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Detroit Filmmakers Talk Branding, Overcoming Obstacles, and Career Tips at Full View Prodution’s Black History Month Panel

Detroit based Full View Productions gathered some of the area’s s most talented filmmakers

and content creators for a special Black History Month installment of our regular networking

mixers #FullViewFriday. In an evening of fun and fellowship, these production leaders talked

openly about a wide range of topics, including how they overcame early roadblocks in their

career, the explosion of User Generated Content, how they utilize Short Form Content Platforms

to share a wider palette of content, and what resources they use to help them excel.

 

While the industry at large made a push to give greater opportunities to BIPOC filmmakers after

the social movements of 2020, there is still work to be done, according to our panel, and

solutions vary from situation to situation.

 

The consensus is to lean on the community around you. “Having great people around you gives

you the confidence that you can do it,” says Producer and co-founder of GoTakeMedia Gabriel

Freeman.

 

In addition to Freeman, other panelists include Jhayla Mosley, L.A. based Producer, Creative

Director and Filmmaker; Founder and President of Detroit based Full View Productions Marcus

Lewis; Trice Clark mom, maker, and all-around DIY enthusiast. Referenced as Detroit’s Handy

Woman by CBS;and moderated by Full View’s Creative Director, Charles Ashley.

 

Attendees participated in the lively conversation offering their own words of wisdom on

understanding a client’s perspective.

 

“Understand the industry you’re in and develop portfolios that cater to the industry you want to

work in,” said Google Coach and Digital Marketing Expert Katrina Turnbow. “Develop imagery

and branding that is in alignment with where you are trying to position yourself.”

 

When it comes to branding on social media, Clark shared that she has seen more success in

organic marketing. She became “Detroit’s Handy Woman” and garnered a buzz from building

sets for her best friends’ events. Since 2018 Clark has built activations for local Detroit music

festivals, designed backdrops for companies such as Bumble and Footlocker and taught free

D-I-Y workshops. In 2020, she was awarded the Gucci ChangeMakers grant and exhibited her

work during Design Core’s month of Design.

 

Whether organically or through strategic marketing, branding allows your customers and clients

to know what to expect from your company. Lewis says as a Black owned company poses

unique challenges.

 

“[We have to] make sure people understand that we’re dope,” says Lewis. “We’re going to give

you something that you haven’t had before and that is going to connect in ways that you haven’t

connected with before.”

 

When it comes to sharing that “dopeness”, Mosley offered resources for others to use in

distributing their work.

 

“Distribution can be taking your movie on tour…[or] you can distribute it yourself on a website

called FilmHub.com,” said Mosley.

 

The night ended with a promise and affirmation to continue bringing the filmmaking community

in Detroit together for fun and fellowship.

 

Subscribe to the blog and stay tuned for our next Full View Friday!

 

Watch the Recap here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Co8CuSbgAi1/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D

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