Oz Magazine July / August 2022

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CONTRIBUTORS SYDNEE MUTUKU

OZ MAGAZINE STAFF Publisher

Cover Story: Breathe Life Into Art Thru Storyboards, p.20 Sydnee is an Atlanta native with a passion for reading and writing. She is a Georgia State Alumni with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a minor in Film and Media. Her love and appreciation for literature has grown tremendously. Anywhere she goes, you’ll find her with a book in her hand.

Tia Powell (Group Publisher)

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DANIELA CINTRON

Kris Thimmesch Sydnee Mutuku

Creative Director Michael R. Eilers

Production and Design Christopher Winley Michael R. Eilers

Contributing Editors Adrena Walton Winston Andrews

Feature Stories: Atkins Estimond, p.28 Actor to Lead Largest Spanish-Language TV Station in Atlanta, p.40 Born and raised in Mexico, Daniela Cintron is a bilingual freelance journalist featured on local, national, and international media, including CNN, Telemundo, and Discover Atlanta. Her journey in media began at the age of six as a radio personality and evolved throughout the years, developing as a multiplatform journalist. With a degree in Mass Communications from Piedmont University, Cintron is currently pursuing a Graduate Certification in Digital Storytelling at Harvard University.

Cover:

Image Courtesy of Atlanta's CW Network

NOAH WASHINGTON Feature Stories: Historical Black University of Black Creatives, p.32 Radazaih Whittington, p.36 Noah Washington was born in Richmond, VA. He is a Media Entrepreneur major at Georgia State University. He has written for multiple publications exploring culture in the entertainment industry and is currently a writer for the “National Newspaper Publishing Association” under the ”Blerd Binder” label and has been published in multiple states such as the “L.A Watts’’ times and the “Charleston Chronicle”.

LISA FERRELL Feature Story: Mala Sharma: Poised to Turn Up the Volume on Georgia’s Music Industry, p.42 For Advertising Information:

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Lisa Ferrell has worked in series and tele-film development for such companies as CBS, Lifetime Television/Hearst Entertainment, NBC and TBS. She has served as Executive Producer for several of Atlanta’s foremost post production, motion capture and VFX facilities. After starting Lisa Ferrell Productions in 2016, Lisa worked on numerous projects for such clients as J Walter Thompson Inside New York, Hartsfield Jackson Airport and music videos. Currently, Lisa works as a Producer / PM in emerging technology, i.e., Motion Capture, Volumetric Capture, AR / VR for GSU’s Creative Media Industries Institute.

KEVON PRYCE Feature Story: Roswell is Ready For the Megaverse, p.18 Kevon Pryce is a writer and filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia. He writes film news, short stories, poems, and screenplays. His films have screened at festivals across the Southeast, such as Atlanta Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, and Sidewalk Film Festival to name a few.

JULY / AUGUST 2022

CONTENTS

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32

OZCETERA

FEATURE STORY

A compilation of recent news and hot projects from and about the Georgia entertainment industry

HBUC University A discussion with Travis Cochran

4 20

36

18

FEATURE STORY

FEATURE STORY

Radazaih Whittington

Roswell is Ready for the Megaverse

Stays ready so she doesn't have to get ready

28

40

20

FEATURE STORY

COVER STORY

32

36

Ivan Shammas

Breathe Life Into Art Thru Storyboards

Actor to Lead Largest Spanish-Language TV Station in Atlanta

42

28 FEATURE STORY

FEATURE STORY

Atkins Estimond

Mala Sharma

Of Starz's hit show, High Town

Poised to Turn Up the Volume on Georgia's Music Industry

40

42

July / August 2022

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OzCetera Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Is Ready To Smash

T

he Mar vel Cinematic Universe continues to expand with the coming release of “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” The character’s comic book adventures debuted in 1980 from the minds of Stan Lee and John Buscema. Following the example of the comics, the show aims to focus on comedy in the courtroom and on the battlefield.

