Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloé Colleen.
Chloé, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am Chloé Colleen, and I have always been called to be an artist. It is as if something from the far reaches of the galaxies calls out to me every day. I wake up and my heart leaps at the potential welling inside of me. How I got here is a story of struggling. I am still struggling. The mountain of my journey started at age seven when I started to get into acting. Church plays, community theatre, and the random video was taken on my portable USB camera. I was getting roles that had a lot of words for a seven-year-old. I remember almost giving up when I was twelve because of criticism and jealousy. Luckily, I didn’t. And I’m glad I didn’t. How I got to be the head of my own film company is quite streamlined. I loved acting. I wanted to be in films. There was a quirky little film club at my college with a bunch of get-up-and-go losers with a wealth of knowledge and taste. They were my everything, my family away from my family. Every time they set out to make a new project, they put everything they had into it. They would push boundaries, set standards, and break the mold. They must have seen something in me. They were an excepting group who were always ready to pass down what they had learned. So, they passed it to me when they all graduated and left the state. I edited, produced, and acted in so many films. I loved how busy I was. I loved how much they trusted me and relied on me. Then came this fluffy-haired director who had an idea for a feature called “The Professionals.” He wanted me to star in it. Just act. I had been so used to the extensive amount of responsibility the club put on me that I said no. No. Let me star, and produce. He said yes! Flash forwards halfway through the production of “The Professionals”: The Director (Ethan Funk-Breay), Co-star (Dalton Lanich), and Myself are all sitting in the basement of an escape room. We chuckle to ourselves while patting our backs, and say “What if we made this a real company?” Then somehow the name Funk-Carrot was thrown out, and it stuck ever since. We finished “The Professionals” won a couple of awards, and decided “Let’s keep doing this! Let us keep doing Funky Carrot.”
Since the creation of our company, we have made music videos, short films, and features, always prioritizing story, passion, and kindness. We discussed what was important to us, and what made us different. While I have been working out-of-state acting, they have been making connections and submitting to festivals. I am so incredibly proud of them.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
What road isn’t bumpy? We have successfully hopped over all of our bumps. Even if sometimes we trip, we always get right back up. There is a lot of competition in the storytelling business. Sometimes that competition isn’t always friendly. As a company, and as people we have struggled with the aggressive nature of run-and-gun filmmaking. We always try to be beyond it. We want to cultivate growth in not only ourselves but in everyone around us. While ignoring the bids for war can be difficult, sometimes the best thing is to just return it to the sender unopened.
We really appreciate that the smoothest part of our journey is just making what we want. We never run out of ideas of what to do next, and the creativity of the people in Funky Carrot is inspiring.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are Funky Carrot, and what you should know is we are a team of creative filmmakers who emphasize the story. Funky Carrot specializes in story format films, and music videos. Most known for our feature films which traveled across the world in festivals. What sets us apart from others is that we make dreams come true. Always challenging ourselves to work with our clients in a creative and collaborative way so that their vision always comes to fruition. The quality of our work and production value invites clients and collaborative filmmakers to a platform where their ideas can be reality. When it comes to our brand, “We are good for your eyes.”
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There have been many supporters on our journey, too many to count, but we make sure that every single one feels our appreciation and gratitude.
Personally, my father, Robert Gates has put so much of his soul into what we create. He never says no, or backs down from a challenge. Whether it be making an underground bunker, a shepherd’s hook, or a bar, the challenge is never too large. That ambition is probably where Funky Carrot gets it from.
Another special shout-out would be Brontë Bauer who went above and beyond on the latest feature-length film, “Final Girl”. They also lived up to the Funky Carrot motto of being kind and never backing down from a challenge. We will be working with them again on every project from now until the end.
Contact Info:
- Email: Funkycarrotproductions@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.funkycarrotproductions.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funkycarrotproductions/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZA8-_yB_7MDAR15L95OBHA
Image Credits
Ethan Funk-Breay
Syd Smith
Maddie Steele
