LaChelle Chrysanne: Writer and Director
Episode Description:
LaChelle Chrysanne is a multi-talented artist who has created work in film, music, and various other forms of media and is known for her unique storytelling approach and dedication to addressing social issues through their work. With a keen focus on shedding light on the nuances of the Black female experience, LaChelle aims to inspire meaningful conversations and foster positive change.
In this episode, LaChelle discusses her multi-faceted professional experiences and how important it is to be a jack of all trades.
TRANSCRIPT:
Fanshen: Welcome to Sista Brunch, the one and only podcast that shares the stories of Black women and gender expansive people thriving in entertainment and media.
This is Sista Brunch's season five. So if you're just getting to know us, welcome. We're very glad to have you. And be sure to go back and listen to our previous episodes on Apple or Spotify, wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can also see the episode list, read transcripts and sign up for our monthly newsletter, which is full of updates on all our previous guests and opportunities for filmmakers and media makers.
And that is SistaBrunch.Com. We're also on Instagram @sistabrunchpodcast. I have to share that I was recently looking back at all of our previous episodes. I've been doing some grant writing y'all for the podcast. And I just, it was so amazing to think about the journey that we've been on from the beginning, we kind of started just the beginning [00:01:00] of the pandemic and, and we just kept going.
We were so, committed and passionate about sharing these women's stories and I'm going through and I'm like, my goodness, we've had some power houses. We've had Kamilah Forbes who just is opening up the new soul train on Broadway pretty soon. Felicia Pride, Winter Dunn, Hanalei Culpepper, who's just killing it as a sci fi director, Michelle Crenshaw, the cinematographer Taylor K. Shaw in animation. The list goes on and on of these incredible women we've had and we're just so proud to be part of their journeys. And what I realized in sharing all these stories is that we're not just creating this space for black women and gender expansive people to share what it's like to thrive in a really tough industry.
But we're also creating an archive because if you go back and listen to their episodes, you know, even Anya, our cohost, she was. She was kind of just coming off of, Blackish. And now [00:02:00] she's just running things, directing all the time. So we are so proud to have all of them and our guest today is no different than everybody that we were just referring to.
We see so much promise. In the future for what this guest is going to bring us. Welcome to Sista Brunch, Lachelle Chrysanne.
LaChelle: Thank you for having me
Fanshen: So glad you're here. So I, I saw that you grew up actually outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I've heard so many good things about Minneapolis, you know, there's Prince. So we just all know that. Right. But still I hear that it's kind of this really amazing eclectic place. And and so I'd love to hear your journey of growing up there and how you ended up sitting here in front of us.
LaChelle: Yeah, I mean it's very, a very non-linear path here, . But Minneapolis I think is different. It's very Midwestern in the sense that like the pace is a lot slower. I live in New York now, so it's completely different than, [00:03:00] you know, anything that I grew up with. But I actually grew up right across the street from the Mall of America. And when I say like right across the street, like our behind our backyard was a parking lot that separated us from the mall. So like you could open our living room window and see the mall.
Fanshen: How big was that thing? Was it like football field?
LaChelle: It's, I mean, it's massive. There's an amusement park in the middle of it.
Fanshen: Oh my goodness.
LaChelle: Of course, all my cousins love to come like sleep over at my house because we just walk over to the mall. But yes Other than that, it's pretty, it was pretty boring for me, honestly.
And also a little, I think a little Philistine culturally. I think safety and security and doing what, you know, society expects of you is very emphasized in the Midwest. It's not really a place where a lot of people who are risk takers or rule breakers or unconventional can kind of thrive. And so I've, I've moved around a lot.
I had a brief stint in. Phoenix when I was 18, and then [00:04:00] moved back home, was home for a number of years, then I moved to Chicago in 2012, I lived there for four years. And that was just kind of to like, move somewhere where there were more creative resources, because that was kind of the beginning of me exploring my artistry, and then, After that, I moved to New York in 2016, and I've been here ever since.
Fanshen: So tell us about the time that the pastor heard you singing though. Where did, where did that come in?
LaChelle: Oh, wow. You did your research.
So my uncle, Kevin, who was a musician in our family, he was like an expert percussionist. He actually like came up playing In bands with Prince and with Mint Condition and just used to jam with them.
He passed away in 2011 and that was really hard for me cause he was just such a light, he was like the glue of our family. And, I insisted on singing at his funeral. I had a couple of shady aunties that were like, we ain't never heard you sing. I don't know. I don't know, [00:05:00] but my aunt Marsha, my uncle Kevin's wife was like, let her do it.
