Today we’d like to introduce you to Clay S.
Hi Clay, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Whenever people ask me how I became a filmmaker, I always take it back to when I was 6 years old. Looking back, that’s when everything really started.
I’ve always been drawn to art. As a kid, I spent most of my free time drawing, trying to perfect every sketch I made. My mom bought me my first sketchbook, and I was determined to fill every page. Art runs in my family, and a big part of my inspiration came from my father and my older sister, who are both incredibly talented artists themselves. Watching them create and seeing their passion for art motivated me to pick up a pencil and challenge myself to get better. Even at that age, art was one of the few things I felt naturally connected to. It gave me a way to express myself, and I knew it was something I wanted to continue pursuing.
That passion followed me throughout my education. I attended Sudbrook Magnet Middle School for art and later George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology. During those years, I was exposed to different artistic disciplines including sculpture, painting, photography, digital media art, and cinematography. While I appreciated all of them, digital media art and photography stood out the most. They felt like the perfect combination of creativity and storytelling.
During the summer of my junior year of high school, I was able to attend MICA for their summer college art program for high school students. It is my time in this program where my love for story telling became stronger with the lens of my camera and my career began to take shape.
At 16, I turned that passion into a business. I started ClayStackks Productions, a name inspired by a nickname one of my friends gave me that eventually became my stage name. I began shooting proms, events, parties, and photoshoots around Baltimore. What started as a hobby quickly became something much bigger.
Photography taught me the power of capturing emotion. I loved being able to freeze a moment in time and create something that people could connect with. Whether it was excitement, joy, sadness, or nostalgia, I became fascinated with telling stories through visuals. That feeling still drives me today.
Eventually, photography led me to filmmaking. I figured if I enjoyed capturing moments in photos, why not bring those moments to life through video? I started creating short films with my friends, turning the ideas in my head into reality. Horror quickly became one of my favorite genres.
My first short film, The Loop, followed a boy who takes a shortcut through the woods only to discover he’s trapped in a never-ending cycle, unable to escape. My second film, The Pumpkin Man, was about a mysterious creature that stalks its victims from the shadows. They weren’t big productions by any means, but they taught me how much I loved directing, storytelling, and creating worlds from imagination.
Around the same time, many of my friends were making music. Since I was known as the friend with the camera, I naturally started shooting music videos. At first, I was just experimenting and trying new things, but I spent countless hours studying directors I admired. One of my biggest inspirations was Cole Bennett. I would analyze his videos, paying attention to the camera work, editing, visual effects, and storytelling techniques. Watching creators like him showed me what was possible and motivated me to keep improving.
As my skills developed, I also started designing cover art for artists. Before long, my work began creating a buzz around the city. It felt like every weekend I was either shooting a music video, taking photos, or designing artwork. By 18, I was fully immersed in Baltimore’s creative scene, building relationships and collaborating with artists who believed in my vision.
Those opportunities eventually opened doors beyond Baltimore. I began traveling in my late teens to cities like Miami, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles to shoot music videos and expand my network. Every project taught me something new and pushed me to become a better filmmaker. I was constantly learning, experimenting, and finding new ways to elevate my work.
My education continued as I attended Bowie State University, where I earned a degree in Visual Communication with a concentration in Digital Cinema and Time-Based Media. College helped me sharpen my technical skills while giving me a deeper appreciation and understanding of visual storytelling and film production.
One of the biggest turning points in my career came in 2022 when I met my business partner, Justin Jacobs. We connected while working on an interview for a local blog called For The Record. Right away, I noticed that he shared the same passion, work ethic, and attention to detail that I valued in filmmaking. Later that same day, I invited him to collaborate on a music video shoot, and we’ve been creating together ever since.
Today, we’re building something special. We’ve grown into a strong creative team with a shared vision for storytelling, and we’re constantly pushing ourselves to create work that leaves an impact. When I look back, it’s amazing to think that everything started with a 6-year-old kid trying to fill up a sketchbook.
The tools have changed, the projects have gotten bigger, and the opportunities have expanded, but the passion remains the same. I still approach every project with the same excitement and curiosity that I had as a kid creating art for the first time. And honestly, I feel like I’m just getting started.
