A Conversation With host Floyd Marshall Jr

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Patrick Coker an Actor, Director, TV  Writer, and Executive Producer.  Patrick talked about his rise to fame as a writer and director during our conversation. He also shared the first time he was asked to write for television, but with absolutely no experience in TV writing. Here is a little excerpt of our conversation: 

"Patrick Corker: Well, the first time I was asked to write tv episode, I had never done that either because up until that time, the only thing I had written with shorts and narrative features and writing for tv is a totally different monster. 

But you know you you get opportunities, and the only thing that can happen is you could feel that's the worst thing that can happen ▪ but you know what if you don't fail, but if you succeed, you know what you want to do and that pushes you further towards your ultimate goal. 

So I mean, if you fail, even when you fail, there's lessons learned there. 

So the next opportunity to get, you don't have to worry about making those mistakes. "

Patrick Coker BIO:

Patrick Coker has been involved in the Theater, Film, and TV industry since the mid-’90s, first as an actor and then stepping behind the camera as a director and content provider. A graduate of the LIU Media Arts Program with an M.F.A. in Directing he has been the creative mind behind many indie music videos, award-winning short films, and the feature film Shankman’s Deli. , He has been part of the writing team for BET’s TV series “TALES”, executive produced by Irv Gotti since its inception, and for the upcoming season, 3 is serving as Co-Showrunner.

Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Donna-Marie "DM" is a Creative Director, Producer and TV Development Exec in Los Angeles. Clients include NBCUniversal where she worked as a brain trust to develop, create and implement programs and pipelines for marginalized voices. DM has a comedy set up at HBO and is currently shopping a feature film with EGOT Talent attachment.

BIO Donna-Marie "DM" Reid

Donna-Marie "DM" Reid is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Undeniable Films, where she serves as an independent producer and Creative Director. Clients include NBCUniversal where she worked as a brain trust to develop, create and implement DEI programs and pipelines for the Global Talent Development & Inclusion group under Janine Jones-Clark’s leadership. Donna-Marie also has a comedy set up at HBO and is currently shopping a feature film with EGOT talent attachment.

Donna-Marie has been entrusted to develop and shepherd creative for some of the world’s largest brands in entertainment, including ABC from 2008-2015 (Shark Tank, Dancing with the Stars, Extreme Home Makeover Franchise), NBC (Little Big Shots), FOX (Think Like a Man TV Series, Miss Universe 2015), Warner Horizon (True Beauty, 500 Questions, Little Big Shots), Truly Original (Man Cave), Sony Pictures (Think Like a Man TV Series), IMG and Endemol Shine (developed slate of 40+ US/International formats for Steve Harvey’s overall pod deal).

Known as the Talent Whisperer, in 2015 Donna-Marie was tapped by Steve Harvey while at ABC to serve as his Head of Development and run day-to-day operations for his production shingle East 112th Street Productions. She also partnered with Ideal Living, a 100-million-dollar marketing company to pair talent with its award-winning brands and product line. There Donna-Marie has brokered and closed lucrative deals for talent in the health and wellness space, including Erin Brockovich, Judge Greg Mathis, and Steve Harvey.

In 2021, pandemic be damned, Donna-Marie broke new ground in the revolutionary voice app Clubhouse where she produced and moderated an All-Star 20+ cast and crew reunion which included the likes of Shawn Ryan, Michael Chiklis, and CCH Pounder from the critically acclaimed TV series, The Shield, under her newly formed club within the app, Donna-Marie Presents. She gained 10K followers within the first two months, averaging 1K followers weekly.

Donna-Marie also runs a 501c3 non-profit, Love, Ma: The Susan Eileen Scott Foundation, in honor of her late mother. Love, Ma has a focus on single mothers and children who find themselves in distress and need of support and course correct, but her foundation's work is everywhere a mother’s love should be.

Donna-Marie currently lives in Los Angeles, CA, by way of Atlanta, GA.

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

 *   Twitter/IG: @DMsPlace

 *   Clubhouse Handle: @dmsplace

Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Dorez Douglas. She is an author, poet, and film producer located in Los Angeles, California. She shared many nuggets about the film industry and here is just one of the nuggets she shared: How to tell if you have what it takes to be a filmmaker.

"I'll tell you a good first project for filmmakers and most of them don't want to do it because they say, well, I can't tell a story in five minutes.  But you should do a five or ten minutes short just to see how it goes and to see what it is that, you know, and what you don't know. 