And I sang. Going up yonder and everyone like had, like, it was like a standing ovation. I think everyone was like really shocked. And after that the pastor of the church came up to me and was saying, you have gifts that you're not using. It's not just your voice and you need to use the gifts that God gave you.
And because it was my uncle's church and he played in the church band. I feel like that was a message coming from him. And so that was kind of like the start of me. Deciding to pursue artistry seriously and not just as like a hobbyist.
Fanshen: I love that. And I think it points to those moments, moments and people in our lives, especially when we're in a place where we're not necessarily encouraged to pursue, you know, our creative talents or, or, you know, I think I love that you start with the mall of America, because on one hand it's like, it's [00:06:00] amazing.
We, you know, we can, we can give it its props. And at the same time it does, it kind of gives us this, this thought of like, just a very homogenous way of living, right? Like it's just kind of, it's you go and everybody's the same. Same everybody. You do the same thing over and over again and you were trying to bust out of that all the time.
LaChelle: Yes.
Fanshen: And you even do that in this industry that, that sense of. You consistently saying, I'm not going to be stuck in anybody's boxes. I'm not going to be stuck in this mall of American box, the Midwest box. Even the singer box, because although there was this seed planted around this event, you also went on to do graphic design. You do, I love to talk about this experiential marketing, which is awesome.
LaChelle: This is LaChelle Chrysanne and you're listening to Sista Brunch.
Fanshen: You're listening to Sista brunch, the podcast [00:07:00] by and about black women and gender expansive people thriving in entertainment and media. Stay tuned for more with our graphic designer, singer, DJ, filmmaker, LaChelle Chrysanne. And after you listen to this episode, head on over to your podcast platform and leave us a review, but not just any review. Besides the five stars, because we do appreciate that. But you know what we would love you to do this time.
You know how we always ask our guests what their favorite brunch item is. So in your review, include your favorite brunch item. What do you like to eat? What do you like to drink? And then maybe some advice to your younger self. So it is your turn to do that on our reviews. And let's get back to this conversation. With LaChelle Chrysanne.
So did you have also people telling you all the time, you know, no, this is the path you have to go on and what kept you continually trying new things?
LaChelle: I don't know if it was necessarily [00:08:00] people telling me. The path that I have to go on. I think it was more so not having any guidance at all. And so kind of having that this I come from a single parent household going to college was not really a priority because just trying to make ends meet. And so it kind of created a lot of freedom for me to figure out what I wanted to do.
I think that's the positive of it. And so a lot of it was just like, Kind of throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks, but also just like, just gravitating towards things that I was just feeling drawn to and like, all right, well, I kind of like music. Let me try that out. Or I kind of like design.
Let I, I think I'm a little bit good at this. Let me see how far I can go. So it was just kind of like, really just. So we're just exploring a lot.
Fanshen: And do you find that, so we can talk a little bit about what you're doing now as you're kind of sometimes I refer to it as a survival job. But in your case, it's like you enjoy doing it also.
You found yourself as [00:09:00] a filmmaker and we'll, we'll get into the film but also we all have to pay our bills and filmmaking in the beginning doesn't always do that. So. I guess I'm wondering what what led you into that, into what you're doing? Like, let's talk about what you do as your day job and what led you to do that.
LaChelle: I feel like it's kind of a complex question because. I've had like every single job you can possibly think of. And it was just one of those things where I was kind of just excelling up this corporate ladder and like, was very intentional about the moves I made. I think what was the big shift was moving to New York.
So prior to living in New York, all of my day jobs were non creative. administrative work, just whatever. And I got to New York and I was still kind of doing that work for the first year. And I was like, you know what, if I, I'm going to live here, I want to at least like work in an industry that is like interesting or exciting.
And so I've decided to like use [00:10:00] my administrative coordinator skills and I got a job at a music venue in the events department. So that was like the very beginning of it. And I worked at that music venue for a while. And then. I got to a point where like they were gonna, you know, promote me, but they were like dangling the promotion over my head and a lot of microaggressive behavior, all that stuff.
And then I just was like, you know what, I'm going to go freelance. I got a opportunity to work on the production team for Tribeca Film Festival. And so that was just kind of my end is like, all right, I'm in, I'm a freelance production person. And then it was me reaching out to. I think the first long term freelance gig I had was actually with Vice and I reached out to like the VP of Vice's experiential department and I was like, Hey, I'm freelance.
