Get to know Ella Fields

Ella Fields is a filmmaker and photographer that lives in California. She has been on YouTube for 6 years sharing the films she makes on that platform. 

She won many awards at film festivals and has been featured in many prominent magazines and websites. You may know her from her films such as Bubble Gum, an LGBTQ film about young love, the short film Bloom, about sexual assault, or Stereo, a film about reversed stereotypes. 

I’ve personally been a fan of her work for years because I’ve been incredibly inspired by the messages of her pieces and the passion she puts into each piece. She tackles the teenage and female experience in ways no one else is approaching the subjects right now and I am so excited to be able to be interviewing her today!

Hi Ella! Thank you so much for doing this interview!

I was watching one of your YouTube videos the other day so I know it was your birthday a little bit ago, right? Happy belated birthday!

I mean I know we’re in quarantine still but did you do anything to celebrate?

I actually woke up at 4:30 a.m to go watch the sunrise in Griffith park! I was pretty sleepy the rest of the day, but it was definitely worth it. I don't know if I've ever driven somewhere in the morning darkness before. My friends also came by and surprised me (socially distanced) and it was very lovely to see them!

What inspired you to want to become a filmmaker?

Film has always been such a natural form of expression for me, and in a way, it was my first love. When I was 6, my parents brought home a little camcorder, and I began to shoot everything, from my stuffed animals, to the trees and bridge outside of our 3 room house in the "woods of LA." Joining a film academy in middle school is where I learned to tell a meaningful and structured story, and it gave me opportunities of collaboration and feedback from my fellow filmmaking peers. Being an artist of many mediums, it is definitely a process to try and figure out which medium best expresses your mind, but it seems that film is truly the medium of all mediums. It combines nearly every form of art I can think of into a big mashup of a singular project, and because of this, it can evoke more emotions than any other medium on its own.

I’m gonna start off nice  and simple hahah: What do you think is the importance of art in society? How does art benefit society and do you think art harms it in any way?

That is a really interesting question! I definitely believe that art does more good than harm. It justifies the pain that we feel as humans, and that is one of the most important things to understand. Anyone who says that "life is too short to be anything but happy" is very sadly mistaken. Being sad is not a waste of life, but rather an inevitable part of being human. The question is, how can we utilize these low times? How can we be fully present in every moment and find a way to express it? Art allows us to make reason out of our experiences as well as allowing others to have something that they can relate to. It has a larger impact on us than we realize! That being said, I think that harm could come from spreading messages undermining people , for example, Disney princesses planting in our little kid brains that women need a prince to come and save them so they can finally be happy.

What is your creative process like? How do you come up with ideas and begin making things? Where do you find your inspiration?

Oddly enough, I find a lot of my inspiration from the notes app on my phone. Every day, I observe the world around me and document the random thoughts I have. Inspiration usually comes to me in unexpected times, so it is beneficial to have a place where I can jot it all down. I have a list of interesting character traits, scene ideas, poems, and even one titled "RANDOM" where I keep track of the odd things my mind comes up with. When I sit down to write every night (I work best at night), I'll scroll through all of these thoughts and relive my inspiration and ideas. Most times, I create from gut feelings. Sometimes I just know that I need to create; like there's so much potential inside that just is just screaming for an outlet. The most important thing is to listen to that voice. The process varies so much though with different mediums! So much inspiration can be found by  simply paying attention.

What do you do to get out of a creative block?

Whenever I am having a creative block, I usually just allow myself to be in it, but I make sure and spend my time taking in art as opposed to creating it. One of my favorite directors, Greta Gerwig, once said, "Reading will be there for you, even when you can't write." If I am having a lack of inspiration or motivation, I always turn to other stories: movies, books, podcasts, music. I just utilize the time to learn something new. I'll go on a walk or drive to get my mind moving, I'll talk to myself, or sometimes I'll even just make a list of the worst ideas I can possibly think of. These are just a few things that help me get through the times in which I am not creating; I usually just try to cultivate inspiration from the array of things that I can do!

As a filmmaker myself, I know that there comes times when you think that everything you’re making or writing or filming is crap and all you want to do is delete everything and never make another thing ever again. What do you do when you feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or unhappy with your work?

