Today we’d like to introduce you to Espie Randolph III.
Hi Espie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am an actor/writer/director originally from Odessa, Texas. I moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago and cut my teeth as an actor in films and guest starring on television shows. I have written and directed several of my own projects which have seen some success by getting optioned by major cable and streaming networks. In my quest to always continue to get better as a filmmaker, I have recently completed my BFA in Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy where I wrote/directed and produced many short films along the way. My current short film which is out to festivals now is called “Project & Serve.”
I wrote this story while sitting at home in the summer of 2020 watching cities burn in protest on the news like we all did. The Covid-19 pandemic had us all at home viewing it, a captive audience.
It made me think back to the moment I realized that the world was different for me as a person of color in the United States as far as the police were concerned. I know that this is a universally known conversation between Black people but in researching it, I hadn’t seen it told on film fully for all audiences to understand. So, I figured it was about time. Hopefully, we’ll get some attention on the film and the issue through the festival circuit. In addition to that, I’m currently shopping around my first feature film script and also looking for funding to produce that film independently.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The most challenging part of directing and producing my most recent project “Project & Serve” was wearing many different hats. As the writer, director, and producer I was often putting out a figurative production fire with one hand while simultaneously working as a director and fanning the creative flames of another fire with the other hand.
Finding that balance between ideal creative decisions and executable logistical decisions is key and that was my biggest challenge. I think we did the job well in “Project & Serve.” I can’t wait for everyone to watch the film and see it for themselves!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work is often inspired by great artists like Basquiat and James Baldwin and my work in general centers on my experiences in life as a minority. They say to write what you know. I think we can all identify with minority stories because we’ve all felt like the underdog or the lone voice in a room at some point in life. Hopefully, my work in films like “Project & Serve” move the conversation forward into a space of dealing with the tough issues in the United States that we’ve been actively avoiding. Ideally, through my work, I can show all of the shades of the minority experience that make us just as human and relatable as anyone else, despite how uncomfortable that conversation might sometimes be.
My priority right now is promoting “Project & Serve” and getting as many eyes on this project as possible. I believe and have heard many industry experts echo, that we all did excellent work with this film and I’m confident that audiences will agree. Moving forward I’ll be working on some tv projects and jumping into the feature space with something fun that’s going to challenge the audience even more and will definitely raise some eyebrows.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
Well, success in this industry is the preparation that meets opportunity. And opportunity requires some luck. So, I’d say about 50 percent. And I’ll be preparing by working and getting better at the craft of film while I wait for that lucky other 50 percent to show up. When it gets here I’ll be ready.
Contact Info:
- Website: espierandolph.com
- Instagram: @projectandserve
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectandservefilm
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/espierandolph
- Other: projectandservefilm.com
Image Credits
Aditya Gupta, Badie Diab, and Stephanie Garcia