If you need anyone. And she was like, actually, I do need any, I need someone. And like a lot of those people don't have time to like look for talent. So she was just like, it's just so coincidental.
And so that was [00:11:00] 2019 and I've been freelancing in experiential and the other types of production too, but mostly experiential since then.
Fanshen: Talk, talk more about what does that mean, experiential marketing and, and branding? What, what exactly does that look like?
LaChelle: So it's basically. A version of marketing where you are providing an experience for a brand so that experience can be an activation a pop up an event. It could be a digital experience.
It could be a virtual reality experience. It could be any number of things. Primarily. I do like events. Activations and so a lot of it is like working with fabrication builders and creative directors and environmental designers and collaborating on how we'll build this giant thing for a couple of days in a space.
Fanshen: Can you talk about one that you've done? Are you under a confidentiality agreement?
LaChelle: No. No, I'm not under confidentiality. There's been a couple that, like, were really, I was like, I can't believe I [00:12:00] got to do this. I did one for HBO Max last year and it was for their Black and Missing documentary.
And so We basically did projection mapping, which is literally kind of what you, what it sounds like of these re imagined missing persons posters. So we re imagined the black missing persons posters into like artwork. We commissioned artists to like re illustrate them. And we projected them onto this I think it's called the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore, this massive museum. And It was just like a call to action to like, don't forget these people. And what's crazy is that the one, one of the missing persons that we included in that was from Baltimore and her case had kind of gone cold for a while. And shortly after that, after we did that projection mapping, there was somebody arrested in connection to her disappearance.
Fanshen: Look at that.
LaChelle: So, like, that's a rare one. [00:13:00] Where you can do something that is, like, very impactful. But probably the one that, like, stands out the most to me yeah.
Fanshen: I think it speaks to the two things that you're talking about. One is that you've done a bunch of different things.
And I think a lot of people either feel. Like that's wrong or you know, we either get that advice or even we we tell ourselves Oh, I need to focus on one thing and I think in the best of ways, especially around filmmaking and content creation We're getting to a place where it's actually finally Not good.
If you only stick to one thing, it's actually a very good thing. But here you are developing an expertise in both things that can like get you money, kind of a nice regular income, but there's also always this creative element to it. And then you, you are having this experience as a musician where you're the only woman and you're experiencing some toxic [00:14:00] masculinity.
And what other people might do is just be like, come home and complain about it. You're like, I'm going to make a movie about it. And then of course your movie is going to get into a festival. The first one you make.
Fanshen: Hey, it's Fanshen and you're listening to Sista Brunch. We'll be right back and during this quick break, if you haven't already done it, go ahead and follow us on Instagram @sistabrunchpodcast. And also you can follow our production company, TruJuLo, on TikTok. That's TruJuLo Media. T R U J U L O Media.
So tell us that journey of making One of the Guys.
LaChelle: Yeah, so, I had joined or had started a women of color's writers group right before the pandemic had started and so we would meet virtually every other week and I think that was the catalyst for me taking screenwriting seriously before that I was doing it as like a hobby for years, but I was like, I don't even know. I didn't even know anything about script writing software. None of that. And so [00:15:00] I really just needed, I had been workshopping this other script for a while and I was like, all right, I need to, I need to write something new and this concept just came from me really wanting to see a story of platonic friendship with men and women and specifically like men and women of different sexualities and one thing that kind of stuck with me is how my experiences are very specific and unique with male friendships. And so from there, it was just kind of like, all right, what is a through line between male friendships, regardless of if they are into you or if they're not into you. And I think the through line is that men and women show up for each other very differently when it comes to friendship.
And I feel like there's a different level of protectiveness that women have with other women versus what men have with women. And so I figured that. The music industry is probably the best backdrop for that, especially hip hop specifically. And I kind of [00:16:00] pulled a little bit from like some of my experiences when I was living in Chicago.
So the film is called One of the Guys, and it follows Mel, who is a singer songwriter. She's a little bit more tomboyish, very into her craft as a musician, and she decides to go to Brooklyn to have an at home studio session with her long time guy friends, Isaiah and Deshaun.
And Dashaun is this, eccentric, kind of self absorbed, toxic masculinity guy.
Fanshen: I don't know anybody like that. You really had to push for that one.
LaChelle: Right? And so, you know, the main conflict that, that it seems like is happening throughout the film is that You know, Mel wants to focus on work and Deshawn wants to just he wants to have girls over. He wants to do cybers. He wants to do drugs, all this stuff. And Isaiah is kind of playing this like in between peacemaker. But we find, spoiler alert, that [00:17:00] actually Isaiah is not great either. And it turns into this situation where Mel finds out that her guy friends are not who she thought they were. And it's very much a story about complicity and toxic masculinity and how we can create safer spaces and hold each other accountable.
