We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew Redd and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew, why did you pursue a creative career?
Starting at an early age, I’ve always had an interest in drawing, photography, and performance. As I reached my late teen years and realized I needed to find a direction in life that could provide opportunities for me to not only make a living but also fulfill my creative spirit. During the course of my artistic journey, I eventually found that being a filmmaker would be a career that offered me the ability to earn a decent living and scratch my creative itch. I knew from an early age that an office job wasn’t meant for me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career has now spanned over 25 years. The early years were very tough and lean, I barely made enough money for food and rent. I got really good at begging my bank to reverse my over-draft fees. Despite all the difficulty in getting started in any artistic field, I knew that if I kept grinding away at it and stayed persistent it would eventually pay off. Unlike other career paths, you don’t simply graduate college with your Art degree and start applying for $80K a year salary jobs. Being an artist, especially in the film industry, requires a lot of hard work, networking, non-stop training, and educating yourself on new technologies as they come out.

The work I have done over the years has spanned everything from commercials, music videos, corporate videos, reality tv, episodic tv, and feature films. It’s taken me all over the country and even to some international destinations for work. Even after all these years, I’m still evolving my “voice” and my vision in my art. As far as my future, I don’t really ever see myself wanting to retire. I hope that I’m still able to work and feel inspired by other artists 20-30 years from now!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is definitely a challenging question. I’m the type that always wants to make sure a guest is having a great experience. So a lot of what our itinerary would look like depends greatly on the “friend” and where their interests are.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
If it wasn’t for the love and support that my parents showed me when I was young, I would have never felt the strength to pursue my dreams.

Website: www.andrewredd.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewredd_dp/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-redd-406847/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Andrew_Redd

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewReddCinematographer

Other: www.crashboxmedia.com

Image Credits
Jordan Taylor Mathis, and Isabelle Milford.

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