The Emerald Amazon, or Shulkie as the comics call her, is expected to release on Disney+ this upcoming August.

The 10 episode series will star Tatiana Maslany as attorney Jennifer Walters who receives her powers when her cousin, Bruce Banner/The Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, gives her an emergency blood transfusion. Alongside these two are Tim Roth reclaiming his villain role as

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Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment. SINCE 1990

Annihilation from the 2008 The Incredible Hulk film and Jameela Jamil and Ginger Gonzaga, playing the roles of two exciting new characters.

While most MCU superheroes call New York home, the She-Hulk trailer indicates that the superheroine will operate out of Los Angeles. This is the first return to L.A. since the beginning of Iron Man 3 when Tony Stark’s Malibu mansion was blown to smithereens, and showmakers are excited to use the City of Angels as the backdrop for their single, 30-something lawyer who happens to transform into a 6’7” green monster when irritated.

Since L.A. is not the easiest city to film in, showrunners chose to instead join a long list of Marvel masterpieces filmed at Atlanta’s Trilith Studios including

“Hawkeye” and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

As a par t of the show’s comedic initiative, Jessica Gao, creator of the “Rick and Morty” Pickle Rick episode, is the lead writer, and Kat Coiro will direct most of the episodes using her experience on “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia,” “Shameless,” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

Their combined experience in the sitcom television world makes them a perfect fit for this initiative since “She-Hulk” will follow the 30-minute episode formatting with a strong emphasis on humor.

The official premiere date is August 17, 2022, and the series will conclude its first season in October!

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Summer Blockbusters Filmed In Georgia

G

winnett Place Mall in Duluth added a couple more notches on their belt after upcoming movies Day Shift starring Jamie Foxx and Secret Headquarters starring Owen Wilson, chose to film there last year. These productions follow in the footsteps of “Stranger Things” as Season 3 of the hit Netflix series primarily took place in the fictional Starcourt Mall. Both films are now set to premiere this summer with brewing excitement and curiosity across audiences.

Similar to “Stranger Things,” Day Shift is also a Netflix Original taking place in the 80’s, but this one has its own take on the period.

The vampire slayer movie, premiering on Netflix this August, will follow Jamie Foxx’s character who works as a pool cleaner by day and hunts vampires by night. With an R rating for “strong violence, gore, and language,” the movie will embrace a just-bleed mantra.

J.J. Perry will make his directorial debut on the film after serving as second-unit director and stunt coordinator for top-tier action movies like the John Wick series, The Fate of the Furious, and Bloodshot. Furthermore, the director of John Wick, Chad Stahelksi, will join the team as a producer.

This talented production team is also joined by an impressive supporting cast featuring Snoop Dogg himself, Dave Franco (The Disaster Artist), Scott Adkins (Accident Man), Meagan Good (Monster Hunter), and Karla Souza (“How to Get Away with Murder”).

At the same time Day Shift was filming at Gwinnett Place Mall, another film crew was hard at work in a different part of the building. Secret Headquarters is a brand-new superhero movie from Paramount Pictures that promises action and comedy for the whole family when it premieres exclusively on Paramount+ this August!

Paramount has mostly kept the plot under wraps thus far, but the main storyline will follow a young kid who finds the secret headquarters of the world’s most powerful superhero, played by Owen Wilson, underneath his home. He shares his discovery with his friends, and, together, they assume the duty of defending it when villains attack.

Owen Wilson is joined by a fantastic cast with Walker Scobell (The Adam Project), Jesse Williams (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Keith L. Williams (Good Boys), Momona Tamada (“The Baby-Sitters Club”), Abby James Witherspoon (Hot Pursuit), and Michael Peña (“Narcos: Mexico”) playing a role.

Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman will direct the movie, and the producer is Jerry Bruckheimer who recently broke the Memorial Day domestic box office record with $160M for Top Gun: Maverick, which beat out his previous record-holding blockbuster, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Both of these upcoming films are expected to be summer hits and will feature thrilling action scenes made possible by the amazing layout of the Gwinnett Place Mall!

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July / August 2022

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OzCetera

Pam Studios Is Building Home-Grown Talent

P

AM Studios is quickly developing a strong reputation in the film world after opening a new location in Rome, Georgia this year, and as they continue to build success, the studio is eager to contribute to their surrounding community.

Thanks to the studio, Fiona Carey and Darlyn Morales, who are incoming freshmen at Rome City Schools College & Career Academy, and Jaleigha Harris, who is set to begin at Floyd Count y College & Career Academy, will receive scholarships to help them attain the necessary education for their success in the film industry!

In order to gain recognition for the scholarship, Carey and Morales worked to win G old at t he SkillsUSA State Competition with a compelling 30-second public ser vice announcement about anxiety in teenagers. Meanwhile, Harris took first place at the Rome International Film Festival student competition by directing a spin-off of the popular TV show “The Office” called “The Classroom.”

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PAM Studios is dedicated to awarding these scholarships to deserving female and minority students who have a sincere interest in the entertainment industry.

Last December, Emory University student Kheyal Roy-Meighoo was awarded the 2021 PAM Studios Scholarship. “ We a r e p r o u d t o a w a r d t h e s e deser ving high school seniors with scholarships that will enable them to pursue their passion of working in the film industry,” said the CEO of PAM Studios,

Maria Guerra-Stoll. “Seniors Jaleigha Harris, Darlyn Morales, and Fiona Carey are already making waves with their incredibly creative work.”

PAM Studios’ commitment to their community does not end here, though; their “Grown in Rome” initiative, which focuses on developing talent in local high schools and colleges, is paving the way for more and more students to get involved in the film industry.

July / August 2022

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OzCetera

Stranger Things From Lithuania To New Mexico And Back to Atlanta

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fter three long years, the supernatural hit series, “Stranger Things,” has returned with a bang! Season 4 Volume 1 and 2 premiered on Netflix earlier this summer, and many consider it to be their best work yet. The new installment continues to use Atlanta and surrounding suburbs for the iconic city of Hawkins, Indiana, but it also features a couple brand new locations as the usual gang has been split up in the aftermath of season 3.

The season begins in the fictional Lenora Hills, California where Eleven and the Byers family have relocated in the hopes of living a normal life. Surprisingly, the cast and crew did not head to California to film these scenes, and chose to recreate the area in the majestic foothills of New Mexico.

As revealed at the end of season 3, Hopper is found alive but taken to a Russian prison camp in Kamchatka which is interestingly a real place in the Russian

Far East. Showrunners decided not to film at that location, though, and instead traveled to Vilnius, Lithuania; home to an underrated film industry and where the popular HBO series “Chernobyl” was filmed.

While these new locations play a big role in kicking off the season, the bulk of the action returns to Hawkins, and its familiar, suburban scenery. Exterior shots like the outside of a house or the gang cruising on their bikes are filmed in East Point, Georgia so going for a drive through that area should cause some Deja Vu. Interior shots are filmed at EUE Screen Gems in Atlanta, and even if the scene takes place in a nearby house that really

exists, it will still film at EUE because of the top-tier technological capabilities provided by local studios.

One new location in the show that is still filmed in Georgia is the Creel House.

Located in Rome, the Victorian home built in 1882 used to operate as a bed and breakfast until “Stranger Things” chose it to be the mysterious house formerly owned by mental hospital patient, Victor Creel, who is played by the Nightmare on Elm Street star Robert Englund.

When fans finish watching Vol. 2 to wrap up their summer, they can look forward to the recently announced fifth and final season of the wildly popular Netflix Original series!

