Daily Inspiration: Meet Steven Henley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Henley.

Hi Steven, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I grew up in a small city called Adel Ga. It’s the type of town that is so small it only has one stoplight, but it’s home. Growing up, there wasn’t much to do because there wasn’t much there so I really had to have a lot of imagination and be very creative which kept me out of trouble.

So at a young age, I picked up drawing and also did a lot of creative writing. In my junior year in high school, I and some friends decided to make a creative visual for a literature project.

We didn’t take the project seriously, but this didn’t stop us from receiving the highest score in the class. This is how I discovered a passion for film. After a brief conversation with an art representative from Atlanta, I decided to put down the pencil and pick up a camera. I’ve been shooting since then.

I love music. Not just one style but all styles. I like hip-hop, pop, country, R&B, etc. This love is what attracted me to music videos. I’ve worked with several known artists from, Rick Ross to Wiz Khalifa, Colt Ford, Jonathan Mcreynolds, Baby Fendi, Doe, and many others.

Most of the artists I’ve worked with are Hip-Hop but a recent move to Tennessee has me looking forward to working more in the country genre.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I won’t say it’s been the toughest journey, but it definitely hasn’t been a walk in the park either. I’m the first in my family to own their own business, so I didn’t have anyone in my family who could give me all of the secrets to success.

This didn’t stop me. God placed the right people in my life who could help direct me. Another challenge has always been family. When I was 15, my parents divorced and being the oldest, I had to step up and take on the reigns of leadership.

After graduating and moving out dedication to family remained with me. I now have a family of my own. Balancing family with a film career has been pretty tough, but by the grace of God, I’ve been able to find success still.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Music Video Director.

I shoot other things including weddings and short films but I specialize in music videos. I think it’s due to my love for music. If you ask someone the thing that sets me apart from most music video directors is the film approach I take. Though I watched music videos at an early age I also loved movies.

So I draw a ton of inspiration from movies and films for my artists. The saying “We just made a movie” is a sort of cliche in the music video world, but when artists say it to me it comes with a little more conviction to it.

Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
“Scared money doesn’t make money!” I’ve found myself saying that a lot lately. Deciding to pick up a camera and make it my job was a risk itself.

No one believed in me at the beginning, not even my own parents. I was the only one who believed in it in the beginning. I’m not sure what my biggest risk has been because I take them all of the time. I’ve invested a lot of money into my dreams and sacrificed a lot as well.

I’m working on my first self-funded short film soon and that is a pretty big risk. Hopefully, that explains my view on risk-taking. Lol.

Pricing:

• $5,000 – Production Budget to work with me and my team, but I’m willing to work with less to help a fellow artist reach their dreams.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directorhenley/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StevenHenleyJr

Image Credits
Ash Summerford and Anna Reese