For Morgan Cooper, filmmaking has always been personal. “The throughline in all my work is a feeling of authenticity,” he says. “If it isn’t real to me, you probably won’t find it in my work.” Morgan’s passion for exploring personal stories is easy to spot in “U Shoot Videos?,” a slickly crafted branded short with a meta, semi-autobiographical bent that earned him a Staff Pick and reflected his own experience as a young, Black artist honing his craft. While he’s still on the come-up, Morgan’s name might already be familiar —  he’s the brains behind “Bel-Air,” a gritty reframing of “Fresh Prince“ that went seriously viral last year. But even though he made a splash online with a semi-parody, the young filmmaker’s talent for incisive and compelling filmmaking is no joke. A Kansas City native, Morgan has built his career on telling stories that have been historically overlooked, and is dedicated to highlighting Black stories with his work. We sat down with Morgan to learn more about how he found his voice as a filmmaker, hear his advice for tackling creative doubt, and find out how he uses Vimeo in his creative process.

How did you find your voice as a filmmaker, and what’s your advice for others trying to find theirs? 

When it comes to finding your voice, the biggest piece of advice I would give is to lean into the people in your life. The stories that I write are all very, very personal in one way or another. My stories are people in my life, their stories, my community. Instead of searching the internet for reference images, go to your local museum, check out some of the local aspects of your community, call your grandma. Dive into those real life experiences and don’t just try and copy other people’s stuff. Find what makes you unique.

Your work has started some important conversations. Can you tell us more about that? 

My goal as a filmmaker is to always chase the conversation, always chase that feeling that I’m trying to share on screen. To get people to think or to look at something in a different way and to start a conversation is so powerful. As filmmakers, we’re able to share these perspectives that start those conversations. There are a lot of people who don’t understand what it’s like to be young and Black in the midwest shooting videos and what that means for someone. To be able to show those perspectives that probably wouldn’t have otherwise been seen is super, super special. 

Why do you feel it’s so important for everyone to be able to see themselves on screen? 

Representation is so important. When you think of the history of cinema, it’s been around for maybe a hundred years, give or take. In terms of stories about young Black people, that’s still new. Black cinema isn’t that old. To be on the forefront of telling these stories about the modern Black experience, it’s really an honor. I think it’s very important for people in my community to see their stories being told on screen.

How do you deal with creative doubt?

Filmmaking is scary. It’s really, really scary. You put yourself out there every single time you pick up the camera and that feeling never changes. But if you believe in something enough, you will pick up that camera and you’ll put your art in the line of fire for criticism. I think it’s all about chasing that feeling and knowing that you’re doing something that’s important. There are moments on shoots, every project we’ve ever done, where like you’ll hit a point where it’s just like, was this the worst idea ever? Until it is 100% done, it looks crazy. Until it all comes together, it just doesn’t hit the same way. You’ve got to just be willing to go through that process.

What’s your relationship with Vimeo, as a filmmaker?

Vimeo has always been the place to go for inspiration. You just go on Staff Picks and you’ll be motivated by seeing what other people are doing and gain other perspectives. Vimeo has done a really good job of curating that experience, and it really shows that they care about creators.

How do you use Vimeo in your creative process?

Vimeo has made it really easy to share drafts with collaborators in a way that’s really discrete. It’s easy to view, it’s just simple. It’s plug and play. And that’s what I’ve always really liked about Vimeo. It’s very user friendly. The interface is always easy to use and it just really makes it easy to navigate through collaboration.  At 18 years old, shooting these music videos, I would upload my work to Vimeo and send unlisted links out to my clients. That’s how I was exhibiting my work. 

What did being Staff Picked mean to you? 

Being Staff Picked, it’s a really great honor. I’ve been watching Staff Picks for years. Vimeo has done such a good job of finding the best of the best, so to be included in that is such a special honor.

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