Today we’d like to introduce you to William Cook.
Thanks for sharing your story with us William. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started my film career at age 18. I met a wedding filmmaker at my sister’s wedding named Mike Heath of Reel Insight Productions. I told him I was interested in working in film and he was nice enough to become a mentor to me and get me started on my film career.
For the next few years, I worked in weddings, local narrative film and did daily vlogging on YouTube to show my progress through school. After a time, I attended Full Sail University, where I majored in digital cinematography. During my education, I never stopped shooting and broadening my interests in the different aspects of film. I started working in fashion and grew a love for photography as well.
One day a very close friend named Adela Hittell, who I had done many fashions shoots with, asked me to come film BTS for a bridal shoot she was doing makeup on. I had nothing planned for the day and decided to go. It was at that shoot that I met Ashley BeLoat one of the models for the shoot. We hit it off and started dating because of our mutual love in the creative industry and the fashion world. Ashley and I started shooting a lot together and soon started doing shoots for some of the best designers in Florida. Inna’s Designs, Yung Lin Bridal, and Xiaolin. These shoots and opportunities took us to many different places around the US and even over to Paris.
When I work in the industry, the turnaround times tend to be fast. I always like to make sure I have at least one passion project that I can constantly be working on. Back in 2018, I started a paranormal documentary about the New Jersey Devils tree. This became a two years job in post-production, multiple trips to New Jersey and dealing with many challenges and drama behind the scenes. I am happy to say that as of early this year, the film was wrapped and sent out for distribution. It is currently on Amazon Prime and about to be on Vidi Space as of October 15th. We have received nothing but positive response from the film and can’t wait to continue the series.
What I love about working in this industry is, when you first start out, it becomes incredibly easy to see who takes working in film seriously and who is doing it for fun. I have always made sure that I only surround myself with people who do this because they have an unconditional love for the creative process. This is why my wife and I work so well together I believe. We want the most for each other and act on that through pushing each other out of our comfort zones. The best example is my wife and I recently moving to Los Angeles to keep pursuing our goals.
I couldn’t end this without mentioning the last and final narrative film I did in Florida. The Last Pirate was a film written by Christian Pavlik. I was fortunate enough to be brought on as the cinematographer, editor, and choreographer. (I have a 13 years history with fencing). I am particularly proud of this project because of the people I was able to work alongside. Quality was the secondary name of this project, we always strived to have everything done to the very limits, and I think that this attention to detail is going to come across in the final film.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The struggles are always prevalent in this industry and as you grow you realize that the bigger the project, the bigger the issues. Early on the struggle is always financial and maintaining a quality of work that can still be a consistent source of income.
When quality becomes the main factor the struggle comes in many different forms. For instance. The Last Pirate was filmed over the span of a year. On many of those shoot dates, we were working in rain, 100-degree heat, walking many miles with heavy amounts of gear, some of the actors even sustained some minor injuries. But I think I can speak for the whole team in saying that we all would do it again.
This type of dedication to creating art always comes at a price and people who are serious are always willing to pay it.
Early on for myself, I was working at a Walmart Warehouse, teaching fencing classes at night, going to school, and still working in the film industry. Those years, although a struggle were years that taught me dedication and development of a hard work ethic.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Will Cook Media – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I specialize in Creative directing, cinematography, and editing. I work with many local businesses to create a product that will reflect the vision of their brand. I’ve worked with local artists to create music videos that will help push their music in new ways. My fashion work is where I really feel that I can dive deep into creating art, many of my fashion shoots are abstract, which I feel relies heavily on creating a mood and a vibe. Building these from the ground up can be very challenging and I absolutely love it. I think what helps me stay apart from so many talented people who work in this industry is that I always try to stay diverse in my work genres. If it’s reality TV, Oscar-winning film, or even a TV Commercial I am constantly drawn into what makes the viewer want to watch and how I can learn from that.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The beauty of this industry is that it’s very hard to know where you will end up. I know for me personally whether it’s directing a film or working with a fashion designer I will love what I’m doing. “Film” is such a beautiful art form that really takes many amounts of talent to make. I find every part of that process energizing and captivating. I do hope within my future, I will have a chance to tell many stories that I hope will inspire other young filmmakers to dive into this fascinating industry.
Contact Info:
- Address: 200 Arlington Ave Daytona Beach FL 32114
- Website: willcookmedia.com
- Phone: (904) 349-5868
- Email: willcookmedai@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/williamphillipscook/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009384700929
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/willcookvlogs
Image Credit:
Adela Hittell
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