Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Njenga.
Hi Ryan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I always knew I wanted to be an artist since I was a kid — I was obsessed with drawing and writing all the time, I would storyboard scenes in my head as early as 5. By the 5th grade, I started writing scripts, deciding I wanted to become a TV writer — this evolved into a writer/director in the 7th grade. As a kid growing up I loved movies like Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Will Smith movies, but knew it wasn’t really in my wheel house to create. Eventually, I saw and fell in love with the short film Runaway which led to me exploring other more personal, weirder, artistic visions of Spike Lee, David Lynch, Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson and it showed me that I could put my dreams and visions on to a massive canvas without being pigeonholed to blockbuster storytelling.
I’ve been writing ever since — I have a collection of about 220 scripts in my catalog — and have been shooting short films since my senior year of high school. I got plans for my first full-length film as well.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Creating is always a struggle – maintaining the confidence to fail in order to grow and learn, finding my authentic voice and even finding people who would support or share my vision.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in short films and music videos. I love to explore themes that are occurring to me and my peers, like relationship drama, social media, party culture, memories and identity. I utilize a surreal, dreamy lens to explore these themes, to help showcase the specific perspective of the character for any given project. My most popular projects so far have been “Switzer Lofts” and “Gorgeous”, both of which have won awards at film festivals. In terms of music videos, I love what me and my team pulled off with “Join Me”, on a technical level, and “back 2 basics”, for its imagery.
Especially the pink imagery – I absolutely adore those shots. We have another short film coming out in 2022, titled “Wish You Were Here”, which I think is easily my best work to date. It explores the downfall of a relationship and we found a balance of telling a forward-moving story that’s largely told through flashbacks and found ways to address themes that most love stories don’t really try to explore – identity, party culture, how the past lingers over the present at all times. It’s a beautiful, honest and real story that I’m excited to show the world.
Honestly, what sets me apart is my determination and refusal to give up. I’m gonna get my voice out one way or another, even if I have to fund it myself, write it myself or act in it myself. I’m stubborn enough to never give up on my dream, which has taken me farther than people expected when they first heard what I wanted to do for a career. And it’s allowed me to flourish into the creative I am today.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I’m actually a twenty-seven-year-old in a trench coat pretending to be an adult. I’m surprised no one questioned why I’m always in a trench coat in the summer, but I guess it never came up.
Pricing:
- $1000~ for Music Video
- $1000~ for Commercial Work (negotiable)
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: ryannjenga.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ryannjenga
- Youtube: youtube.com/ryannjenga
Image Credits
Ryan Njenga
DeVonte Brown
Diego Astorga
Jacob Schremerhorn
