Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Nibley
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi I’m Alex, a Director, Art Director, Writer, and notorious oldest daughter based in Salt Lake City. I’m a lover of making things, whether a film, ad campaign, short story, compelling photo, well-designed room, or just dinner. I feel most myself when I’m in the throws of a creative project. I’ve lived past lives as a theater kid, photographer, Jazz singer, and amateur sky-diver, to name a few.
As a kid, I was obsessed with performing for whoever would watch or listen. I was in every musical I could audition for and, from the ages of 12 to 18, I sang in a series of Jazz bands performing in festivals and venues all over the world, including the historic Apollo Theater in NYC. I graduated from high school early to move to Lombardy, Italy for a semester (very dramatic, I know). I had this insatiable need to communicate everything I was feeling and learning while away. I photographed and filmed everything, carefully crafting stories. After high school, I felt like I hadn’t quite found what I was meant to do. I spent a year taking classes in every field I had any interest in until I stumbled on the Advertising program at BYU (AdLab). The AdLab taught me how to think creatively with a purpose. I learned how to jump from having an idea to making that idea come to fruition and even win some awards! However, by the time I graduated, I knew I wanted more. At this point, I see my life as a series of steps toward the director’s seat—the place from which I can lead the creative charge.
My foundation in advertising gave me the skills to tell stories in the most succinct and impactful ways possible. While my dream is to make a feature film someday, I’m so lucky to be working in the space I am in right now. Film is my favorite medium and, as a director, I feel so lucky to craft the stories I want to tell. I love helping companies elevate their brands through effective and authentic communication. I create commercial work that doesn’t feel commercial. My style is cinematic, warm, and real. I’m excited to continue to push my creative abilities, work with people and companies I admire, and carve out my place as a female filmmaker.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No creative’s path is a smooth one (unless you’re a nepo-baby). I think the greatest challenge is overcoming your own insecurities. I’m still learning how to overcome mine. I remember the first time I directed a full crew, I was so terrified that I wasn’t prepared enough, that people wouldn’t take me seriously, or I wouldn’t know an industry term that would out me as inexperienced and unworthy of my position. But I powered through and learned an immeasurable amount. On my next set, it got ever-so-slightly easier. Both creativity and leadership are practices. The more you exercise those skills, the more competent and confident you become.
There is also a unique set of challenges that come with being a woman in a male-dominated field. I’ve had to learn that I have as much a right as anyone to sit in the director’s chair. I’ve come to realize that my unique perspective as a woman doesn’t inhibit me, rather, it makes my work valuable and singular to me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I write and direct short films and commercials for companies looking to add value and richness to their brand. I’ve recently directed pieces for two Utah-owned brands—Sonderhaus and Night Lights Event. I’m so proud of the stories we were able to communicate with the work. I think I’m unique in my ability to recognize the missing piece of a brand identity and use the medium of film to fill that space, elevating the brand further. I feel so lucky to live and work in a state filled with incredibly creative and entrepreneurial people who want to make innovative products and experiences.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think risk is essential to working in a creative field. It takes a lot of bravery to make something out of nothing. Anyone can have an idea on their couch but not everyone dares to make that idea a reality. I take a risk every time I venture into a new project, especially if it’s within a space I haven’t worked in before. It’s a risk every time I publicly share something that I made, but that’s kind of the fun of it! My job is to make the thing that exists in my head and the reward is that hopefully, people like it.
Pricing:
- Please contact me at alexandranibley@me.com to talk any and all things pricing!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexandranibley.com/home
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alex.nibley/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-nibley-a81782159/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/user86498904
Image Credits
Savannah Mckenzie, Austin Goode, Bentley Rawle
