April 22, 2021

Alumni Spotlight: Ella Fields

Our Interview with Ella:

You have made nearly 30 short films before even graduating high school! What first sparked your interest in filmmaking? What has inspired you to continue making films over the years? 

I have always been creating things, whether that was writing a little book that I bound together with tape, or making crayon portraits of all my friends, or putting on skits with my stuffed animals; creativity was absolutely the remedy to boredom when I was tiny. My dad gave me this little cheap camcorder, and I became obsessed with videoing the world around me. From there, it really just stuck as my most beloved art form, and when I was 11 years old, I had the most wonderful opportunity to attend a middle school with a cinematic arts academy. Learning more about the fundamentals of filmmaking only led me to fall more and more in love with the medium, and I continued to constantly create throughout middle and high school.

When people ask me why I make films, my immediate reaction is just to say “Because I love to!” which isn’t false, but it is fascinating to see how the answer to that question morphs and changes with every new project. I have always been really quiet, but filmmaking feels like my way of saying things that I may not quite be able to articulate, as well as representing the way in which I view the world more than any other medium has been able to. It feels like my excuse to live, to pay attention to my life and the way that I experience it, and to push my comfort zone for the sake of a story. The list is only continuing to grow, and really I believe that I am just constantly falling in love with film in new ways.

Who are some of the artists, writers or filmmakers who have impacted or influenced you as you started making films? 

When I was younger, we only had 5 DVDs that I would re-watch over and over: Back to the Future, Edward Scissorhands, The Cat in the Hat, Pewee’s Big Adventure, and Coraline (in 3D). Three of these films are by Tim Burton, so I could easily say that he was a massive inspiration of mine early on. Music has always played a huge role in my filmmaking; my dad is a singer-songwriter and film composer, and being surrounded by music my entire life has ingrained a deep inspiration and love for it within me. The first song I remember feeling this way about was M83’s “Wait.” Upon listening to it, I saw visuals in my mind of things I wanted to shoot and stories I wanted to tell, and have experienced this often with some of my other favorite tunes. A few filmmakers that have really helped shape my style (and just some of my favorites) are Michel Gondry, Céline Sciamma, Anna Biller, Greta Gerwig, and Agnès Varda.

In addition to traditional filmmaking, you also work in claymation and other animation styles, as well as in illustration and photography. How do you decide what medium you want to use for each project? 

The medium of film naturally encompasses so many others as well: music, writing, cinematography, sound design, etc. etc., but it is so fascinating to me that it has the capability to include so many other forms too. Something that I have noticed while looking back on my multimedia work is that I tend to use these artistic differences to represent memory.

Nostalgia is one of the most prominent emotions in my life, and I am constantly drawing from moments in the past to come to conclusions about the present; I think this is a theme that I’ve subconsciously explored a lot in my work. Whether it is live action to claymation, digital to super 8, or one animation style to another, I think I have used it as a way to visually express the space between two points in time and how they can intertwine with each other. Plus, I just love to always try and intertwine my fun little random hobbies into something that feels more serious to me. It helps keep the medium alive in my mind and gives this magical feeling that I can’t quite articulate. 

Many of your films have won awards at festivals and been positively received online and by the wider film community. What has it been like receiving this kind of attention and acclaim for your work, especially so early on in your career as a filmmaker? How does it shape the way you work and create moving forward? 

It absolutely does [shape the way I work], mostly in the most positive way I could imagine. The fact that there are people who actually care about what I have to say and who are excited by the fact that I’m working on a new project is always something to be grateful for. The knowledge that some of my work has actually inspired others or has aided them in self acceptance is something that I draw back to whenever I doubt my capabilities or go through periods of lacking self love. The fact that 13-year-old Ella could make a statement on the world and actually have people listen is both frightening and encouraging simultaneously, and while I may not resonate with some of my old films and previous perspectives anymore, every single one of my films feels like a milestone and reflection of who I was at that time. I feel that I have come to a place where I feel okay with that and the ways in which it will continue to change.