Fanshen: I love it that you, I'm sure you guessed that I'm all about. impactful storytelling. And sometimes it's frustrating because we're going to talk about the experience of being a black woman, you know, in, in an industry or in a creative field where it's just hard enough just being a black woman having people take our stories seriously, or us. seriously. And, also that sometimes it can feel like a burden to have to tell impactful stories. And yet this is just where we find ourselves. I'm kind of like, I hope that my niece and my great niece someday, and my, you know, on and on [00:18:00] and on. We'll be able to focus more on just like what it's like living, but where we find ourselves right now, I think it's, it's up to us. I think that we do have a responsibility around actually saying something, right? Like saying something about. The world we're living in and how we might do better, right? Like making suggestions around that. And I just love, first of all, we, you know, when I asked about your path to making the film, you talked about doing screenwriting and this says so much about you because screenwriting is just.
It's a very important part, but a small part of filmmaking. You took, you, you were like, all right, so I'm gonna write it and now I'm also going to figure out how to direct, I'm gonna get a good cinematographer, I'm gonna make this thing look good and I'm going to have an impact. And so I feel like you might be being a little shy and not patting yourself on the back, but like, talk about what, how you, how, what that process was.
LaChelle: [00:19:00] Yeah. So I got lucky because my partner is my cinematographer. So he he went to NYU film school, very seasoned and like has lent a lot of his knowledge base to me. But also I, I find myself being very visual as an artist. Like I have directed before, like I've directed like a music video and I come up with concepts and stuff like that.
So I think I knew. I knew how I wanted the film to look. I had a very clear sense of that and leading up to like shooting it, it was a lot of studying specifically studying how to direct actors, like storyboarding, those type of things come very naturally to me, production design, that all came very natural to me, but I really wanted to make sure that those performances landed because otherwise It would have came off cheesy.
Fanshen: You can feel it. And that's the hard thing about impact, too, is like, you've got to get that part right. It's got to feel authentic to actually have the message versus being [00:20:00] dogmatic and just, you know, kind of robot speaking on screen. Right. Can you tell us some of the things that you studied to prepare for that?
LaChelle: I studied a couple of books by Judith Weston. Directing Actors was the first one. And then I also studied I think it's called the Filmmakers Intuition. And those books were really great because like, I didn't know anything about results directing and like, you know, those kinds of faux pas. And I feel like reading those before meeting my actors was really helpful because it kind of. Allowed me to give them the space to, to do what they do. And they did, I feel like a phenomenal job at it. So, yes, nice.
Fanshen: Which means you did a phenomenal job you do such a great job on it.
Okay. So let's. Talk about your experiences as a Black woman in, in, in all creative fields. Like, do you, what, what, what are the benefits of it and what are the challenges? [00:21:00]
LaChelle: I think the benefits is just having a very broad and unique perspective. I think that being a black woman connects me to humanity in a way that I don't know that I would be connected to if I, you know, wasn't at this specific intersection of gender and race.
And also there's just such an amazing legacy of black women artists of all types for, you know, me to look to for inspiration and guidance and wisdom and all that. I think the drawbacks is. Being underestimated a lot. Being pigeonholed. And also just having this very fine line, especially when you're in leadership roles of knowing how to assert yourself without, you know, coming off a certain way, having to deal with being tone policed, especially from people who work under you, that's a, that's a big thing. And so it's always just trying to like find this delicate balance [00:22:00] between being open, but being reserved, but not too reserved. It's just hard to kind of understand how to navigate certain spaces when there's not enough of us in those spaces. Now when it's mostly us, it's a different story, but when it's not, it can be challenging.
Fanshen: I know I think about that a lot because especially that idea of being pigeonholed and On one hand, we are unified in our blackness and it's so vast in so many ways, we, purposely push back against like essentialist representation. And at the same time, there's something there. And so sometimes when outside forces pigeonhole us, they are the exact thing. I know for me, sometimes I'm like, well, that's the exact thing I want to be known for. I just don't want you to expect it when I come, right? It's that, it's that constant kind of challenging balance that we have, which is part of the experience too, isn't it? Well, [00:23:00] I love talking to younger folks. I'm 53. So I love. Just thinking about the ways that both things have changed and also pieces that are the same that are good that they're the same, like the fact that we unify around this experience, the fact that we now y'all have y'all, we have terminology around toxic masculinity or misogynoir that, you know, we didn't necessarily use those terms, what we knew we were experiencing.
