For this months Creator Spotlight we caught up with Alex Tellez. An extremely taleneted Director and DP working across commercial, branded, and documentary film. With an athletic background, she works to bridge commercial polish with raw unguarded moments. Having worked with the likes of Lululemon, Yahoo, Nordstrom (and many others!), she's drawn to create pieces where a brand stops performing and starts feeling like something true. Let's dive into it!
If you met a stranger at the airport and they asked what you do, how would you describe yourself to them?
I usually keep it simple and say I make videos. Sometimes that's where it ends, sometimes they dig a little deeper. I keep it vague on purpose, for a handful of reasons but ultimately, as cliché as it sounds, I believe there's power in our words. I could tell them what my job is today, which is commercial director. But that feels like a box. And if I say it enough times, I’ll start to believe that I am only and will only ever be a commercial director. It doesn't leave the door open for the movie director, the doc director, whatever position comes next.
Talk to us about the beginnings of your career and how you got started.
I started out interning at an ad agency in NYC, where I did it all. Literally. I picked up coffees, picked up dry cleaning, transcoded footage, media managed, resized approved final edits. That internship turned into my first job, and I worked my way up to a junior editor role. From there I went to ClassPass as their first video hire, where I helped shape their whole video language. Then came Daily Harvest, where I got my first taste of directing bigger social media campaigns.
After six years working in house across those three companies, I took the leap and went freelance. I've been freelance ever since.
That in-house experience has been my secret sauce. The relationships I made back then still show up today. The biggest advantage this experience has given me is having been on the brand and agency side means I understand what my clients need and can speak their language.
Can you tell us about your earliest influences as well as the people that inspire you today?
I grew up on the Vimeo Staff Pick era. I'd start every morning watching Staff Picks for about an hour, falling down the rabbit hole. That's when I discovered people like Ryan Booth, Salomon Ligthelm, and more. Their approach felt so raw and real. Like I was watching a home video. Not in terms of quality, but in the feeling they were able to capture. Almost like we, the audience, were watching a rare moment we maybe weren't supposed to see. I still pull a lot of inspiration from that era, but I've also started looking at movie directors like Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler. Both approaching the industry in such a non-traditional way, which I relate to and really love.
Can you discuss the role of storytelling in your work?
I'm a world-builder type of storyteller. I like to think about a person's past, present, and future. Where are they coming from, why are they here, what's their motive. And I apply that to every element within a project. The hero talent, the background talent, set design, wardrobe. All of these little details build a world that feels believable and real.
How do you stay inspired and motivated creatively?
I struggle with this question because I don't have an issue staying inspired or motivated. I genuinely love what I do. I'd keep doing this even if I won the lottery tomorrow. Are there hard times? Sure. But I'm wired to see those hard times as a challenge to get through. I will not surrender. I will find a way. And that doesn't always mean the outcome is what I wanted in the moment but I'll find my way to the other side, and wherever I land, I believe is where I was meant to land all along.
Maybe this comes from my background in sports. You deal with wins and loses all the time. And just because you lose doesn’t mean you don’t show up to practice the next day.
Can you walk us through a typical day on set with you when you're directing digital content, from preparation to the final wrap?
My prep usually starts the night before. I'll pre-load my iPad with visual references from the treatment so they're top of mind and easy to pull up. Then I wake up 2-3 hours before call. That's my "me time" to settle in before I'm firing on all cylinders.
On set, I check in with my producer and AD first, then work through each team. Camera, art, wardrobe. That's when most of the day's questions and decisions get sorted. By the time I'm done, the client's usually arriving, so as the crew sets up the first shot, I give them a rundown of the day. This is my time to prep them on anything I want top of mind, share a bit of my process, so they don't feel like they're going in blind or out of sync with me.
Then we shoot. We go shot for shot on the storyboard, constantly checking in with my DP, pushing for the frames and performances we feel are best. And I keep the client in the loop the whole way. What I'm liking, what I'm not, why I think we should change something or leave it.
Essentially, it's a day of a lot of communication.
Can you tell us about how you utilize Glyph products in your workflow?
Glyph hard drives are my trusty workhorse. I store all my media on them. I'll hand my DIT a Glyph so they can load everything we captured that day onto it, and I walk home with it at the end of the night. Every DIT I've handed one to looks at me and goes "oh… these are GOOD" in a tone that tells you they've fought with some slow, clunky drive before. A drive that's reliable and fast seems like such a small thing, but at the end of a 10-12 hour day, the last thing you want is to sit there waiting for media to transfer. Let alone find out the transfer failed and you're waiting even longer.
Glyph Raids are how I backup everything. Again, quick and reliable. No other place I’d want to house my projects. Backing up my projects on the Glyph Raids truly feels like the securist way to do. It’s non-negotiable for me.
What are three products you couldn’t live without when you’re on a shoot?
iPad, Glyph Atom Pro, and an Iced Honey Vanilla Latte
What have been some of the most gratifying moments or projects for you over the course of your career?
When I started, I didn't have a specific industry or niche I wanted to be in. But as my career has unfolded, I've found myself on quite a few sports-related jobs. It's been full circle for me because I grew up playing basketball, but a finger injury and five surgeries meant my hoop dreams didn't go far. So to now be invited to capture elite athletes at the highest level feels like this was actually where I was meant to be all along.
What advice would you give to aspiring creators?
Post your work. Even if you hate it. Post it. You never know who's watching, or what someone else is picking out of your work. If you truly love this, you'll probably always find something you don't like about what you make. That's part of the game. But you have to lay the bricks before you get to live in the house.
A huge thank you again to Alex for taking the time to be a part of our Creator Spotlight series. When she's not on set, Alex is walking her dog or chasing the perfect shot of espresso. You can find more of her work on alexandratellez.com and follow her journey at instagram.com/itstellez.