The most important thing for me is to see every project through to the end. For film specifically, I can't remember a time that I felt satisfied with my rough cut. It usually results in a dramatic breakdown because it never looks anything like how I saw it in my head. Having made a handful of films, I now know that this is normal and the key is to just keep pushing, keep tweaking at it, and making sure and see it through to the very end. Even if it is still a piece of garbage that you never want anything to see, you can look at it and ask what went wrong, and then use it to grow within your next project!  One of the best lessons I took away from my elementary school art class was that in art, there are no mistakes. If you make an erratic brush stroke, it's not a big deal because that mistake can morph into something new that you never would have thought of before.

Being on YouTube from a pretty young age, you’ve been pretty vulnerable online so I’m sure you’ve had to deal with not only amazing feedback but also some trolls along the way. How do you deal with criticism?

Criticism is never something that is easy to handle, but I find that if I am creating things that I am truly proud of, my art almost serves as a friend sticking by my side and telling me those people's opinions don't truly matter. Being an artist is a vulnerable thing alone, but I find that being an artist in highschool is one of the trickiest battles. There is so much pressure on being cool and having a "traditional teenage experience," whatever that may mean. The movies definitely set us up for disappointment. It's interesting to see how much I create when I am on summer break. People can be very judgemental and most times, they get uncomfortable seeing someone doing their own thing. Even though it may not seem like positive feedback, I truly believe that if someone calls your art weird, that should be the biggest compliment of all. It is so difficult to create something original. There is so much talent in the world, and our art can easily blend into the shadows. If someone thinks your art is weird, that means they have never seen anything like it before. They aren't comfortable with it, and that means you are truly tapping into a new perspective. I think that "weird" art is so admirable.

Do you have any advice for girls who want to make films?Traditionally, girls have not been accepted in leadership roles. We are expected to suppress our voices and be polite.  We have been taught not to have opinions. People get uncomfortable having a woman tell them what to do, especially on a film set. For us women though, this is such a revolutionary time because we actually have people we can look up to! There are so many powerful and relentless women with clear visions and an immense talent for cinema. My advice is to idolize these women. Learn everything you can about them, and then think about how you can strengthen your voice to become a role model for others. Every story deserves to be told, so work towards cultivating your unique perspective on life and share it unapologetically!

What is your directing style? Are you the type of director who has a clear cut vision and has everything planned out? Or are you more of a collaborative director?

It is definitely important for me to stay true to whatever my vision may be, but film is such a collaborative effort! There are so many people who pour their soul into every project; there is no way to make a film on your own. I want everyone pouring their souls into the film to be proud of their work, and I am always open to hearing opinions and ideas from my fellow artists! It is important to stay true to what is best for the film, but people always have really interesting ideas that deserve to be acknowledged.

Who is your favorite director?

My favorite director (currently) is Céline Sciamma who directed Portrait of a Lady On Fire, Tomboy, and Girlhood. She is one of those directors that draws in the viewer by treating every moment as if it is the most precious thing to exist. I have also been listening to her interviews every night before I go to sleep just because of how much I admire her!

I’ve seen you record video with an old super 8 camera, a handy camcorder, and digital. Of those three what is your favorite medium and why?They are all so different, but if I could, I would shoot so many more films on  super 8 just because it is able to capture a feeling and atmosphere that cannot be achieved with digital. I love my camcorder because it is so portable and I can take it everywhere with me and film everything around me. The camcorder also captures a very nostalgic "home movie" feeling that fits perfectly for a lot of projects - really they all have their own charm about them.

In the future, what type of movies would you like to be making?

So far in my life, my films have directly reflected what I am experiencing and seeing around me. I've been carefully watching my films grow from middle school problems and imaginary friends to bigger topics such as sexual assault and a first love. I know that as I shift into adulthood, my films will too, but I will always hold a very special place in my heart for my childhood. I could totally see myself making coming of age films (because those are usually my favorite) - maybe one about the relationship between two sisters!

What do you want people to take away from your films?

The message varies with each project, but ultimately I want to show people that anyone can be an artist and everyone's story deserves to be showcased on the big screen! I want people to see a little part of themselves in everything I make, and I want them to leave the theater (or web browser) feeling understood and inspired to make something themselves. I want to give people a chance to get lost in a story, give a moment of relief from the craziness of the world while simultaneously spreading positive and progessive messages, even if it is subliminal.

Who is a person, actor, director of photography, costume designer, anybody, who you’d like to really work with one day?

