Uprising: Why Creating Films Gets Alex Sworik Out of Bed Every Morning

“The deeper you look, the deeper you become.” 

It’s a quote that perfectly sums up Alex Sworik’s filmmaking ethos, embodying the everlasting search for more. It represents the endless paths, and the passion and hobbies that intersect with what he gets to create. It’s the constant education - how every day of the year is filled with new lessons. It’s the way in which he dives deep into brands, stories and ideas, embedding himself there. But most importantly, it represents his love of the industry. As he puts it, “Creating films gets me going every morning!”

It wasn’t always this way, however. A self-proclaimed “mutt” with Scottish, Newfie, Polish, and Ukrainian heritage, Alex recalls that while one of his favourite things was to go to the IMAX theatre with his dad, and that he would also steal his camcorder to shoot random content, his brain wasn’t actually entirely set on filmmaking. Rather, he had a whole bunch of interests - ranging from competitive hockey and football to mountain biking - and making things with a camera just happened to be one of them. 

“I never really said, ‘I am going to be a director’,” adds Alex. In fact, he didn’t even go into post-secondary education with the goal of studying film! Attending Western University to pursue a degree in media, information and technoculture, it was only the heavily theoretical (and not very hands-on) approach to the studies that saw him pivot to a local college’s film program instead. “It really came down to me buying a camera, going out, and starting to create, in order to get the field experience I was searching for. I started shooting some music videos and small docs for local brands, and I never looked back!”

To this end, Alex specifically remembers his first professional project: a branded doc piece for Goodwill that still gets him to this day. “I remember thinking how incredible it was to be able to tell real stories about real people, and to make an impact on people’s lives with what was being created,” he says. “I was being paid, which was great, but just the feeling of getting to do what I love in such an impactful way was a big ‘aha moment’ for me.”

This would be the start of Alex’s odyssey. Local projects grew into Toronto projects, which, in turn, enabled him the momentum to travel to Los Angeles. One such example is ‘Devil’s Gold’ which, after serving exclusively as a DP for a number of years, was the very first piece he shot and directed. “As filmmakers, we are constantly growing, and all little steps contribute to that growth,” he notes. “I’ve been fortunate enough to do many projects that I’ve been proud of, and while I don’t think any one in particular ‘changed my career’, this was the first project that made me realise I wanted to direct.”

And direct Alex did! Initially operating as a one-man band, he would spend the following years exploring, working on a variety of projects, and developing both his understanding of the craft, as well as what it takes to make it successfully in the field. The biggest takeaway? The fact that filmmaking is a team sport… even when you’re flying solo. 

“Although I started out doing it all, once I experimented with not wearing all the hats, I instantly learned the value of teamwork and communication,” he continues. “Your idea may be great, but having multiple talented people excelling at specific roles brings a project to places it could never have gone alone.”

This philosophy was certainly a guiding force in Alex’s decision to sign with Vancouver-based studio Dear Friend. After undertaking a project that saw him collaborate closely with the production house’s leaders, Garth Collins, Trevor Lang, Mark Chisholm and Brayden Wiebe, he realised this was the team for him. “I had a blast working with them, and I found a connection right away,” says Alex. “I’m very collaborative, and I want to work with people who I want to hang out with outside of the set. This is how I felt about everyone at Dear Friend, and it was an instant no-brainer. I think the team is up to some really cool things, and I'm excited to be part of the family!”

Included in these “really cool things” is a branded doc Alex shot ahead of Movember, with a focus on men’s mental health. Completed on 16mm film, he adds that he faced limits with the number of film rolls he could have, creating an incredible challenge and forcing him to be extremely intentional with shot selection. 

“Sometimes, with these doc projects, shooting digitally is better as it allows for more options,” he continues. “However, this wasn’t the case for this project. In the end, not a second could be wasted, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the result; it is one of my favourite projects, and the rush of having no room for error was incredible!”

This isn’t the only upside to working with Dear Friend, however. According to Alex, it makes the perfect home due to the board’s commitment toward pursuing diversity and inclusion within the industry - something he believes needs to be a point of focus and discussion. “It’s important to provide a wide range of people with more opportunities to be a part of such an incredible industry,” he says. “It’s a creative industry, so we all just need to get a bit more creative in making that happen!”

Getting creative is a recurring theme for Alex. Another aspect of the industry which frustrates him is the way in which new work often comes with a lack of risk. With so much content being produced these days, doing things differently is the only way to stand out, lest the viewers lose interest and focus on the work before they’re even done watching. 

To this end, he’s grateful for the emergence of new technology, which bolsters the ability to tell tales creatively. Whether it’s enriching stories, posing unique opportunities, or enhancing the ways in which the creative is presented, for Alex, fresh tools are a blessing when striving  endlessly for unique and original craftsmanship. 

Unfortunately, such dedication can often prove a double-edged sword. While Alex’s need to pour his heart and soul into every project leads to great results - he can’t do it any other way, he notes - the time it takes to achieve stunning end results cuts into his family time, which is a tough sacrifice to make. “I love spending as much time as possible with my daughter,” he says. “She’s probably the only person that can turn off my film brain, and spending time with her is priceless.”

Moreover, the fact that Dear Friend is a west-coast-based studio, and Alex is happily located in London, Ontario can also enhance the feeling of distance when tasked with travel. But, he adds that this doesn’t diminish his love for the city. In fact, its lack of creative and social scenes is actually a point of appeal, as it leads Alex to crave it more than ever before - opening up his mind to ideas around him, and forcing him to return to the idea of getting creative. 

“Walking around with my camera and taking photos keeps my creative juices flowing,” he continues. “Whether that be on the street or hopping on a plane and diving into new cultures, I love to absorb it all from the perspective of a lens.”

Ultimately, it’s the amalgamation of this that makes Alex deeper. In all of the searching, all of these lessons, and all the pursuit of fine craft, he hones his skills - finding the motivation to wake up and do it all again the next day with a smile on his face. 

“I do what I love every day. I get to work with my friends, making films and commercials that hopefully impact society in a positive way. Yes, the days can be long and stressful at times, but I wouldn’t trade this job for anything else in the world.”