Now at 25, I’m grateful for every step of the journey, from filling up sketchbooks as a 6 year old to building a career that has allowed me to work with artists, travel across the country, and bring creative ideas to life through film. Every experience, challenge, and opportunity has shaped me into the filmmaker I am today.
While I’m proud of how far I’ve come, I feel like I’m only scratching the surface of what’s possible. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I look forward to continuing to tell stories, push my creativity, and share future projects with the world.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No career path is a smooth road, and filmmaking has been no exception. There are always going to be ups and downs, unexpected challenges, and moments that test your confidence. I’ve learned that success isn’t determined by how you handle the good moments it’s determined by how you respond when things don’t go your way.
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced throughout my career has been being a young Black filmmaker in an industry where people often expect experience to look a certain way. Early on, I noticed that some people were hesitant to trust my vision because of my age. There were times when I felt overlooked or underestimated before I even had the chance to show what I could do.
Because of that, I felt like I had to work twice as hard to earn the same level of trust and respect. I had to consistently prove that I belonged in the room and that my ideas, creativity, and work ethic could stand alongside directors who were much older and more established. At times, that pressure was challenging, but it also helped shape who I am as a creative professional.
Even today, I still encounter situations where I have to prove myself. But I’ve learned not to view those experiences as setbacks. Instead, I see them as motivation. Every challenge pushes me to improve my craft, think bigger, and continue growing as a filmmaker and entrepreneur.
At 25, I’ve realized that obstacles are part of the journey. They’ve taught me resilience, discipline, and confidence in my abilities. Rather than allowing those challenges to discourage me, I’ve used them as fuel. Every time someone doubts me, it gives me another reason to keep creating, keep evolving, and keep proving to myself that I’m capable of achieving the goals I’ve set for my career.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in cinematography and graphic design, with a strong focus on visual storytelling. Alongside my business partner, Justin Jacobs, I produce music videos, short-form content, commercials, and creative skits. Our goal is always to create visuals that not only look great but also leave a lasting impression on the audience.
Over the years, we’ve become known for our creative approach to filmmaking and our ability to bring unique ideas to life. We enjoy pushing ourselves beyond what’s expected and finding new ways to tell stories through camera movement, editing, visual effects, and overall production design. Whether we’re working on a music video, a promotional piece, or a short-form comedy skit, we try to give every project its own identity and creative energy.
What I’m most proud of is the body of work we’ve built together and the growth we’ve experienced as creatives. We’ve taken ideas that started as simple conversations and transformed them into finished projects that we’re genuinely proud of. Seeing how far we’ve come from creating content with limited resources to producing high quality work for clients and artists is something I’ll never take for granted.
I believe what sets us apart is our work ethic and our willingness to constantly learn and improve. We’re never satisfied with staying in the same place creatively. A lot of times we’ll come up with a vision that’s much bigger than our current skill set or resources, and honestly, we don’t always know exactly how we’re going to pull it off in the beginning. But we figure it out. We research, experiment, problem-solve, and do whatever it takes to bring the idea to life.
That hunger to keep growing is what drives us. As soon as one project is finished, we’re already thinking about the next challenge and how we can raise the bar even higher. I think that mindset, combined with our creativity and dedication, is what makes our work stand out.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
One thing that surprises a lot of people is that before I ever picked up a camera, I was an artist with a pencil in my hand. Most people know me for my filmmaking, cinematography, and graphic design work, but not everyone knows that drawing was actually my first creative passion.
Art runs in my family, and I grew up surrounded by talented artists, including my father and older sister. Their creativity inspired me at a young age and played a big role in why I started drawing in the first place. Over time, I developed my skills and became very detail oriented with my artwork.
Most of my pieces are created using charcoal, which became my favorite medium during high school. I love how charcoal can create a rough, raw, and emotional feeling while still capturing an incredible amount of detail. There’s something powerful about turning a blank page into a realistic portrait or image using only shades of black and gray.
Looking back, I think my background as a traditional artist has had a huge influence on the filmmaker I am today. Drawing taught me patience, composition, lighting, and attention to detail skills that I still use every time I step behind a camera. So while most people recognize me for my work in film, the artist in me has always been there from the very beginning.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claystackks/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clayton-smallwood
