“Don’t Wait For Permission Before Embarking On Something You Really Want To Do” With Alexander Cooper
“In the words of Quentin Tarantino: If you want to make a movie, make it. Don’t wait for a grant, don’t wait for the perfect circumstances, just make it. That applies to all endeavours. Don’t wait for permission before embarking on something you really want to do.”
I had the pleasure of interviewing Alexander Cooper, Retailer at cooperwatches.eu; Producer at Parallelthefilm.com, Sandowmovie.com. Alexander was featured in Buzzfeed and USA Weekly.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! What is your “backstory”?
My name is Alexander. I am a wristwatch designer and retailer at www.cooperwatches.eu. I am a Producer of two independent films: Parallel (2016) and Sandow (2018), the latter which I also directed.
I was for 9 years working in the city of London for various law firms and financial institutions. I have a law degree and was at Law School in Nottingham in England and came away with the LPC qualification, although I never qualified as a lawyer here.
When my father passed away in 2014 and work in the city became quiet, I decided to set out on a “bucket list” goal to produce a feature film. After finding the script and producing “Parallel” in 2015, I released the film on VOD in 2016.
Later on after my experiences producing Parallel, I decided to direct “Sandow”, a script I had been developing over several years. I attempted crowdfunding for both of these films, but having failed to raise any significant money, I financed both films from my own pocket. Sandow was released on VOD in 2018.
I have a house which I receive rental income from. I also run a small business retailing military divers watches online through my website Cooper Watches. Cooper is known for the Submaster which is a tough and rugged military divers watch which punches above its weight.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you in the course of your career?
During the post production of “Sandow” the first editor gave up and disappeared to travel the world so I had to find a replacement. This replacement editor cut the movie but left the sound unsynced. Then I found a local sound post production house — White House Sound — in Leicester who promised they could complete the job. They also gave up on it leaving sections unfinished. Finally I found a sound mixer from Sweden who helped me replace sections of audio and complete the film. The problems I encountered were frustrating and stressful, yet I am proud that I was able to trudge through the difficult times and complete it. I persisted, and am now self distributing the movie on Amazon Video and Vimeo. I was offered distribution after attending Cannes Film Market, but the terms were unfavourable so I opted for self-distribution.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Self distributing my films and watches has given me the opportunity to build a significant social following around the world. One of my Twitter accounts has over 32000 followers. I use Twitter to interact with my fans, and inform them of my successes and failures and share my knowledge. Many of my followers are in USA and I use comedy and entertainment to divert people from their worries, giving them new perspectives and hope to achieve their own dreams and goals.
If someone would want to emulate your career, what would you suggest are the most important things to do?
In the words of Quentin Tarantino: If you want to make a movie, make it. Don’t wait for a grant, don’t wait for the perfect circumstances, just make it. That applies to all endeavours. Don’t wait for permission before embarking on something you really want to do.
Is there a particular person that made a profound difference in your life to whom you are grateful?
My father had a profound impact on my life and I dedicated “Sandow” to his enduring memory following his passing from Myeloma (blood cancer) in 2014. He had 3 rounds of chemo and fought the disease for 7 years. He built me a country house 5000 square feet in size which I rent to a banker and his family; it’s our main income at present and I am so so grateful to him for this.
Can you share a story?
I once got stuck in a tennis racquet at school and had to be cut out by a groundsman.
So what are the most exciting projects you are working on now?
I am re-building my watches business and am waiting for a writer to finish extending the script of my next self produced feature titled “The Decision” about an imprisoned Army Officer made to feel remorse for his actions by his female captor.
What are your “Top Five Ideas About How Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand” . (Please share a story or example for each.)
1. Produce a movie and self distribute it — I produced Parallel and Sandow — distributing on Vimeo and Amazon
2. Design a wristwatch and dropship / retail from your website, ebay or Amazon — cooperwatches.co.uk
3. Write (or ghostwrite) an ebook and sell on Amazon. Refer: Pornography: Its Effects Authored by Mr Lawrence Alfaro
4. Post your videos on Youtube
5. Crowdfunding — sell a watch on indiegogo
Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. :-)
Jeff Bezos. Having him as my mentor and on my side would be a big deal. Building Amazon from the ground up is a phenomenal achievement. My films are on his websites, maybe he would give up a couple of minutes of his day to discuss Amazon’s next steps in content production and distribution and how I could help add to the creation of this content…
Amazon millionaire, author and business coach, Akemi Sue Fisher, has helped thousands of Amazon sellers scale and grow their businesses to six, seven and eight figures. She has quickly become one of the most trusted and sought after E-commerce consultants in the world. In only three years, her agency, Love & Launch, has helped her clients achieve over one billion dollars in sales through Amazon, Ebay and other e-commerce platforms. Her entrepreneurial spirit and direct approach continues to help elevate not only her success, but the success of her clients which range from startups to fortune 500 companies.
