Today we’d like to introduce you to Jared Alexander.
Hi Jared, 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.
Sure thing. My name is Jared Alexander, and I am a director/photographer based out of Los Angeles, CA. I’ve been working in the entertainment industry for a little over 10 years now, and I initially started out as a recording artist and a club promoter. I got my first big break landing an internship with a music video production company while I was in college after one of my good friends referred me for the position. After interning for about 6 months, I was promoted to both the set photographer and production coordinator positions, and since then, I have worked on well over 100 different productions, including directing and producing music videos with some of the world’s biggest artists, commercials, and also a few feature films. In addition to working in film production, I slowly ventured into photography on my own and eventually began making a name for myself in that field as well, having discovered a lot of other talented creatives over the years and helped launch their careers through the combination of my mentorship and the content I have created for them. Over the years, I have been blessed with several opportunities to showcase my talents, but none of it would have been possible without God and the support of my closest friends and family, who have remained by my side through it all.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As anyone in the industry will tell you, it’s definitely not smooth sailing trying to pave a lane for yourself in this industry and make a name for yourself. At the same time, I am a big believer in developing strength thru adversity. When I was a teenager, I tore my ACL playing basketball and had to really push myself to recover from that injury at such a young age, and drastically altered my career in sports. Ultimately, I had to find the drive within myself to not let it stop me from trying to accomplish any of my other dreams. I’ve carried that same mindset with me into adulthood as well, and it has helped me navigate a lot of the struggles in my career along the way when times get difficult.
The film industry tends to often be a feast or famine type of environment. Sometimes things will be great, and you’ll have so much work on your plate you won’t know what to do with it, and then there will also be times where you’ll find yourself scavenging on the streets for scraps just trying to stay relevant in your field. Regardless I think the highly competitive nature of my field is good because it ultimately weeds out the competition that’s not really cut out for this game for the long haul. The biggest struggle I think I have faced along my journey has probably been losing people closest to me that I thought would always be here. Over the years, I lost two of my younger brothers and one of my closest friends, who were all incredibly gifted artists that were taken away from us too soon. Two of them (Danni El & He$$) were also musicians, and not having them here really affected my ability to pursue music for a long time as both of their passings created a huge void in my life with their absence. It wasn’t until recently that I was once again able to find my voice and honor their memory by pursuing a career in music again as well.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
In addition to being a photographer, currently, I am mostly known in my industry for directing and producing short-form content, primarily music videos. However, over the past 8 years, I have worked diligently honing my craft as a screenwriter as well and have submitted some of my work to several fellowship programs and competitions, including the Academy Nicholls and the Sundance Film Institute, in addition to working as a script analyst and consultant on some other majorly accomplished filmmakers’ projects as well. One of the biggest strengths I’ve found in my life is the ability to pull from my experiences to tell captivating stories, whether it be through film or music, and recently, I have avidly been pursuing both. I plan on dropping my first mixtape in several years later this year under my pseudonym OBISPOKID and also finish writing the second installment of a major film franchise that my team and I have been working on for the past year and a half.
As far as my specialties are concerned, I think I have a very diverse set of skills. I write, direct, produce, and edit, but I also work as a camera operator, digital imaging technician, and aerial cinematographer as well. When I was younger, I realized I hated having to rely on other people to perform tasks I wasn’t qualified for or inexperienced with, so I became obsessed with teaching myself whatever skill sets I thought were necessary for me to succeed. I’m the first in my family to actively pursue a career in the entertainment industry so I couldn’t rely on anyone else to open the doors for me, I had to find a way to break thru them on my own. I think the fact that I am able to explore so many different creative avenues and be somewhat of a Swiss army knife in my field sets me apart from others to a certain extent, but I think my passion, obsession, and dedication towards honing my different crafts and skillsets is probably my greatest strength.
I think the project I am most proud of that I’ve ever been a part of is probably a tribute video I made in 2014 for J Cole’s song Be Free. At the time the Ferguson riots were taking place and being all the way in California, I was torn over trying to find a way to speak on the issues plaguing my community, and upon hearing the song, I decided to edit together my own compilation music video for it as a way to utilize my skillset to draw awareness to the matter. I ended up uploading the video to my YouTube, and it surprisingly went viral and resonated with millions of people as easily one of the most impactful and provocative pieces of art I’ve created to date. Being able to affect so many people emotionally with my work is truly a gift I’m grateful I have and the fact that I was able to do so purely out of a heartfelt conviction and no monetary gain really means everything to me.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Being a California native, as well as growing up in Lakewood and Long Beach, CA, in my early childhood, I’m very partial to the city of Los Angeles. This is also where my name, OBISPOKID, comes from, as it serves as an homage to the street I grew up on and a reminder to never forget where I came from. Growing up I was completely mesmerized and influenced by the relentless work ethic of legendary personas of Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle, who also gave me my first shot in the business. I also love that this city is a tentpole and hub for so many creatives across multiple industries, as I get a ton of inspiration for my craft from walking the streets and engaging with a lot of the people I’ve encountered throughout my lifetime living here. Unfortunately, I would be lying if I didn’t admit some of my gripes with the city as well. Most importantly, the cost of living here is astronomical and has created abysmal living conditions for so many people, including spawning a homelessness crisis that has long since grown out of control. It pains me to pass through areas like Skid Row, Venice Beach, and other parts of my city, seeing so many of my people enduring such hardships and being regarded as less than human. Society tends to idolize the ideal of attaining a celebrity stature and luxurious lifestyle in Los Angeles so much that they often overlook the everyday people who are struggling beyond comprehension just to survive here. I think it’s time that more resources and effort be dedicated to making that a priority over opening new arenas, theme parks, and other unnecessary financial exploits that do nothing to help the people in this city that truly need it the most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@obispokidofficial
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/obispokid/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaredAlexanderDirector/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-alexander-12074970/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAsVGXuTXNrjT9qFpaxe42A
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jared-alexander-844020743
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user15569041
Image Credits
Jared Alexander
