experience and traveling to all the dark, uncomfortable places the others might be afraid to tread into. I feel like if I’m not at least a little scared of what the world will think of my film, then I have not gone far enough. I think that is true of anyone trying to be bold and do something new and different. And that is the most essential role of any art form. To push boundaries and to express things that don’t have enough presence in the world. To give points of view that we don’t have enough of. Right now I’m doing this primarily in the form of horror films which appreciate the most extreme, grotesque and taboo.

I’m in a place in my career now when my skill level has really grown and I’ve gotten here through lots of consistent hard work. I’m fortunate in that the filmmaking process is very fulfilling and fun for me, so I am just constantly working on my art form. People have labeled me as prolific a bunch recently and I guess I am, but I don’t really think of it that way. I am just doing the things that I want to do on a daily basis.

The ultimate goal with all the work is to create more empathy in the world. So many people feel alone in their experiences and while we all have our own unique stories and points of views, we have more in common than we know and I think filmmaking is a great way to portray specific experiences in universally understandable ways so that people can feel less alone in the world and we can all feel more united.

Something that I want people to know is not even about me in particular, but generally if you want more bold, interesting, unique art in the world, you need to seek it out and support it. Our current capitalist machine does not value bold, unique thought. Corporations want things that are sure-fire drivers of profit and that rarely aligns with unique and boundary pushing art. So if you want to see more interesting things instead of the same recycled crap, you need to seek it out and click it and buy it and support it and recommend it any way that you can. We all vote with our time and with our dollars on what we want to see in the world, so stop supporting shitty art and media and TV and movies. Do some work and seek out the good stuff. Participate in making our culture better.

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?
Los Angeles has such an amazing cinema culture, so of course we would have to make lots of stops at the repertory movie theaters. Vidiots, the New Beverly, American Cinematheque. All of these places would be high on the to-do list. Aside from that, I’m a big Tiki and board game nerd, so I would definitely show them around Tonga Hut, Tiki-ti, and Tiki No, after of course, we’ve visited the best board game shop in town Geeky Teas. Food-wise you got to hit the Korean barbecue and all the taco tables in town. But LA has something to offer for everybody. I think that’s one of the most wonderful things about this city. Whatever you want, it will give. You just have to go out and find the things you want.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve had many supporters on my journey. Filmmaking is a team-based art form and every single person who has given any of their time to one of my films has been immensely invaluable and I’m so grateful for. But the most consistent form of support and somebody I knew I could always lean on is my best friend, Jordan Wyllie. Anything that I’ve ever been going through emotionally, personally, career-wise, I know that I can go and talk to him and find a level-headed source of care and support. That has been immeasurably invaluable in a career path with endless amounts of rejection and so many highs and lows. I think we underrate the importance of close emotional and intimate relationships, especially in our current era of social media. I feel lucky to have the best friend that I do and I aspire for every relationship in my life to have similar closeness and supportiveness as my relationship with Jordan.

Website: https://linktr.ee/12monthsfilm

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clinton-cornwell-aa78497b/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClintonCornwell

Other: https://wearestorylife.com/