Experience

Swirl Films

• United States
• Entertainment Providers
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Producer

  • Jan 2016 - Present

  Streamlined and managed the daily workload, schedules & milestones, cross-team communication and performance of 8 senior staff members including EP’s, executives in charge of production and heads of talent & casting; 6 direct reports consisting of junior producers and below-the-line. Produced and production managed 43 scripted & unscripted television programs, specials and original movies across networks – BET Networks, Lifetime, LMN, TV One and Bounce. 2 original movies nominated by the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special and Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special; 2 original movies recognized as Silver and Bronze recipients of the Telly Awards.Supervised 4 programs achieving Most-Watched Television Among Targeted Demos, with 1 series ranking as #1 on Television Ahead of ABC, CBS, FOX, HBO, All Cable Networks Sunday Night 9:00-10:00p.m. (ET) Among African Americans (18-49; 25-54); #1 Original Premiere of All Time Among All Demos.Maintained and established new relationships within the creative community, cultivating a strong pipeline of production services and talent acquisition. Enlisted award-winning directors, cinematographers and emerging creatives for content creation. Collaborated with TV One Network, EP’s and key department heads to ensure projects were produced at the highest quality, from ideation through post-production, within the constraints of the budget and schedule. Provided overall creative insight and project development; contributed script notes, story concepts, character development and casting ideas; while providing rough, fine and picture lock notes, ensuring creative goals along with brand alignment. Led Network project greenlight and new production kick-off meetings covering production and programming, talent, marketing & creative services, corporate communications/publicity, production management/finance, integrated marketing/ad sales and business affairs. Show less

• Unit Production Manager

  • Jul 2014 - Jan 2016



Derek Blanks Photography and Productions

• United States
• Entertainment Providers
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Head Of Production

  • May 2008 - Present

  Orchestrated the brand expansion and management of Derek Blanks Productions, a mid-sized Atlanta based creative and media concept specializing in development and production for digital platforms including broadcast & streaming video, audio and interactive media. Conceptualized and produced branded video content generating more than 100+ Million views across digital platforms (VEVO, YouTube) and airing on cable television (MTV, REVOLT, Vh1). Cultivated new production leads by supporting and articulating the value of the Derek Blanks Productions brand to new business prospects; Grew annual revenue by 65% within the 1st year through buzz-worthy marketing initiatives including the strategic partnering with NBC Universal/BRAVO, True Entertainment and The Real Housewives of Atlanta, establishing domestic and international brand presence. Facilitated all aspects of the development and current process, including generating, developing, pitching, selling and producing all forms of non-scripted programming, as well as music videos and digital shorts. Maintained strong relationships with talent, producers, writers and directors. Chiefly responsible for the development and production of key digital branded content for Atlantic Recording Corporation, Entertainment One, and the Island Def Jam Group, collectively generating more than 100+ Million digital views and streams. Aided in the initial assessment, viability, and forecasting of potential projects. Acted as the primary conduit between project award and internal set-up and execution, championing such areas as the hand-off process, kick-off meetings, delivery schedules and determining key goals. Responsible for bidding all major productions and all cost-related decisions regulating on-budget and project delivery at the end of principal photography Supervised team of creative directors and producers across multiple teams Show less



TV One

• United States
• Broadcast Media Production and Distribution
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Supervising Producer

  • Nov 2017 - Jan 2020

  * Supervising Producer (10 episodes, 2019-2020) ** Co-Producer (11 episodes, 2017-2019) Liaison between EP’s, TV One programming & production and internal departments (e.g. Business & Legal, Standards & Practices, Rights & Clearances, Casting, Production and Postproduction). Controlled all aspects of the physical production including primary & ancillary interviews, and recreations; editorial workflow and post-production delivery. Pitched talent, episode concepts and deep-dive topics designed to peak targeted viewer engagement while generating buzz-worthy headlines and “hot topic” opportunities. Worked directly with talent, ensuring proper communication, direction and alignment of interview expectations. Partnered with Legal for talent approval rights and clearances: episode approvals, personal assets, media clips and music; provided recommendations to mitigate potential issues, as applicable. Demonstrated pop culture passion, entertainment news authority and active participation and awareness of the importance of social media to the docu-series genre. Created and delivered engaging hot sheets, episode outlines and effective production updates to Network and cross-functional teams. Editorial supervision of episodes: story concepts, reviewing preliminary and final treatments, approving shooting schedules; contributed fine and picture lock notes ensuring creative goals along with brand alignment. Aided the post-mortem, performance review of all shoots and final episodes Show less



BET

• Entertainment
• 700 & Above Employee

• Co Producer

  • Jul 2016 - Sep 2019

  Featured Production: Tales, An Anthology Series Created by Irv Gotti, Tales, a scripted anthology series of song stories weaving classic and current hip-hop songs into visually stunning narratives. Partnered with EP’s and cross-functional editorial teams providing end-to-end supervision and coordination of all development, creative, logistical and production management. Streamlined the daily workload, schedules & milestones and cross-team communication of 6 senior staff members, including EP’s and executives in charge of production; implemented overall strategy from ideation to delivery: pre-production, scripting, casting, rough-cuts, fine cuts and final delivery. Liaison between producers, BET Networks programming & production, and internal departments (e.g. Business & Legal, Standards & Practices, Rights & Clearances, Casting, Production and Postproduction) Supervised the production management of 18 scripted episodes of Tales, an anthology series for VIACOM / BET Networks, from development through post-production delivery. Coordinated EP script notes and casting selections for distribution to creative, casting and Network. Planned all logistical aspects of production – casting, director and cinematographer recruiting and hiring of key heads of departments, maintaining the highest editorial standards within budgetary requirements and schedule. Prepared project green-light briefs, look books and creative assets for new and current productions. Controlled and formatted front and end credits for Legal review, ensuring contractual agreement and delivery to Network. Maintained wide-ranging knowledge of emerging trends in television, integrated digital & streaming platforms and distribution. Scheduled and coordinated weekly kick-off, ongoing production and “state of the show” meetings with Network, producers and key department heads. Show less