What cameras do you use for your films?
Any camera I can get my hands on. On my first film I used 3 cameras: a Sony DV 8, a Sony 8mm and a Canon XL2. I gave the final film a film look in editing.
What is the size of your crew?
What crew? I do the shooting; sound, props, editing and anything else needed to get my projects to the next stage. When you shoot films in the hood you can’t always depend that everyone will make your shoot time and date.
What editing software do you use?
Final Cut Pro.
How about sound software?
Q-Base.
How do you go about seeking talent for your films?
I hold casting calls in Los Angeles, New York, Philly and send out e-mail casting calls.
Can you discuss how long it takes for you to write each of your films?
It takes about 3 years total to complete each film and about 21 hours a day within that three years to do the film from concept to finish line. It takes about one year to do the script. I have 7 other films ready to shoot.
Can you discuss your most current release and your upcoming children’s film?
My current release is Raykwan’s Cuties. It’s about 3 girls who own a beauty shop and when they hear how bad their customers talk about their baby’s daddies, and how they never pay child support, they team together to track them down.
The new G-rated kid’s movie is complete and it is my best work to date. You will hear no cursing or see any guns in this movie. The stars of the film are only 5 and 6 years old. We will have a clothing line for the kids and video game with a soundtrack. I am sort of like the Disney of Hip Hop right now.
What is the budget of your last few films?
What budget? In order to get my films done I have to depend on myself and what I have at the time. If you depend on anyone else to get money to do your film you may be waiting forever.
How were you able to pull those off on such small budgets?
I don’t take no for an answer. You have to really want to do filmmaking and live it everyday or you are wasting your time and other’s time. Living in the hood I can’t go into a bank and get a 10 million-dollar bank loan. It’s just not going to happen.
How did you set up screenings of your film?
Just like any major film studio would. I screen my films for my target audience and do an exit pole to see if my film is on point with my target Hip Hop audience. You can get a screening room for free…all you have to do is ask.
Can you discuss your publicity and marketing strategies for you films?
You have to be a walking PR firm. I do all of my own PR for my films because if you are into Hip Hop you know all of the underground websites and magazines that many big PR firms never heard of. I use flyers and street teams, but most of the time I am a one-man street team. If there is a big event I am there with flyers in hand and car wrapped.
How did you gain retail distribution?
You have to write or call them yourself. I have never seen a top film agent come to the hood to look for talent. So I had to step my business game up and promote and market myself and take my life into my own hands. I used my first film “Creepin” as leverage, which was such a hot seller that it got bootlegged 2 days after it was released.
Discuss entering into foreign markets? What are some of your successes?
My films are already in 21 countries in Spanish, English and French. I am now ready to take another step up with my new kid’s movie. That should be in movie theatres, if I get a deal that I like.
The world is open to anyone who works for it. All you have to do is send your package to legit people. All they can say is “no.” The only person that can stop you is you. So far my “Rappin Granny” project (from America’s Got Talent fame) has been screened in Japan, London and recently Italy.
How do you build awareness for your films amongst your target audience?
Any way I can. Just like Tyler Perry knows his gospel audience, I know my Hip Hop audience. It took me many years to build up my PR list and it grows larger every day. You have to always be on your grind every day and look for new contacts with each city that you go into. I also do e-mail blasts, post card mail outs, flyers, tee shirts, stickers or whatever you can think of to get your brand out there.
How many copies have you sold of your most recent films?
I try to never get into numbers because if I do that is all I will think about every day. As long as I have no bills at this point in life and I acquire as many assets than liabilities as possible I should be able to create generational wealth. I focus more on giving free workshops for kids around the country. I gave out over 100 computers to low income families at my workshops so far with free Internet service. Now each kid has a better chance of shaping their future for the better if they really want to.
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