So I love speaking to younger folks about just you know, where, where we've been, where we're going. So, so on the, where we're going, where do you want things to go for black women, and then transition that into what you up to and, and what's, what's next.
LaChelle: I just want to see Black women take up space as much space as we possibly can. I want to see people respect the contributions that we've made. That doesn't mean, you know, kissing our ass. That doesn't [00:24:00] mean, you know, allowing us to not be accountable for the ways that we need to be accountable. But that does mean, like, just more respect on our name, and more places where We are empowered to build and create and be the architects that we are without people obstructing and without people feeling like they need to come in and no, this is how you do it.
No, we got this.
Fanshen: Yeah, we got this. Let me tell you how, if only y'all'd listen, I love it. And how about for you personally, where, where are things going?
LaChelle: You know, I don't know where things are going. I think that I definitely want to, you know, Take more time. Just studying the craft a lot. I have a lot of other Projects that I've been writing and that kind of thing But I think there's this kind of social media rat race going on right now [00:25:00] Everyone feels like they need to like let's stay relevant.
Let's say let's see people's minds and I Really have to like ground myself and reconnect to like my intention and my artistry and really just sit and be quiet Especially like the industry is just in such a weird Space right now anyway. So there's really no need for me to feel like, Oh my God, I got to do this.
I got to do this. So where I'm at right now is just taking that time to study, taking that time to think of other ways to sustain myself as an independent, creative, and just being open, just being open to, to what happens and We'll see. We'll see where I go.
Fanshen: So we've got our, signature Sista brunch questions. So you, LaShelle, are sitting down to Sista brunch with the younger LaShelle. You can make her whatever age you'd like. But what are you both eating? What are you both drinking? And what do you tell her?
LaChelle: What are we both eating? That is a really [00:26:00] good question, because I feel like my diet has changed so much as I've gotten to be an adult? maYbe we're both eating Nachos. Nice. Microwave nachos. I might be eating the non dairy version, but we'll be eating them together. Mm hmm. Are you vegan? I'm not vegan. I'm just non dairy.
Fanshen: Not not, don't tolerate dairy well.
LaChelle: Nah, it's not, it's not for me. we're probably both drinking water. And what do I tell her? Mm hmm. You are more powerful than you think you are is what I would tell her. I don't think the younger version of myself could have ever imagined me as I am now. And the, you know, the glass ceilings I've been able to break and the strides that I've made.
I feel like the younger version of me needed to hear that. Especially when you. Don't have agency as a young person. You don't know where you're going. You don't have a lot of guidance, but I think knowing that I'm powerful, more powerful [00:27:00] than I think I am would have like, definitely sustained me a little bit more, especially in those early twenties.
Love it. Yeah, don't kill me and we'll cut this part out if you want, but could you sing for us?
No,
Fanshen: I put, I put, ask her this thing, parentheses, question mark, question mark, question mark.
LaChelle: I might have to, I honestly thought about dusting this mic off. I can't even think of the last time I used this thing.
Fanshen: I love it. Well, you sound good. Honestly, just hearing yourself. story, you know, about, about how that was kind of that spark. I feel like that was such an important spark. So, but I hear you. So, so then we'll have you come back once you, now when you. Hold the mic out. You know, you dusted it off. So when you're ready, we will have you come back. Okay. Lachelle, it was so great talking to you. We're so glad you came on Sista Brunch.
LaChelle: Thank you so much for having me.
[00:28:00] Sistas and siblings, thank you so much for being here for another episode of Sista Brunch.
Fanshen: A reminder that you can read the transcript of every episode and also find our show notes on our website at Sistabrunch. com. If you love watching videos, instead of just listening to the audio, you can also head over to the TruJuLo YouTube channel. So you can go to youtube. com slash TruJuLo media.
That's T R U J U L O media on YouTube. We deeply appreciate your support by subscribing to our podcast, leaving us a great review and sharing it with your friends, family, colleagues, and community.
Sista Brunch is brought to you by TruJuLo Productions. Our show creators are me, Fanshen Cox, Anya Adams, Nsiah Buadi, and Brittany Turner.
Our co producer is Mimi Slater. We acknowledge that the land we record our podcast on is the original land of the Tongva and the Chumash people. [00:29:00] We cannot wait to share more guests with you. Take good care, and we'll talk to you soon. Bye bye.
