Women’s History Month celebrates the trailblazing women who have shattered glass ceilings. Today, we spotlight a visionary who has done just that—director Tailiah Breon. At just 30 years old, she is one of Atlanta’s most sought-after directors, a success she achieved by design. At 30, she is arguably one of the brightest directors in Atlanta, and it was all by design.
Breon had an interesting route to becoming a movie director, one that’s uncommon. At 18, she bet on herself, and instead of going to film school or college, she decided to leave her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, and move to Atlanta. Once there, she connected with the perfect mentor, Derek Blanks, a photographer, illustrator, producer, and creative director. He is renowned for his iconic “Alter Ego,” a viral portrait series that featured celebrities like Chaka Khan, Taraji P. Henson, and Angela Bassett, showcasing his ability to capture multifaceted personas. Collaborations with high-profile clients and celebrities distinguish Blanks’ career. He has directed music videos for artists such as Chrisette Michele’s “Charades” in 2013, Fantasia’s “Enough” in 2019, and Missy Elliott’s “Why I Still Love You” in 2020, cementing himself in the industry.
He was the perfect mentor for someone trying to break into the film space, but he wasn’t an easy one. At first, it felt like an internship to her. She was doing all the little things except what she wanted to make videos. Blanks had her cleaning the studio, running errands, moving set pieces, and sometimes doing nothing except watching. But it taught her a valuable lesson and allowed her to learn every aspect of production, for which Tailiah is grateful now. Eventually, after a while, Tailiah Breon earned Blanks’s trust and was finally doing what she prayed and hoped for, and that was starting to assist him on actual music videos and other projects. Soon Blanks was giving her projects he didn’t have time for, and Voila! Tailiah Breon, the director, was born…