Meet Tarell Lee | Filmmaker

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

Hi Tarell, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is 100% necessary. Spending $800 on my first camera when I wasn’t sure if I would get good or even like video was a risk. Most people would have never risked the first step. Now I have cameras that cost much much more than that and my business has funded all of it. Every time I take a risk it has been worth it in the end.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I run T.Lee Films based out of Bristol, VA. I mainly film music videos, weddings and YouTube videos. I officially formed my LLC in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic and made it through. I also started film school at The Los Angeles Film School which added even more to my plate. I made it to where I am today by consistency. I had to be consistent with gaining knowledge and consistent with creating content. All that lead to more business. It was difficult because running your own business you don’t always know how much money you are gonna make and when your gonna make it. Stress and self doubt are pretty much unavoidable when starting a new business. I overcome the challenges by just taking the next step that I can and not worry about stuff that’s out of my control. The lesson I have learned is anything good takes time. The path to success is a bunch of ups and downs. I learned it takes much more than raw talent to be successful. Consistency is key. I just want to get to my full potential and release my art to the world. I want the world to see the same difference in my work that I do.

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?
I would take them to State Street. Bristol sits right on the Virginian and Tennessee state line. One lane on State Street is Virginia, and the other lane is Tennessee. There are several restaurants, bars and a museum on State Street. Bristol is the birthplace of country music and there is a Country Music Museum right off of State Street. We have a terrific local fast food chain called “Pals” that is a staple in this area. You can’t miss the baby blue buildings.

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?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to YouTube. YouTube has been the main place I have learned all my skills and the place I have researched equipment. Trying to make money on YouTube has also caused me to level my skills up further than I have ever thought they would go.

Website: tleefilms.com

Instagram: Instagram.com/tleefilms

Facebook: Facebook.com/tleefilms

Youtube: YouTube.com/tleefilms1