 And if you can, if at all possible,  try to do it write the story in such a way that you need minimal locations should be 1- 2 at the most.  Or try to find one location that has different areas, you know, that you can use maybe a backyard or patio or front porch or whatever it is.  And you know, or rent an Airbnb, shoot, whatever you're gonna shoot all in that one location, five minutes. 

Usually, that equals about five pages depending on how much action you have in the story. And if you do that for this is just only for filmmakers to do that. You'll see whether or not you have what it takes. "

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Dorez Douglas BIO: 

Dorez Douglas is an author, poet and producer in Los Angeles, California.  She got her start as co-executive producer of a children's animated special for ABC-TV.  The program, “Jirimpimbira: An African Folktale” aired in 1995 and received a Parents Choice Award.  It featured the voices of Diahann Carroll, Paul Winfield, James Avery, Meshach Taylor, Dawnn Lewis and Jamil Smith. 

In the late 90's, Douglas created the Entertainment Industry Training Program (EITP) as part of Concerned Citizens of South Central Los Angeles. The program trained youth (13-18 years old) for jobs behind the camera and was co-sponsored by DreamWorks and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

For the past two decades, Douglas and her partner, 2x Academy-Award winner Willie D. Burton, have produced various projects including a feature film, "Beverlyhood.". The outrageous comedy featured Kym Whitley, Lavell Crawford, Walter Powell, Yolanda

"Yo-Yo" Whittaker and Destiny's Child.

In September 2020, Douglas and Burton shot a short film called "Voices," starring Lamman Rucker. The film premiered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and in Los Angeles, California.  It has been submitted to several film festivals.

Currently in production is "Still We Rise: Life in 2020," a documentary profiling various people around the country dealing with The Pandemic, including four men living in a group home.

Their next project is a docu-drama about the African-American female founder of one of the top Charter Schools in Louisiana.  Filming will start in September 2021.

Feature projects in development include: "The Untold Secret," "Legal Hitman," and “Desire,” all based on true stories, and "Cabin 4,” a supernatural thriller.

Douglas was born in Detroit, Michigan, but moved to Los Angeles in 1980. She is a former gospel singer and is the daughter of a minister.  Douglas has written three eBooks about the entertainment industry.   

Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Ny McGee. She is an entertainment reporter, screenwriter, consultant, and founder of the multimedia company NAYUTOPIA. Ny shared her story of how she got in the entertainment business and became a report. 

Ny McGee BIO:

Ny MaGee is an entertainment reporter, screenwriter, consultant, and founder of the multimedia company NAYUTOPIA. She has over 15 years of experience working in the film industry in areas including production and post-production, marketing, distribution, and acquisitions. She has worked for legendary film producer Roger Corman, Quentin Tarantino's production team at Miramax, the late Larry Flynt, MTV/ VH1, Hallmark Channel, Paramount, Jim Henson Co., Parade Magazine, and various LA-based companies representing above-the-line talent. 

Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Landi Maduro, a professional singer, filmmaker, and producer.  Landi shared many interesting topics about her career. One highlight of our conversation was the topic of the role of Executive Producer vs. Producer. Here is an excerpt of our conversation:

Floyd Marshall Jr:  - Please explain what is the role of an Executive Producer vs. Producer? I want people to understand this.

Landi Maduro: "So, executive producers are usually the ones who bring in money. Sometimes if this person is very well known, they may be just getting the executive producer title because of their name. So if you see something with JJ Abrams on it, he may not have necessarily put the money in, but his name carries weight. So you want his name on your project. Right? So a lot of times, that's what the executive producers do. Either if they are able to get you eyeballs, or they're bringing financial means to the project to push it forward. "

Landi Maduro Bio:

Landi Maduro is no stranger to making her own path. She has worked professionally as a singer and actress for over 10 years. However, unhappy with the lack of roles available to African American women, she decided to go a different route and explore writing, producing, and photography. The first project she produced was, "I Can't Pretend". She developed a fondness for producing and discovered a propensity for wearing many hats.

Next, she co-produced and starred in "Sheroes". The dual role as co-producer and star was an exhilarating experience. Not content to stop there, she decided to take on the ultimate challenge of directing. She made her directorial debut shooting the infomercial for the book, "Faces I Have Seen" and she has continued to direct and produced short films, features, music videos, small business commercials, business tutorials, and documentaries since launching her production company, Bluechild Entertainment, in 2012. Her most fulfilling project to date is The Silent Killer: Prostate Cancer In The African American Community. With this documentary, she challenged herself as a writer, producer, and director and began touring and lecturing nationwide, advocating prostate cancer awareness. 

