Today we’d like to introduce you to W. Alex Henderson.
Hi W. Alex, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Born and raised in West Hills. Went to Calabasas High School. I graduated from CHS in 2005 and then got a full-ride athletic scholarship to Northern Arizona University, where I played college football. I had a few accomplishments there, including the first freshman ever to rush over 1000 yards. After NAU, I got signed by the St. Louis Rams as a free agent. I got cut in my first season and floated around playing pro football until I got signed again but to the Jacksonville Jaguars… But instead of getting on the flight, I stayed home because I wanted to make scary movies. My agent, my family, and friends weren’t happy with my decision.
In 2008, my Junior year at NAU I got hurt and had to sit out a few games. It was during that time when I watched The Happening, the most important piece of art that I’d ever consumed. When watching that movie, I discovered my passion- storytelling.
In my early life, there were a few clues that I would end up being a storyteller. I was in middle school (seventh grade, Desert Christian Middle School), and I wrote a horror poem that got me suspended for a couple of weeks. That was after I was influenced by The Pumpkinhead. There was also a time in eighth grade when one of my best friends, Zolan Hill, and I had to make a science project to present to the class. So, I decided to make a movie called Frog Castle, and that was actually the first horror movie that I ever made. It’s too dark to show in 2024.
Here’s an abrupt sidenote: I chose football because I was kind of good at it, but I understood early on that if I worked harder than the competition, I could bull my way into a position to where I could use the sport as a tool to get me to where I was going. I worked really hard, and I had the support system to get to the NFL, but I never liked football. And I mean never. I’m thankful that I got a chance to experience the camaraderie, the brotherhood, the violence, DISCIPLINE, many people will never understand these aspects of life… I don’t miss that sport at all.
So, after I purposely missed my flight to the NFL, I started focusing on becoming a director. I randomly got hired to be a production designer on a film called Dead South (aka Rise Again) Directed by Craig Ross Jr. That job gave me the money to go out and buy a Canon 7D, which I used to build a decent portfolio shooting and directing music videos. My music video portfolio led me into the wedding videography business. And I worked in that industry for about five years. There were several benefits of being a wedding videographer. The biggest benefit is learning how to do everything from shooting, directing, and editing alone and being fast and good at it. Another benefit was being able to fund all of my personal projects (most of those projects live on my YouTube channel: @Alexanderthetitan).
I started my YouTube channel in 2018 as a way to experiment with film and I am still using that channel to experiment today. I’ve directed more than 50 short horror films and 4 feature-length films, all self-funded and all slightly experimental. I have a team of people that I work with, and they’re all my friends. Although the horror genre is changing, I started watching horror films at 2 years old, and I’ve been working on becoming the best director.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a creator is lonely and full of people telling you about doing things “the right way.” The road isn’t smooth, but the journey is incredible so far.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in storytelling (writing/directing), I’m best at being a collaborator and an open-minded director, and I’m most proud of my growing catalog of films.
Luckily, I’ve lived through adversity that took the form of football. I’ve taken everything I’ve learned from football and applied it to filmmaking. Hard work. Dedication. Discipline. Being a finished.
I’ve learned how to do everything from writing to filming to editing, sound editing, managing fires on set, solving problems, etc… Thankfully, I’ve put so many hours into all of these different areas of filmmaking that I can confidently say that all I need are a few actors, an iPhone, and a laptop and I can make the movie that’s in my head. I consider myself an auteur.
What do you think about happiness?
God, family (daughter, mom, dad, sisters, brothers, both grandma’s, aunts, cousins, etc.), friends, movies.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alexanderthetitan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexanderthetitan/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wahenderson/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/alexanderthetitan
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexanderthetitan
Image Credits
Alex Henderson
