As a film producer that happens to be black, I've never produced or
written a film only with or for blacks actors. True, I mainly produce
indie films but that would be more of a reason for me to just have
familiar faces I'm use to seeing in my films; or faces I feel
comfortable around. Jesus, that one never gets old. When I'm producing
my personal films for release or writing scripts for agents I considers
all races. I cannot paint a picture of the world with only faces of one
race. I'm baffled at how Hollywood studios do it on a major scale. It
should be impossible, yet we still see it film release after film
release mostly white actors and a jarring lack of diversity. This is an
example of how studio execs, producers, casting agents and directors
forget to look beyond the familiar face and comfort zone. Get out there
and mix it up Hollywood. We are missing out on so much talent not
including others. It's really disappointing when diversity brings so
many perspectives of story telling to the table. What's even more
startling is the acceptance of this being business as usual by nearly
everyone in the industry. Most people don't speak up because they don't
want to ruffle feathers or be labeled "difficult to deal with" and get
blackballed out of working. Being told to "shut up" and know your place,
this way really hurt those in a position to speak up. If Hollywood were
to open a black run Hollywood Studio, and I do have the education and
experience to run such a company, I would obtain scripts with a diverse
cast of great actors of all races. I would most certainly fund stories
about important black figures in history that have been looked over by
Hollywood. I would tell storied from across the vast spectrum of the
black experience, action, adventure, love, best friend, wedding,
thriller, horror including Sci-fi. Yes, black people love seeing and
have written Sci-fi films. Point being, we are a very diverse people and
that is not reflected in the films we pay money to go see. I for one am
tired of the lack of diversity. I want more from Hollywood. I want more
from this world. It's truly time to stand up and be counted among the
greats. Let us shout to the roof tops, we are here. Maybe a black run
studio is the answer after decades of being looked over by Hollywood.
Let's name such a great studio if it were to ever come into existence,
Mahogany Studios. Yes, that can be my working title.
From Local News Cameras to Netflix Screens How a Baltimore director turned urban storytelling into a cinematic movement In the landscape of American independent cinema, few voices capture the raw authenticity of urban life quite like Derick Thomas . Also known professionally as Derick Prince , the Baltimore native has spent over two decades crafting films that don’t merely depict city life—they breathe it, bleed it, and ultimately humanize it. Thomas’s work stands as living documentation of Baltimore’s streets, struggles, and resilience—stories often ignored by mainstream studios, yet embraced by audiences worldwide. The Making of a Storyteller Derick Thomas’s journey into filmmaking did not follow a traditional Hollywood path. After earning his Master’s Degree in Communication Studies from Morgan State University and studying at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts , Thomas entered the industry through an unexpected door: local news . Working as a videographer-journalist , h...

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