Meet Shandaeya Caldwell of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shandaeya Caldwell

Hi Shandaeya, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I moved to the Bay Area 8 years ago I was lucky enough to learn about City College of San Francisco where I was able to start taking classes to learn “how” to be a filmmaker for free. My intention in moving to California was to go back to school and learn filmmaking and I took it as a sign that in my first classes, I was able to pick up a Bolex and a digital camera in my first semester. The Bay Area was my awakening to filmmaking and learning how much I value education. I doubted myself because I had never picked up a camera, never written a script, or ever worked with actors. Thankfully my education and burgeoning in the Bay Area led me to learn how to be a confident filmmaker and very proud of my voice. I really tapped into telling stories, that I learned through film history, that are vastly underrepresented and how there is a place and a need for me as a black female filmmaker. Now, in my final year of grad school at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts I feel like the path I’ve taken to learn how to be a filmmaker has reached its pinnacle but only because I do see myself as a filmmaker.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think figuring out who I am as a filmmaker condensed into being a black woman in America meant struggles were inevitable. I’ve dealt with a lot of proving myself in ways that some of my other colleagues didn’t have to. I think that being a woman and being black and wanting to do anything in society outside of the boxes that they put is in will come with challenges, but I was raised by a strong black woman and I will always work to overcome those obstacles to achieve what I want.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work centers around stories of black women and black people. The short films I’ve directed have ranged from dramatic interior pieces to love stories. As a producer I continue to be drawn to short films that dive into human emotion and experience, however messy because there’s beauty in our experiences. I’m most proud of my 2021 undergraduate thesis, Kiana, because it was my first true production and the story was something I couldn’t hold myself back from making. I needed to make a film that expressed the internal pain that emerged for me when I learned about Breonna Taylor’s death in 2020 and the continuation of that year being an emotionally painful rollercoaster. Kiana showed me that making films centering black women being vulnerable emotionally would touch audiences and that my voice as a filmmaker was clear. My goal with that project and others after was to also give as much space to BIPOC people, women, and non-binary people to crew with me. I don’t know if that sets me apart as much on smaller sets but it’s something that I’ll continue to strive for because my experiences are enriched by seeing other marginalized people in film on my sets.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love LA. I moved here in the fall of 2021 from Oakland and it was a bigger adjustment than I thought having lived in California for 6 years at that point. I was always told that it can take about 2 years to really like LA and it was true for me. It took a lot of exploring through scouting that truly opened up my eyes to how great this city is. I honestly love that the backbone of the culture of LA is from the Hispanic community. It’s such a special place where so many cultures intertwine, but the life of LA comes from that community. And the food, I love the food in LA and I could go on but people get it!
Reducing a city that’s existed for so long with so much culture and influence to my opinions of what I like least about it doesn’t seem productive. I genuinely feel a connection to this city and am appreciative as a transplant to get to enjoy it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shandaeya
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@shandaeya
• Other: https://Vimeo.com/shandaeyac

Image Credits
These are all personal photos except the Crenshaw Dairy Mart Festival photo taken by Lexus Gallegos https://www.instagram.com/lexgallegos/