How old were you when you discovered what you wanted to do with your life? I know we have many people who are yet to unearth their passion. Our guest today, Shea Stephens, discovered his passion when he was a kid. He was into films, and he could grasp scripts easily. 

Shea's mother didn't think film was a good career path for him at first, but after seeing how confident her son became by participating in plays, she changed her mind. Shea's mother became his number one supporter and accompanied him on his journey. He attended Louisiana State University for theater before transferring to Savannah College of Art and Design for his Master's degree in film.

Shea has a long history in the film industry. He has identified flaws in our film industry and how we can best correct them in order to improve the industry. One of the flaws Shea mentions is that most directors and screenwriters stick to standard procedures because they don't take the time to research black people's history. He believes that we must return to our roots and study our history.

In this episode, Shea will discuss his journey in the film industry, how he found his voice, and the flaws in our industry. Shea Stephens, a director, screenwriter, and incredible actor from Louisiana, now divides his time between New York and Atlanta.
 

Key Talking Points of the Episode: 

[02:47] Shea's experience growing up in Louisiana 

[05:54] How Shea knew he wanted to act 

[08:29] How Shea balances being self-aware and acting 

[10:23] How fearlessness is the key to success 

[14:39] How Shea found his voice 

[17:11] How actors can become more professional on set 

[21:12] Directors who influenced Shea 

[22:39] Top five narrative films of all time 

[25:10] The role of intuition in filmmaking 

[26:13] Intuition versus criticism 

[30:47] How the film industry is highly flawed 

[31:38] Shea and his mother's relationship with film 

Magical Quotes from the Episode: 

"My self-awareness came from several years of not being myself." 

"I used to be a people pleaser all the time. I wanted people to like me, to be accepted, but at the same time, I always did crazy things to be accepted." 

"Reading is taking the information, and the knowledge, and being able to metabolize it." 

"When you find something, you love to do, just try to get paid for it." 

"White people don't want us to know our history." 

Connect:

Shea's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shea.prophecy.stephens/ & https://www.instagram.com/prophecypicuturesandmedia/

Vante's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/
Vante's Website: www.vantegregory.com
Visual Intonation: www.visualintonations.co
Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/

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