Conversations with Alexa Jewel Lapid

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexa Jewel Lapid.

Hi Alexa Jewel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Practicing the art of documentation has always been a thread woven through my life, I’ve come to realize. My first memories of this began in my childhood bedroom, writing about adventures I would go on with friends and playing with footage I had captured from trips and everyday life in my small hometown. I was always searching for ways to preserve time through different materials. Memory was something I deeply cherished, and it continues to serve as a significant source of inspiration for my creativity.

My biggest creative outlet at the time was a Youtube channel I started when I was 15. It began as a desire to capture how my sweet little life sometimes felt like a movie, and eventually became a creative muscle I continued to exercise throughout my college years and beyond.

I ended up choosing to study architecture at the University of Florida, leaving behind a small desire to explore what film school might look like. I had many different dreams growing up, but during this time, I needed to make decisions on what venture I would commit to pursue most intentionally. Halfway into my degree however, I realized that designing for the built environment wasn’t necessarily a path I felt like I needed to further past university.

I reached a crossroads during my junior year and that is when the idea of starting a business was presented to me. I jumped straight in, not knowing a single thing, only that I loved capturing memories and found it exciting to do so for others. The early stages of Alexa Jewel Films were shaped by fitting in grad shoots between series of all-nighters building models for my studio classes and making vlogs for Youtube. Once I graduated, it slowly turned into numerous road trips traveling between cities across the state to shoot weddings.

By my third year in business, I had begun traveling across the country to shoot weddings and realized that the dreams that my 15-year-old self held could actually become a reality. At the end of 2023, I committed to this venture of moving out West. I began the process of shifting my clientele to the other side of the country and spent much of that year hopping between coasts, all the while learning what the rhythms of full-time creative work actually looked like for me. It was during this transition that I began to feel more settled in my understanding of my style and what feels most authentic to me.

Getting to capture meaning and celebration during people’s most treasured moments is a gift I don’t think I’ll ever move past. To be able to revisit a memory in a way that draws out emotion, as video does, is something truly special.

It has been one crazy ride but I anticipate many more years of beauty and adventure to come.

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?
Throughout my career, I’ve definitely experienced difficulty in a handful of different forms. The first year or two are times I’ll never forget — learning how to run a business while finishing a degree in design. I believe it was during this time that the greatest challenge I’ve had to navigate really introduced itself: finding a balance between work, life, and the things that bring me rest. This has been a constant challenge, especially during the early stages of building a business.

I’ve also struggled with deciding which of my passions should help shape my career and which I should continue practicing simply for the sake of joy and renewal.

Getting to create is a precious thing, and I’ve learned a great deal about the importance of protecting that space from which creativity originates.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a filmmaker & photographer who is drawn to the depth of stories. For the time being, I primarily specialize in weddings, working with both digital and Super 8 cameras. I am most inspired by things from the past. History, context, and travel have long informed my creative process, and I’m continually drawn to exploring how these elements can find their way into my work, giving each project a deeper sense of place and meaning.

I really value authenticity – documenting people as they are, creating work that feels honest to their lives and true to themselves. I spend a good amount of time meeting with my clients to get to know them and their stories. It’s a way of understanding people on a deeper level so I can create photographs and films in which they feel truly seen.

Video holds a richness that goes beyond what we just see. It preserves voices, gestures, and the little things that really work to keep a memory alive. A select few of my old Youtube videos were edited with the idea in mind that my friends would one day watch them back and feel as though they were little love letters written just for them. This is my aim when it comes to my films. I take time to understand people’s music tastes, what they cherish and hope to remember, and the little details that make their love stories their own.

Wedding films are exciting for me to make. It’s an honor to witness the unfolding of such an occasion and get to paint the story back to people through my lens. Lately, I’ve been drawn to create films outside the context of weddings, exploring the scenes that play in my head and finding ways to bring that creative exploration into my work with couples. I enjoy experimenting with the written word and am curious about how it might become another layer of the stories I tell. Photography is another medium I find myself continually returning to. Practicing these kinds of shoots alongside the making of films teaches me much about the contrast between the two.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Outside of wedding filmmaking, I’ve been dreaming up a new personal project this year. I want it to feel similar to my Youtube channel in that it creates an archive of memories I can revisit as I get older. I’m especially excited about this new chapter of capturing memories because I feel like I’m finally settling into my own voice as an artist. There’s a greater sense of clarity in what I’m drawn to and what I want my work to communicate, and I’m excited to see that continue to unfold.
My personal creative outlets have always felt like a safe place for me to experiment and stretch my creativity. These personal projects inevitably shape the way I approach my professional work.
This project will be a series of short-form retellings of my everyday life and travels, ultimately contributing to a larger story of my days. You’ll be able to find them on my personal TikTok, [@alexaajewel], soon.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alexajewelfilms.com
• Instagram: @alexajewelfilms
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@alexajewel
• Other: https://vimeo.com/user141826079?fl=pp&fe=sh, https://www.tiktok.com/@alexajewelfilms?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Image Credits
headshots (Jadyn Halsey)
all other images (my own work)