She is also the proud leader of Women of Color Filmmakers. This organization supports and provides motivational speakers and educational programs to female filmmakers as they pursue careers in film and television.

Connect with Landi Maduro:

Facebook

Website

Non Profit

Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Angelique Marshall - Filmmaker and  Author of Augmented Reality Books for Children. We discussed the release of Angelique's first children's book, the (Alphabet Book), and how she came up with the concept for the book.  

Angelique Marshall BIO:

Angel's Awesome Books was founded by Angelique Marshall, an author of augmented reality books for children, mental health counselor, and founder of the successful film production company "Lique Production." Lique Productions specializes in producing independent films, music videos, commercials, and theatre productions.

A natural visionary, Angelique has always had a knack for combining her love of film with her passion for helping people. Combining her two passions led her to the entrepreneurial world, which provided an opportunity to help children with their mental health needs, learning disabilities and tell stories using augmented reality. Her first book is the Alphabet Book, an augmented reality children's storybook that brings the alphabet letters to life with sound effects and narration. For children, AR stories are exciting for many different reasons. First, it's fun to interact with the characters on the page through the use of AR. Second, connecting to characters through their visual and auditory senses makes learning engaging and easier for these children. Angelique's goal is to empower children to succeed in school, live happy, healthy lives, and appreciate the beauty of reading.

As far as her mental health career goes, Angelique Marshall has a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling and has serviced children in the mental/behavioral health and early intervention field for 20 + years. Angelique provides families with instruction to improve child's cognitive development, motor, language development, play skills, behavior management, and social interaction. Angelique develops an individualized Developmental Behavior Assessment plan that outlines the child's physical, intellectual, language, emotional and social development.  Angelique also develops individualized Applied Behavior Analysis programs. Angelique has led teams by implementing treatment plans devised for behavior modification. Angelique also has provided children, adults, and families with individualized and group mental health therapy.

Where to buy the Alphabet Book with Augmented Reality:

Google Books

Amazon

Download our AR app

Connect with Angelique:

Facebook

Youtube

Twitter

Instagram

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Craig T Williams, Film Writer/Producer, and Editor.  Craig shared with me the importance of rewriting your script. "Rewrites are important because there has to be a moment during the process of creativity where you understand the story you're telling, and sometimes you don't understand that story until you've written it 3 4 5 6 times."

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Craig T Williams BIO:

Craig is a Writer/Producer and Editor. He was just accepted into the WarnerMedia Access Writers Programs (formerly known as HBO Access.) Craig’s one-hour TV pilot “How Ya Like Me Now”, about the 80’s rap rivalry between Kool Moe Dee and LL Cool J, won 2nd Place in the 2020 Page International Screenwriting Competition. It was also a finalist in the 2020 Film Independent Lab, 2020 Cinestory TV Retreat & Fellowship Competition, and the 2020 Stowe Story Lab Fellowship. It was also selected for the 2019 IFP Episodic Lab. And was a finalist in both the Sundance 2019 Episodic Lab and the 2019 Tracking B TV Writing Competition. 

His feature screenplay “Hanging By A Thread” has Viola Davis attached as Executive Producer.

“Allergic” a 30-minute comedy, won the ABFF/Turner best original 30-minute comedic pilot in 2018. It also made the 2nd round of Austin Film Festival.

During the pandemic, he wrote a 30-minute dramedy “Call Me Daddy” - Logline “Tired of waiting for Mrs. Right, a 40-year-old emotionally stunted man decides to have a baby on his own to be the father he never had,” has won praises from Gail Lerner (EP Blackish, Will and Grace) Liz Garcia (Showrunner, P-Valley) and Diane Ruggerio-Wright (Showrunner, iZombie, Veronica Mars)

Craig and his extraordinarily beautiful and patient wife are approaching their 20th wedding anniversary. They have a spirited 16-year-old son and they make their life in the heart of New York City. Craig serves on the Board of Directors of FilmShop, a Media Producers and Independent Filmmakers Collective. He is also a member of the Harlem Dramatic TV Writers Workshop and the Black TV and Film Collective. Craig is a writing mentor for The Craft Institute, The Writers Room 5050 Foundation, and for teen filmmakers at Reel Works Mentorship Program in Brooklyn.

Craig has traveled the world. He loves tennis and makes a kick-ass Mac and Cheese that has brought guests to their knees. 

Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Angel Devilishly, better known as the "The Angel."  She is a film composer in Hollywood, and that's not something that you often hear of a female film composer and scorer. If you have decided that that's the road you want to take as far as film scoring engineering, anything like that, this is the perfect guest for you. 

