Meet Auriyana Armour | Filmmaker

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

Hi Auriyana, how do you think about risk?
I personally don’t often use the phrasing “risk” or “taking risk” when it comes to anything I believe in whether that be in regard to my career or personal life. It’s not about taking risk as much as it’s about having faith in whatever you’re doing. I’ve grown up with a large belief of doing the hard work and then trusting the process. Ultimately, I feel that no matter believe in or don’t believe in…the universe, God, Allah, etc….You owe it to yourself to have faith in who you are.

Therefore, choosing to walk in faith if myself, has be one of the main catalyst to push me to create unapologetically and without bounds. When it comes to my filmmaking/ entertainment career,

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.
I consider myself to be a well-rounded storyteller and filmmaker in totality. I delve into multiple lanes creatively, whether it be writing, editing, videography, directing, or in the lanes of scripted and unscripted content. What often sets my work apart from others is the sentimentality integrated into all of my projects, whether it be short-form content from my entity ‘Channel Auri’ or full-length sled films. Most people in life would describe me as a moody or often melodramatic person ( with love, of course, lol), and it’s often the tone that shines through my work. I believe audiences resonate because of the vulnerability I interweave as a filmmaker from my own lived experiences and emotions. What I want the world to know about my brand as a storyteller is that you don’t need permission to express yourself. You don’t need permission to chase your dreams and create the thing you’ve always wanted to. Especially when it comes to entertainment and filmmaking, many creatives are stifled by thinking they need something of high monetary value or a million followers to tell their story. The most heartbreaking thing I’ve experienced is creative ideas being abandoned and unexplored.

One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of and excited about is recently being accepted to the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts for my MFA in Film & Television Production. In addition, the fact that I am nearing the completion of my thesis documentary at Spelman College, which I’ve been developing for the past year, all while working on the development of fellow students’ films in the AUC, allowing them the resources needed to tell the stories they’ve always wanted to. I don’t feel that anything about the journey to where I am was “easy,” per se, but I’d say it was comprised of me putting 110% into everything I did creatively and having faith in the process. Hard work is the one thing in the long run that you can’t fake or deny.

Whenever I find myself feeling frustrated or stunted on my journey, I continuously tell myself that none of the work or service I do is in vain, and ultimately, a time will come when I will reap what I sow. In the fast-paced and instant gratification-based world that we live in today, I’ve had to remind myself to have patience constantly. Ultimately, it has served me well in having the ability to focus on the quality, not quantity, of what I do and has grounded me in my making work that truly resonates rather than for the vanity of myself. I’m not a filmmaker just to be popular for being a filmmaker. I’m here to create impact, and I’m just getting started.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
For a week-long trip, one of the first things I’m making sure we do is go to Bar Taco! I have a really bad obsession with the restaurant. After we have to go to Duluth to have some of the best boba over at Tiger Sugar, and we absolutely have to go to one of the Norebangs out there as well. Somewhere in the mix, we’d definitely have to also experience the night life and hit up places in Atlanta like Havanna and Lost Dog!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate this shout-out to both my family and my chosen family. There’s something to be said about the people in your life who ignite the spark within you and make sure that it never goes out. As a creative, I’m almost mostly in the position of continuously pouring into projects and other people’s ideas. Whenever I’m drained, I go to those I love for a good laugh and a safe space.

Instagram: @bby.chanelle | @thechannelauri

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/auriyana-armour-6163451b0/

Youtube: Personal/ Lifestyle content: @Auriyana Chanelle | Film/Videography: Channel Auri

Image Credits
Keitaro Cloward Firstnametrey Theghettovisonary