Alex Turvey is a 28-year-old director/designer who has been named part of Fashion’s New Generation by Vogue and one of the 15 Creatives Who Will Define the Future of British Arts by the Independent. He featured in the recent Levi’s campaign and is a jury member for the prestigious D&AD awards. We asked him to pass on the advice he wishes someone had given him as a young gun…
If you could go back and give your younger self any advice, what would it be?
Not to plague myself with the worry of what other people think of my work. This has totally crippled my creativity at times, especially when I first started getting press. As long as I stay true to my vision and create work for myself, I should be happy.
If someone had told your 16-year-old self that you would be a successful designer and filmmaker in your twenties, would have believed them?
Ha! I was an incredibly naughty boy at school, with outstandingly average grades to boot. The only exception was my obsessive dedication to Art and Design.
Up until I turned 16, my only real experience with film had been a rather unsuccessful stop-frame animation of Darth Vader attempting to penetrate Yoda, shot on my uncle’s archaic video camera.
This was instantly deleted by said uncle. So I think at that point I may have found it slightly unbelievable that I would be making a living from film.
Is there a single thing that has shaped the way you work today?
The one tool I consistently revisit is the pencil. There’s nothing more important than those initial sketches, storyboards and doodles on my desk. I never want to forget the importance of draftsmanship.
Is there a project of which you are particularly proud?
When I first completed the fashion film Frankenfashion for Dazed & Confused, I absolutely despised it. I’d spent countless all-nighters on my tod battling with the post-production, due to tiny budget.
But I now feel very fond of the film; there’s something intriguing about the universe in which it exists and it brought me lots of interesting opportunities, for which I am very grateful.
What would you consider your "big break"?
I don’t think there was one project in particular that was my big break. My craft-driven approach to film, and my stubbornness not to be defeated by minuscule budgets when money is scarcely available, has gained my work recognition over time.
I hope the fun I have when creating the work shines through in the end result.
Alex Turvey is currently working on his first feature film. To find out more about Alex and to see all of his work, visit his website, visit his Vimeo site here, follow his blog or follow him on Twitter.
If you’ve been inspired by Alex’s story then why not apply for our IdeasFund Shorts. You could win £5,000 towards making your own short film.