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Angel Devilishly BIO 

Brooklyn native, composer, The Angel has combined her early skills as an electronic music record producer, recording artist, and remixer to become one of a handful of women to have scored studio and independent features as well as network and cable T.V. Pioneering an eclectic sound, The Angel has been tapped to bring fresh sensibilities to her film and T.V. score, since relocating to L.A. from her adoptive city of London. As a composer, The Angel has created cutting edge scores for feature films like BOILER ROOM and U.K. cult hit, KiDULTHOOD, as well as hybrid organic/traditional score for T.V. series including the FOX FBI drama STANDOFF, the TNT Jada Pinkett Smith medical drama HAWTHORNE, and Ava DuVernay's DOJ, themed CBS pilot FOR JUSTICE to name a few.

Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Clarissa Thibeaux that plays the role of Bree Solano on the new Netflix hit series Genteflied. Clarissa also shared how she got her start as an actress.  

Classica Thibeaux BIO

Dynamic actress Clarissa Thibeaux has positioned herself as a one-to-watch. In the upcoming second season of Gentefied, Thibeaux will be making her Netflix debut as Bree Solano, a successful queer advertising executive specializing in finding emerging artists. She commands the boardrooms with a suave attitude, and she'll charm you into buying seeds during a drought.  Initially, Thibeaux broke ground portraying one of the few black LGBTQ+ characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). First introduced in the second season of Hulu's hit action-drama "Runaways," Thibeaux can be seen starring as Xavin, a natural shape shifter who can alter her appearance at will. "Runaways," which is part of the MCU, follows a group of teenagers who band together and run away from their homes after finding out their parents are super-villains in disguise. The teenagers must come together in order to atone for their parent's actions and discover the secrets of their origins. Season 3 of the series premiered on December 13, 2019. 

Born and raised in Northern California, Thibeaux had dreams of becoming an entertainer from a young age. She studied Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Performance at San Diego State University. Upon obtaining her degree, Thibeaux had a slew of short films and regional commercials already under her belt. She made the move to Los Angeles where she booked her first big project on Amazon's "Bruno and Earlene Go To Vegas" where she played a rookie cop named Cookie. Additional credits include: Hulu's "Flight 666," "Ice Sharks," the short films "Soul Survivor," "Other Loving," and the Fountain Theatre's award-winning production of "Hype Man: A Break Beat Play."

When she isn't on set, Thibeaux enjoys spending time with her dog Elphia, watching movies, hiking, and learning to knit. In these Covid days, Thibeaux has taken every necessary precaution to stay healthy. On the charity front, she's involved with the Cancer Support Community LA, which provides free activities, support groups, and counseling to those who have been impacted by cancer. As well as Pablove, a foundation that both raises money for groundbreaking medical advances in childhood cancer and helps children fighting cancer to have a creative voice through the art of photography. She also loves to support charities pertaining to the foster system, underprivileged youth, and environmental development.

Thibeaux is based in New York City. Find her on Instagram @Clarissa, and on Twitter @ClarissaT.

Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective

In this episode of "A Conversation With," I sat down with Yolonda Brinkley, the creator of Diversity in Cannes.

Yolonda Brinkley BIO:

Yolonda Brinkley, the self-proclaimed global disruptor, is the creator of Diversity in Cannes, the independent film movement promoting inclusion at the Cannes Film Festival. Since its 2010 inception, with Yolonda at the helm, the initiative has emerged from a simple filmmaker symposium to a comprehensive movement, providing a platform for globally diverse filmmakers to be seen and heard at the Cannes Film Festival. More specifically, Diversity in Cannes promotes the presence of underrepresented content creators telling stories specific to marginalized populations and celebrates their achievements at the world’s most prestigious film festival. 

In eleven years, Yolonda has hosted hundreds of filmmakers from five continents, received thousands of short film submissions from at least 35 countries including, India, Lebanon, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Turkey, UK, and the US, and has welcomed esteemed panelists, garnering a European Diversity Award nomination for her independent efforts to diversify the global film industry. 

Having only scratched the service of possibilities, Yolonda’s expanding her efforts to include the production of her very first short film, “Justice Denied,” inspired by her cousin Kevin Brinkley, who was wrongfully imprisoned 40 years for a crime he didn’t commit, which will make its world premiere at the 2022 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase. She’s proud of her accomplishments to date and excited to celebrate 12 years of independently promoting inclusion at the Cannes Film Festival and invites you to follow her journey. 

Submit Your Short Film: The Film Collective