You have a considerable following on YouTube and your other social media channels, what is it like to navigate that kind of social influence and, arguably, responsibility? 

Like I mentioned earlier, as wonderful as it was that my 13-year-old self could have such an impact, that fact also terrifies me. At that age, I made a film called “Stereo” in which I reversed gender stereotypes to show how they are just a construct, and how gender expression should really be a fluid thing. That film went viral on Youtube, and from there I was under the impression that I had to use that platform and films for activism, even when that may have led me to tell stories that were not mine to tell. It has been a fascinating experience to question my own beliefs, my own creative work, and how I want to use my talents and social platforms to be productive and influential. And of course, it is common knowledge that social media can have major pros and cons to it. Understanding how my use of it plays into my mental wellbeing is a whole other beast, but I have come to a place of wanting to use it to teach, spread calmness, and showcase my style and creativity. 

Do you have any advice for other young filmmakers who are just starting out and looking to build a following around their work? 

One of the most common yet most important pieces of advice is just to make as much art as possible without expectation for perfection. Growth begins at the outskirts of our comfort zones, so continue to do things that terrify and challenge you, both creatively and in everyday life. So that means to try out that film technique that you’re really not sure how to do, or to work with that one DP who you love even though you’ve never worked with a DP before, but it also means to go to hangout with that group of people even if you’re super shy, or to allow yourself to fall in love with your entire heart, and let yourself break.

Be present for every moment, even the difficult ones, because every emotion is valid and has the potential to make someone else feel the same. Document everything, question everything, and use film as a tool to do so. With more and more life experiences and creative practice, you will begin to see what stories you feel most connected to and where your voice feels the loudest. Ask yourself what you wish you could see more in the media, and then be the one to make it.

What have you been doing this past year to keep yourself busy or creatively inspired? 

This past year-ish has, of course, been a wild ride for everybody in very different ways, and I feel very privileged to have been in an environment where I was able to use the time to try new things. Being super introverted, I found myself to feel naturally more inspired and at peace by being so isolated.

I was able to try out new forms of art that I had always wanted to try: painting, puppetry, poetry (I guess just every hobby that begins with a P), but ultimately, doing all these new things only reiterated and aided me in rediscovering my love for film. I also made an effort to go on more drives, explore new places around my neighborhood, and hug more trees. 

You first had a film in NFFTY when you were only 12 years old, and you have grown with the festival ever since. How has NFFTY impacted your life or career trajectory?

Not only has NFFTY always been a huge source of inspiration for me, but it has also felt like a touchstone for the progress I’ve been able to make each year and the ways in which I’ve been able to push myself. I have never not been absolutely astounded by the talent at this festival, and having always been one of the younger people at NFFTY, each film I saw served as an individual mentor for me.

It’s really exciting to continue being a part of it, and as I am aging into an old lady of 17 years old, I feel myself being able to connect more with the fellow filmmakers and to allow NFFTY to be the flower-pot for a constant blossoming of friendships and collaborations. 

You were just selected as the recipient of the JDogg Scholarship, which provides financial support for talented young filmmakers to pursue a higher education in film/TV/media production. What are your plans for the fall, and into the future, with regards to filmmaking?

I am so grateful to have been selected to receive the JDogg scholarship, and to be a part of such a special opportunity that will continue to honor Justin Amorratanasuchad. In the fall, I’ll be headed over to Boston to study Media Arts Production at Emerson! That is a huge next step for me, and I am so beyond excited to just keep creating as much as I possibly can. I am currently in post-production for a film called “Caterpillar Kisses” about falling in love, experiencing a broken heart, and how the different versions of ourselves throughout those times interact. I collaborated with nearly 30 visual artists to create a piece for a part of the film, and seeing it all come together is totally mind blowing!! In the future, I am wanting to further hone in on coming of age romance stories, specifically with queer characters; I have a lot of really fun concepts in the works!