Get to know the phenomenal class of Young Guns 21
After 85 incredible finalists and intense deliberation, the Young Guns jury has narrowed it down to the 29 winners that make up the class of Young Guns 21. An astounding collection of animators, illustrators, film directors, typographers (a few Ascenders 2023 winners as well!), graphic designers, and photographers make up YG21.
Every year we interview the Young Guns winners to get to know them better as artists and people. And as always, we are welcoming another class of outstanding individuals into the highly coveted Young Guns community.
Now that you know the YG21 winners better, we hope you’ll join us in celebrating them in person at NYC’s Sony Hall on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 6:30 PM. See you in two weeks and get ready to party!
C.T. Robert
DIRECTOR
Based:
Los Angeles, CA
Hometown:
Washington, D.C.
What were your original impressions of the Young Guns competition, the award, and the community?
I have always seen the name Young Guns thrown around over the years. I remember a couple of years ago a former classmate of mine Emily Rhyne (YG19) had been selected as a winner, so that may have been the first time I remember seeing it.
After digging into it more, I also saw a lot of people I have either worked with or looked up to. Kerby Jean-Raymond (YG14), who I had a creative relationship with for a couple years is a winner, as well as other directors AV Rockwell (YG16) and CALMATIC (YG16). It's an honor to now be a part of the squad of so many people who are masters of their craft, because I remember wanting to get to a point where I could be recognized in the same light.
"It's an honor to now be a part of the squad of so many people who are masters of their craft, because I remember wanting to get to a point where I could be recognized in the same light."
How did you end up in the creative field anyways?
It's interesting because for so long film was a hidden passion and it became clear as day only with my time spent in other fields that were loosely related to filmmaking. To clarify, I was always interested in cameras as a kid but never took it seriously as a potential career. I would see my grandfather using his 35mm stills camera and camcorders but I think he looked at it purely as a hobby to archive memories.
Come senior year of high school I soon realized I had no idea what I wanted to study when I went away to college, and I thought, "well maybe I'll try to take film more seriously." I quickly got hit with the reality of how competitive this field can be when I got rejected from every film school I applied to. I didn't really have a backup plan so I was feeling extremely discouraged and instead of going away to my safety schools I ended up staying back and studying at community college for two years.
In that time I refocused my efforts and thought instead of chasing after a film career I'd get a "real job" and go into journalism/media. So I ended up obsessing over this a bit through college and spent several years working in the 9-5 space at places like the San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, and Vevo following college.
The funny thing is, at every place I worked at, I had mentors telling me that I was super creative and challenging me to lean into it more. Over time I became more and more confident in my art and one day I finally listened and started freelancing full time as a director. The rest is history…
Congrats on the W! Why did you decide to enter this year?
I turned 30 back in January. It's wild to even think about, to be honest. Time really flies. With regards to Young Guns I really didn't think I'd make the cut when entering. Not because I don't think I'm talented or anything, but because A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ALSO TALENTED. I kind of live in an in-between space with a lot of mediums and while directing is definitely what I focus most my efforts in, I often feel my directing work isn't as exciting as some of my peers because I don't always have all the bells and whistles.
I pride myself on being able to tell rich stories and being extremely thoughtful in my approach, but I wouldn't necessarily say my work is the flashiest. So much of what we see leans into quick cuts and instant gratification and I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that my work used to have that feeling. But over the years as my voice has become more clear as a storyteller, I've moved away from that because I want people to really sit with the visuals. This doesn't always fare well in the commercial space. It's definitely a confidence builder to see that a jury of my peers have seen value in my approach though.
You only get to submit six projects that embody you and your talent. The best of the very best. So, how did you decide which pieces were good enough to make the cut?
Simple. I chose the pieces that felt the best when making them. Those usually are the projects that end up being my best work and represent who I am as an artist the most.
Knowing how difficult it is to actually win Young Guns, what was your reaction when you discovered that you won?
I was at my house and I actually didn't believe my EP Lisa when I got the news. It took about five minutes for her to convince me that she wasn't kidding. I've been fortunate to get awards before, but it still feels weird to be recognized in this way. If I didn't have people pushing me to apply I probably never would. I'm thankful I have so many people that believe in me and encourage me to put myself out there.
In what ways does your hometown inspire your creativity as an artist? What about your current city?
I think my friends and family back home inspire me the most as an artist. This passion of mine wasn't discovered in a vacuum, but rather in a space where I was surrounded by people who rallied behind me to keep chasing after it. It's what pushes me to keep chasing after these dreams of mine to this day.
With regards to LA, as with every place I've lived outside of my hometown, I think being surrounded by new people and creatives has always pushed me to challenge myself. Not that creativity is a competition or anything, but I'm just constantly motivated by the work I see others making. Nothing motivates me more than seeing a piece of work that I love and WISHING I had made it myself – not in an envious way, but moreso because I'm intrigued by the artist's mind and how they came to make something so powerful. Being in new spaces I find presents this experience more and more.
Now that you’re a part of the Young Guns community, are there any past winners you look up to and admire?
Definitely AV Rockwell (YG16), CALMATIC (YG16), The Daniels (YG14), Mah Ferraz (YG17), Kerby Jean-Raymond (YG14), Maceo Frost (YG15), Jonas Lindstroem (YG16), Savannah Leaf (YG17), Farhad Ghaderi (YG19), and Emily Rhyne (YG19). I've studied all of their work at one point or another.
Name a creative and professional dream project that you have yet to fulfill — maybe Young Guns will propel you in that direction!
My BIG dream right now is to direct my first feature / direct an episode of narrative television. I have a couple scripts and it's only a matter of time. Collaborating with A24, Spike Lee, Dominique Fishback, Donald Glover, Barry Jenkins, or Ava DuVernay on them would be the icing on the cake.
This is YG21, but what do you imagine you’ll be up to when YG31 rolls around in 2033?
My family will be happy and healthy and I'll probably be in Brazil writing my next feature while my mom is telling all her friends about the last red carpet we attended together.
Will we see you at the YG21 party in NYC in November?
Is water wet? Of course!
Come party with us and celebrate all the Young Guns 21 winners on Wednesday, November 15 at Sony Hall! See you at 6:30 PM in NYC!
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