Today we’d like to introduce you to Cordele Taylor II.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My professional journey as a filmmaker really began in 2024 here in Houston, Texas. I had been developing my passion for filmmaking for years, but 2024 was the point where I decided to take that passion seriously and build a career around it. I wanted to stop waiting for opportunities and start creating them.
Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to create across different forms of storytelling. I’ve worked on narrative films, episodic projects, commercials, digital content, and documentaries. Every project has taught me something different—not just about filmmaking, but about leadership, collaboration, storytelling, and what it takes to bring an idea from a thought in your head to something people can actually see and experience.
One of the projects that means a lot to me is The Tysen Knight Experience, which received nine wins and 4 nominations, including recognition for Best Director. With that project I was also awarded with an Award in Rome. That really opened my eyes. That experience showed me that the stories I was creating here in Houston could connect with people beyond the city. It helped me be able to get out of my shell and connect with other top filmmakers. It also gave me a deeper appreciation for the responsibility that comes with sitting in the director’s chair. After connecting with other filmmakers and hearing their stories I saw myself in them as they did in me.
I’ve also created and worked on projects like DICE, Us Maybe, and documentary work that explores real issues affecting the community. With each project, I’ve continued to grow—not only creatively, but also in my understanding of production, marketing, audiences, and the business side of entertainment.
What I’m most proud of is that I’ve been able to build this foundation independently. I’ve learned how to create with the resources available to me, how to work with local talent, how to put teams together, and how to keep moving when there isn’t a large studio behind you. Houston has given me the space to develop my voice and prove what I can do.
I still consider myself an emerging filmmaker, but I don’t see that as a limitation. I see it as the stage where you’re supposed to be learning, experimenting, and preparing for what comes next. I’ve grown tremendously since 2024, and now I feel like I’m at a point where I’m ready to step into bigger productions, bigger stories, and bigger opportunities.
There are a lot of great filmmakers and storytellers in Houston, and I want to be part of the generation that helps put Houston further on the map as a place where great film can be created. I’ve spent the last few years building the foundation. Now I’m ready to see how big I can build on it.
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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I think some of the challenges have been necessary for my growth. When you’re building independently, you’re not just learning how to make films—you’re learning how to find the people, resources, opportunities, and infrastructure that can help those films grow.
One thing I’ve really paid attention to over the years is the Houston film community as a whole. The more I worked in film, the more I realized that Houston has an incredible amount of talent, but I also started seeing a bigger problem. There are actors, directors, writers, cinematographers, producers, editors, and other creatives here who are doing great work, but there isn’t really one central place that puts all of that talent on display and makes it easier to see what Houston has to offer.
That realization has changed the way I look at filmmaking. I’ve started thinking beyond just, “What movie am I going to make next?” I’m also asking, “How can I help create more opportunities? How can we better showcase the talent that already exists here? And what could Houston’s film community look like if all of these different pieces were connected?”
That’s actually led me to create something that I believe could potentially help put Houston’s talent pool on a much bigger display. I’m still developing it, but the idea comes from years of being in the trenches and seeing the opportunities and gaps firsthand.
Personally, I’ve noticed a huge change in myself since I started working professionally in 2024. My approach to film has become much bigger. In the beginning, I was primarily focused on making the project in front of me. Now I’m thinking about the bigger picture—the audience, the business, the talent, the community, and how a project can create opportunities beyond itself.
So no, it hasn’t been a smooth road. But the challenges have forced me to grow, and I think that growth has been one of the most valuable parts of the journey. I’m not just trying to become a better filmmaker anymore. I’m trying to understand how I can become a better contributor to the film community I’m a part of.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a filmmaker, director, and storyteller based in Houston, Texas. My work covers a few different areas, but at the center of everything I do is storytelling. I enjoy taking an idea and figuring out how to turn it into something that people can actually see, feel, and connect with.
I work across narrative film, documentaries, commercials, digital content, and other forms of visual storytelling. I’ve directed projects with actors, worked with local talent, created branded content for businesses, and developed documentaries that focus on real people and real issues within the community.
I think what I’m becoming known for is my ability to wear a lot of hats. I understand the creative side of filmmaking, but I also understand production, marketing, social media, and the business side of getting a project in front of an audience. I don’t necessarily see filmmaking as just making something and putting it on a shelf. I’m always thinking about what happens after the camera stops rolling.
One of the things I’m most proud of is the body of work I’ve been able to build in a relatively short amount of time. I started working professionally in Houston in 2024, and since then I’ve continued to push myself into different types of projects and different forms of storytelling. The Tysen Knight Experience receiving nine wins and four nominations, including Best Director recognition, was a major milestone for me because it validated a lot of the work I had been putting into developing myself as a filmmaker.
I’m also proud of the stories that allow me to say something about the community. Whether I’m working on a scripted story or a documentary, I want there to be something underneath the surface that gives the audience a reason to care.
What I believe sets me apart is that I’m not interested in putting myself into one box. I’m still developing my voice, but I’m also developing the ability to adapt. I can sit in the director’s chair, work with actors, help develop a story, understand the marketing strategy, and think about how to actually get an audience to engage with the finished product.
More importantly, I’m very intentional about learning. Every production changes the way I approach the next one. I don’t look at where I am today as the finished version of myself as a filmmaker. I look at it as the foundation.
I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, but I’m even more interested in what that foundation can become. I believe Houston has an incredible pool of talent, and I want my career to be part of showing the rest of the world what filmmakers and storytellers from this city are capable of.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Something people may not know about me is that before filmmaking became my professional career, football was a major part of my life. I played college football, and I think that experience shaped the way I approach filmmaking today—discipline, teamwork, preparation, and understanding that everyone on a team has a role. A lot of those lessons followed me from the football field into the director’s chair.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jefedeez/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FRLANETWORK
