Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Raye.
Hi Alicia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up entertaining; whether it was singing and dancing for family, or starring in school plays, I knew I wanted to be in entertainment since I was a little girl. There was something about seeing a crowd have fun & enjoy watching a show that brought me a lot of joy. I moved to Los Angeles from San Diego when I was 19 and I started out by going to a performing arts college in Hollywood. After a couple of semesters, I decided to step away from school and pursue acting full-time. Eventually, I got to a point where I wanted to be on the other side of the camera and take part in the creation of content, a friend of mine was also starting his own production company at the time and that’s how I got started as a producer and director.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Entertainment is seldom a smooth road. One of the biggest hurdles that I got over recently was my involvement with a religious organization that took hold of my life in a way where I found myself either unable to create in certain ways or at a crossroads in my visions as an artist because of how much this organization required of its members. There is a part of me that looks back at the years with them and thinks I lost some of the best years I could’ve given to my craft but it’s all about perspective. There have been so many ups and downs in my career, but I wouldn’t trade these things for the world because it’s made me who I am as an artist, it’s fine-tuned the way that I see and do art, and ultimately it’s made me a better creator.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As a music video director, it’s my job to enhance the story that’s already being told through song. What is special about how I work is I like to be as collaborative as possible with the artist. Musicians write and perform amazing music that tells phenomenal stories, and I see myself as a resource for them to tell their story in a bigger way — visually. Don’t get me wrong, I love when I get creative freedom on a song, but when an artist also has very strong and unique ideas that they are bringing to the table about their song, I get so excited because I love collaborating and working together to help artists take what’s in their head and put it on a screen for the world to see. Some of my favorite projects to work on are projects that have deep, rich, meaningful stories. The deeper the story the bigger the playground for me as a director, the more we get to highlight, there are more intricate details that we get to incorporate, and that is fun for me.
What matters most to you? Why?
Storytelling. Stories are what bond us as humans; whether it’s a story that captivates us, one that we can relate to, one that motivates us, or just a story that we simply enjoy, stories are energy and energy is what keeps us going as people. Every person on this earth has a story that is unique to them, and I believe every person on this earth has a story that deserves to be told.
Contact Info:
- Email: aliciaraye1@gmail.com
- Website: Aliciaraye.com
- Instagram: aliciaraye_
