Meet Alexander Edep of Dogfish Entertainment in Orange

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexander Edep.

Alexander, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always loved the idea of creating. When I was eight, my mom gave me her old VHS family video camera and I instantly became hooked, running around my home in South Florida recording whatever I wanted. I loved just knowing that I was creating something, telling some sort of story. I started making stop-motion videos, which slowly evolved into me making short films with my friends and posting them on YouTube (many of which are still public and very embarrassing). A few went semi-viral and I had my “15 minutes of fame” when Ashton Kutcher tweeted out a video I made, but it was through these videos that I realized that I wanted to be filmmaker and tell stories for the rest of my life, no matter what.

As I matured, so did my love for filmmaking. I wrote more scripts, watched more movies, and made whatever creatively interested me, from documentaries to music videos. I grew a lot as filmmaker through working with many of my close friends who were also into film, and I learned the importance of collaboration. While a director’s vision is crucial to telling a story, to ensure that an idea can truly reach its maximum potential, you have to be open to collaboration and letting the idea grow. I eventually was accepted into Chapman University’s Film School and I moved cross-country to California to pursue my dreams. I am currently in my third year here and I couldn’t be happier. I am surrounded by such incredibly talented and creative people that inspire me every day.

Has it been a smooth road?
While there definitely have been moments that made me question pursuing my dreams, I am honestly so grateful for my friends and family that helped support me along the way, because without them, it would have not been as relatively smooth as it has been. Throughout lower and high school, I was surrounded by so many crucial support groups that encouraged me to explore my creative side further, from my incredibly supportive family and friends to all my teachers who taught me to pursue my dreams and not listen to the voice of fear. There were many moments that I questioned if going to film school was the right choice or times when I thought I failed as a filmmaker, but my family and friends picked me back up and helped carry me to where I am today. I still have a long way to go to achieve my dreams, but I know with my family and friends by my side I can get there.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Dogfish Entertainment story. Tell us more about the business.
Dogfish Entertainment is a production company that I started with my good friends and fellow Chapman students Eitan Abu, Chloe LeGrow, and Zane Vieira, that specializes in telling compelling narratives in unique and creative ways. After being surrounded and inspired by such raw talent at Chapman, we wanted to create a platform where fellow artists can collaborate and have the creative freedom to tell whatever stories they want, however they want. Six months ago, we started our Instagram page where we launched with a narrative series called “SUMMER” which was specially formatted for the Instagram platform. Broken up into three parts and adhering to the 60 second video time restriction, each episode is easily accessible across all Instagram, and anyone with app can watch it.

Despite the emphasis on narrative content, there is no real restriction to what Dogfish does, as we allow and support the creatives to make whatever content they feel inspired to create. We have done all sorts of music videos, animations, interviews, and much more that we have yet to announce. While we are working on a full website right now, we do believe in the importance of allowing our content to be easily accessible and watchable and found Instagram to be the perfect platform for that while we get started. With such a wide audience on Instagram daily, our stories have a place to be heard and allows us to grow and reach more opportunities. I am very proud of what we have built so far, as I love working with fellow filmmakers and bringing to life the visions they have in their heads and giving them the freedom to explore their ideas creatively. As Dogfish, we are not afraid to tell wild, unusual stories, as we believe that those are the stories that really stand out. We are expanding to not only create more content but to give more creators a voice to tell the stories that they feel are important and need to be heard, through whatever format they want. Whether it be our short films or other art series, there is something for everyone in Dogfish, both as a viewer and a creator.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I feel like the industry is at a very interesting point right now, with such a wide variety of content being made and a giant audience that seems only to grow bigger. It seems like almost every day, a new streaming service is announced, and it is getting only progressively more difficult to keep track. With almost a suffocating amount of content out there, I feel like people are becoming more interested in content that is truly unique and stands out from all the rest. So many TV shows and movies are coming out now that are telling such original stories in new, engaging ways that we have not seen before. Content is becoming more unique and wild to stand out from all the competition. As a creative, this really excites me as I believe there is now an expanding space now for more indie, nontraditional content and stories. More creative freedom is being seen, and we are getting more powerful stories because of it.

Contact Info:

• Email: team@dogfishentertainment.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogfishentertainment/

Image Credit:
@jake.cu

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