The first person that comes to mind is Greta Gerwig. The way she tells a story as a writer feels very much up the alley of the films I like to create. Another person who I absolutely adore is Kris Moran, who creates the sets for Wes Anderson's films. Some of my favorite actors that I would be so elated to work with are Ellen Page, Zendaya, Michael Cera.. those are only a few!

Where do you hope to see yourself in 10 years? Let your imagination run wild.

It is so difficult to plan specifics of my life because everything is so unpredictable! It is important to have goals to aim towards, but I trust that if I keep following my gut, it will lead me wherever I am meant to be. The ultimate goal for me is to be able to write and direct movies. By then, I also hope to have traveled and met interesting people, gotten more of an education in filmmaking, read a lot of books... It's exciting and humbling though to not quite know where I will end up! I also really want a pet pig at some point.

So I wanted to talk to you a little about representation in the media. There’s a huge shift that is happening right now in the theatre, film, and movie business. Where different people’s stories are being told. People don’t want to hear the same generic stories that have been told for decades anymore. People want to hear about other experiences whether that be POC stories, LGBTQ+ stories, stories told by women, stories about differently abled people, whatever it may be. As a woman, how have you been navigating the industry and trying to amplify your voice?

I think that one of the most important things I've done to amplify my own voice is to hand over the megaphone to other people whose voices are dying to be heard as well! Nothing makes my voice any more important than anyone else's, but since I use the tools I have to share my opinions and messages, I always do the best that I can to practice inclusion with all of my peers. For example, in my film "Bloom" about sexual assault, I posted an opportunity for anyone who was a victim themselves to record a voiceover for the movie. I had them all recite, "It's not your fault," and I used it in the final scene of the film. I not only want to tell everyone that their stories deserve to be heard, but I want them to see it and believe it.

Have there been any challenges along the way where your gender or sexuality was used against you?

How did you have to deal with that. So far in my filmmaking, I really haven't come into too many roadblocks regarding my gender and sexuality because it has all been on such a small level, but I experience moments of such behavior on an everyday basis in my personal life. One of the main things that comes to mind is the fact that women are often seen as objects and are expected to please and serve other people. I have struggled with putting others' needs before mine my entire life, and that is just one of the many roadblocks that us women have to work to overcome. Oddly enough, the way that I cope with these situations is through my filmmaking! Everything I do and everything I experience affects my art because my art is a direct reflection of my mind.

I know a lot of people watching right now are young women like myself, and are in the midst of transitioning into adulthood. Sometimes we make mistakes and it feels like the world is over and things will never be okay again. I know it makes you feel like alone, and like you’re the only person going through it. Has there ever been a time that you made a mistake that you thought you could never fix, and how did you get past it?

There was one time in 6th grade when I was just finishing up one of my first film projects for school. It was the night before it was due, and my procrastinating-self was trying to figure out how to blur out the face of an imaginary friend in my film. I could not figure it out for the life of me, and this definitely led to much commotion in my household. My mom suggested that "Maybe I should just ask my teacher for help," but this seemed out of the question because I am stubborn and  have never been one to ask for help. Eventually I caved in and the next day, my teacher gracefully showed me how to do the effect in a matter of minutes. Although this was a long time ago, it was really my first experience that proved to me that it's ok to ask for help.

What is one dream you have yet to accomplish?

One thing that I would love to do is create a film with a larger crew, making it a crazy awesome huge collaboration! My filmmaking has been very low budget so far with most of the roles being filled by myself. I am really aiming to start working with more people and making projects on a larger scale.

If you could talk to your younger self right now, what would you say to her?

The biggest thing I would tell her is that it's okay to feel different from the people around you and that it is, in fact, something to be proud of. I spent so much time trying to morph myself into being social and funny and to say what I thought people wanted to hear, but the reality is that I am quiet and introspective and have thoughts that aren't always easy to share. One thing that my dad said to be recently is, "life will unfold for you no matter what, whether you're the true version of yourself or the phony version of yourself." That is something that I am still working on believing every single day! I would tell my younger self that everything is temporary (good and bad times) and to just be present for it all! However, the greatest piece of advice I could give myself would be that sometimes it's okay to put your happiness before others'.

Where would you like to see the world 3 months from now?In 3 months, I would love to see more stories being told from everyone everywhere! If we can truly care about the lives of people who we can't physically see, there will be so much more empathy in the world. If people can finally feel included and worthy of sharing their minds and experiences, that would be a bigfoot step in the right direction. So, in a nutshell, keep surrounding yourself with as many stories as you possibly can!