
Capture the Human Experience










Hey there! My name is Alex(is) and I’m the human behind “EXIS”…. Yes, I did just shorten my first name in a really weird way for my personal brand. No, there’s no epic origin story tied specifically to the name. I just thought it sounded cool ok? Anyhow…Here’s a little bit about me and why I do what I do.
As a young kid I dealt with a lot of anxiety; I had a lot of intrusive thoughts and fear that made my personal life pretty difficult. Trying to talk about all the intense emotions I felt on a daily basis was like trying to break down a stone wall with my bare hands.
I found it much easier to write and to draw things instead of saying them, and felt a deep connection to all things related to story telling. From books and movies to songs and videogames, I found comfort in digesting and creating stories. As I got older, I realized that what I enjoyed most about story telling was exploring the enigma that is being human. A good story to me was – and still is – one that helps you to understand something about yourself or someone else. A great story gets you thinking about your own experiences but also allows you to empathize with experiences you’ve never had yourself. In high school, I was blessed with the opportunity to take a digital media class as an integral part of my curriculum. It was in that class that I truly came to understand the power of capturing emotion. This sounds a little odd, but there’s nothing like making a classmate cry that will get you to realize how impactful a well timed picture can be. It’s an experience that sticks with you, and it’s one of the things that fuels my passion for both photography and filmmaking.
Although I got my start in photography, filmmaking is what I spent most of my college career learning. As a multimedia communications major at Wesley College, I was trained in all different aspects of “media” — I had classes for things like audio recording, animation, visual communications, photojournalism, and the basics for film making. After a sudden (and messy) closure, I transferred to Wilmington University to complete my degree. This transfer is what really allowed me to hone in on the specifics of filmmaking, and I found that I truly enjoyed every part! From setting up the lights and operating the camera to writing scripts and acting as script supervisor, I fell even further in love with the filmmaking process. Hook, Line, Sinker.
And that is a brief history of how “EXIS” came to be. If you’ve read this far, and you enjoy exploring the vastness that is the human experience while making things that just look really cool, I look forward to working with you!
Want to take a look at some of the projects I’ve worked on during my academic career? Click HERE.