Aloha! I’m Steph, short for Stephanie Michelle Lokelani Cullen. Yes, those are two middle names, not two last names; it’s tradition in our Hawaiian culture. I am a Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and direct descendant of King Kamehameha, living in Boise, Idaho. Despite not having an ocean anywhere near me, I have been in Boise for over 20-years and through that time have made incredible friends and connections both in the independent film community and the business community.

I first fell in love with filmmaking when I was a kid living in Hawai’i. As the oldest of four, I would force my siblings to act out scenes from my favorite TV show, Pippi Longstocking. They’d oblige, because they had to. I’d write the content and direct them, while they would act out the characters, with me playing Pippi, of course. During that same time, in the early 80’s my dad rented the movie E.T. on Betamax and the rest is history. That movie changed my life! It showed me how magical storytelling could be and that anyone could do it with a pack of Reese's Pieces and friends who have your back.

Then, in 1993, my Dad took my sister and I to watch Jurassic Park in the movie theatre. It was the scene where the t-rex is pulling the tire off the jeep that made me realize I want to make people feel the way I’m feeling right in this moment. It was excitement filled with anxiety filled with wonder and awe. I looked around the theatre at the people surrounding me, their eyes wide, mouths agape, and thought, “someday, I’m going to make a movie that prompts this reaction.”

While I don’t create movies with dinosaurs, YET, I do create content that makes people feel something. I’ve had multiple people tell me that not only did a video I created for a nonprofit client make them cry, it made them want to give more to that organization to support their efforts in improving our community through their impactful work! I’d call that a successful reaction. And maybe someday, one of my clients will want a dinosaur in their storytelling content.

With a Bachelor of Science in Digital Cinematography from Full Sail University, class of 2017, and a Master of Arts in Communication with an emphasis on New Media and Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University, class of 2023, I use my training and knowledge to enhance the content we create at In Real Life Films. Don't let those years fool you - I'm a late bloomer, gaining my Masters degree at the age of 43, leaning on years of experience to enhance those targeted skills gained through schooling.

It was during my last couple of courses in my Bachelor program that I formed my first LLC, #OMGFemaleFilmmakers, and kept that production company side-hustle going until January of 2022, when I decided to take a leap and leave my corporate job creating video content for HP (Hewlett-Packard), giving up seven years of cushy benefits to work for myself full time.

That leap has not been easy and through the lessons learned and the experiences gained I’ve been able to grow personally and professionally.

"Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow." ~ Anthony J. D'Angelo.