Cameron Elyse has an eye for storytelling and uplift

COURTESY CAMERON ELYSE

Cameron Elyse, a sophomore at North Carolina Central University, is founder/CEO of Cameron Elyse Productions, a video and photo production company.

Cameron Elyse is coming for everything she wants and more.  

Elyse, a sophomore at North Carolina Central University, is founder and chief executive officer of Cameron Elyse Productions, which specializes in video and photo production. The company’s foundation is “investing in creatives, thus creating community and influencing the culture.”

Elyse’s business mission is “telling stories of the unheard, underrepresented and underserved across all walks of life starting with historically black colleges and universities” by showcasing perspectives that aren’t normally seen in media.  “A lot of times they focus on an unrealistic standard of beauty that isn’t real,” she said, “and I want to be able to showcase a different perspective that highlights all different cultures, features, and people because I feel like everyone’s standard of beauty should be themselves.”

Elyse’s productions represent the mission, such as “NOCTA,” a reinvention of the rapper Drake’s clothing brand focusing on reimagining how the brand showcases women and diversity of models. She made a point of featuring Zahra Tahore, an up and coming fashion model.  

“It is really important that we highlight richly melanated young women so that these other little girls running around can see a reflection of themselves and be confident that, ‘Oh, she looks like me, that means I can do it too,’” said Elyse, a 2022 graduate of Central Piedmont Community College’s Merancas campus. “That’s the biggest thing and I think that representation is very important. I don’t just talk the talk; I walk the walk through my work.”  

Elyse’s projects range from documenting Morgan State University’s homecoming to working on a documentary, “Essence: Nothing Can Control Us,” which captures her college experience and NCCU’s campus culture. Her latest project, “Creative of the Month,” features local talent and creatives focuses on “showcasing and empowering different creatives to be able to utilize the resources around you to cultivate your future.”

Establishing the company means Elyse must balance planning, directing, and producing projects while handling academics. There have been setbacks and hardships, but she remains resilient.  

“One of the attributes of being a director is being able to adapt,” she said. “You have to be able to adapt to any type of situation and you have to be OK with it messing up because sometimes what you plan is not what God intended and what God intended is even better than what you have planned.”  

As she has grown with her camera, Elyse has also grown as Cameron.  

“Learning just being a leader because you’re directing a team,” she said. “They’re looking to us, so you have to know your stuff – you have to be a leader not only for yourself but for other people around you who are looking to you for direction.”

Elyse wants to grow a legacy as a high-level director while elevating her company. She is already putting in the work to see those dreams come to life.

“I will be able to have a powerhouse where tons of companies and artists are all coming to us to be able to produce their music videos, advertisements, fashion films, even their fashion productions,” she said. “My name is gonna walk in a room before I even walk in.

“Everything that I’m doing now is what I’m going to be doing in the future, just at a different level. If you execute the groundwork, you execute the foundation, everything else will be second nature to you.”

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