Meet Donavan Seschillie | Photographer and Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donavan Seschillie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donavan, why did you pursue a creative career?
At the time, it was all I knew. I couldn’t land a simple summer job as a teenager. So during the summer, I gathered up friends and we filmed small action scenes. We were running around with toy airsoft guns, choreographing fight scenes and rehearsing lines. Once the scenes were shot, I edited them, and post them online. We didn’t get many views, but we got recognition on local showcases here in Flagstaff.
At the age of 17, an experimental film was offered to me by a friend. Of course, I was the last choice since others weren’t interested and she thought I was going to say no… but to her surprise I directed it, edited, and shot it.
It opened my eyes to many types of films. Not everything had to be an action movie

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a Navajo Filmmaker, my most proud moment would have to be when I was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival in 2011. I was 23, probably one of the youngest filmmakers to get such recognition. I started directing short films, music videos and PSAs at the age of 14, and after honing my skills; I was able to piece together a worthy film. Dedication to the filmmaking craft is hard work, there’s so much that goes into it. A lot of self-doubt, anxiety, and time are against you. To overcome these thoughts and challenges, you really have to buckle down and take whatever is thrown at you. From people not showing up, the script isn’t as good as you thought, the sound wasn’t captured correctly, etc. A lot of moving parts and it all has to come together. And one of the biggest lessons I learned when doing video work or film, is that you need preparation and a strong vision of the end product. Sometimes when you shoot video, the footage can be overwhelming because of how much was shot. So creating a shot list, you can organize your creative thoughts and streamline everything so no footage is wasted on the cutting room floor.
For our brand, we like to take the complexity of video making out of the equation for our clients.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When it comes to entertaining a friend from out of town, I always offer to eat at a favorite restaurant of ours, Burritos Fiesta here in Flagstaff. It’s a simple joint, quick Mexican food and the salsa is my all-time favorite. Also Downtown Flagstaff is what people seem to enjoy. It’s historic and the night life is fun, with live music, drinks at various Bars and restaurants. But then again, I’m an introvert, so a friend visiting isn’t common for me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Martha Penado deserves a shout out. She’s my wife and without her, I would say none of my accomplishment would be possible. She’s the driving force in our business and motivation.

Website: www.ambient-lens.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/don_chillie_photography/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donavan-seschillie-05474b91

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Ambient-lens

Other: https://sedonamonthly.com/tag/donavan-seschillie/