From Music Videos to Movies – The Creative Journey of Chris Stacey

In this episode of Shady Characters, hosts Evan Burgher and Tim DeBrincat sit down with filmmaker Chris Stacey — a Canadian-born creative whose career spans music videos, viral real estate films, and feature-length movies.

Chris shares his unconventional path into filmmaking, starting as a teenage “rapping mailman” on Canadian TV before shifting into music, cinematography, and eventually directing. He recalls the hustle of his early years — selling his guitar to make rent, saying yes to projects he didn’t yet know how to do, and using music videos as a creative playground to experiment and learn.

The conversation dives into one of Chris’s most viral projects: Teach Me How to Duffy, a comedic real estate video that blurred the lines between marketing and entertainment. What began as a bold idea to parody the hit song Teach Me How to Dougie ended up sparking cultural buzz, driving record home sales in Newport Beach, and cementing Chris’s reputation for innovative storytelling.

From there, Chris reflects on his evolution into feature films, including his role as cinematographer on The Blind — a biopic about Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson. He talks about the challenges of shooting in the Louisiana bayou, the power of telling family-centered stories, and the surreal experience of seeing his work in thousands of theaters across the country.

Now balancing commercial work, passion projects, and even developing a script based on his sister’s adoption story in post-Soviet Russia, Chris speaks candidly about legacy — the balance between building wealth for his family and creating films that leave a lasting impact.

This episode is a candid look at resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of meaningful work in an unpredictable industry.