Rising Star Alexander Yellen: “Don’t assume anything based on the way someone looks”

Don’t assume anything based on the way someone looks. There isn’t a dress code on most film sets and so the top positions are often not easily identifiable. Don’t assume the young-looking person in the punk band t-shirt is an art assistant. They could just as easily be a producer. I once asked such a person if he knew who the director was. “Yeah,” he said. “I am.” Fortunately he was a nice guy but it could have gone quite badly. Suffice it to say, I felt like a jerk and haven’t made that mistake since.

As a part of my series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Alexander Yellen. Alexander is an experienced director and cinematographer, and veteran of 45 feature films and 60 episodes of television. He has won two Telly Awards for his photography, another for directing, and been a festival finalist for his short film “miles to go.” Traveling extensively with his scientist parents, Alexander was exposed from an early age to a…