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July / August 2022

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OzCetera Assembly Studios

NBC Universal Media Joins Assembly Atlanta After a few false starts and a couple years of lost time caused by the pandemic, construction of Assembly Atlanta’s film and entertainment hub in Doraville is officially underway, and city officials are eager to see the positive effects it will have on the local economy. The 127-acre property was formerly the home of a GM assembly plant but was purchased by Gray Television for $80 million last year.

“We are excited about the impact The Assembly will bring to the entire state of Georgia and especially the Perimeter Area,” said Executive Director of Discover Dunwoody, Ray Ezelle. “Dunwoody is located next to Doraville just off Interstate 285 and is the heart of the Perimeter Area, less than 10 minutes from The Assembly and Third Rail Studios.”

The star of the new development, Assembly Studios, will sit on 43-acres of space and consists of three sound stages so far. Future plans include 19 total sound stages as well as production offices, event spaces, warehouses, and mill buildings, all in the hopes of creating the ideal filmmaking environment.

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Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment. SINCE 1990

Companies are already lining up to rent space at the studio, and well before the project is even completed, NBCUniversal Media has signed a deal with G ray Television to manage all studio and production facilities at The Assembly. This includes Gray’s own studio facilities and Third Rail Studios since the agreement aims to leverage NBCU’s substantial experience managing studio lots, which allows Gray to focus on their own production.

"I am pleased to welcome N B C U n i v e r s a l t o D o r a v i l l e ,” s a i d Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman. “Their investment in Assembly will accelerate Gray Television’s plans to transform the site of our former GM Plant into a true ‘Studio City’.”

W ith the s tudios only taking up about a third of the total acreage at Assembly Atlanta, the remaining space will feature restaurants, offices, retail shops, residential homes, and a 5-acre public park. The city of Doraville also has intentions of renovating 13-acres of land adjacent to Assembly to create the most

hospitable area possible.

Gray Television has high hopes that the studio will begin operations in the second half of 2023. Once complete, it will become the largest in Georgia and one of the largest worldwide. Considering Doraville’s population is a little over 10,000 currently, a full-blown film and media campus of this size will cause an economic explosion with an estimated 4,000 production jobs pouring into the area, and the creation of thousands more local jobs to support the increased foot traffic from the studios.

"The fact that this idea transformed into a reality during a pandemic, makes this all the more remarkable. I am proud to have been a part of the team that made it happen," said Doraville City Manager Chris Eldridge. "Doraville, Greater Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and the whole Southeast region will enjoy the benefits of this economic engine for decades to come."

July / August 2022

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OzCetera Delores Crowell

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The Make-A-Wish Foundation has brought the dreams of a Georgia teen to life! Although he is just 17 years-old, filmmaker Zach Breder has already experienced his fair share of struggles, but one of the prevailing happy places in his life has always been the movie theater.

Zack was born with a rare congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome.

“They found his heart condition when I was pregnant. So we knew before he was born that he would need surgery," said Zach’s mom, Valeria Breder. "In fact, he had surgery when he was 48 hours old."

Because of the unfortunate condition, he was unable to participate in many familiar childhood activities. Doctors could not allow him to play sports or to do anything requiring too much exertion until he was in middle school. Zach made the best of the situation and picked up a few hobbies over time that worked for him.

“I just jumped right in with my iPad and would make short videos or fun little clips or whatever. I would film, star, direct and edit them. It was something that came so natural for me," he explained.

From there, he began his filmmaking journey and would soon strive to create something a little more advanced than a short home video. The Make-A-Wish Foundation was eager to give him a chance to do this by funding his efforts to make his own Sci-Fi movie.

Zach wrote, directed, and cast the film, which premiered at the Atlanta Film Festival this year. “Level 34” is loosely based on his own life and follows a kid named Chris with a heart condition that suspects his crazy uncle was actually abducted by aliens, and, considering his love for the Marvel franchise, the movie would not be complete without a big twist at the end.

This fall, Zach plans to attend Georgia State as a film major; and he already has a head start on his peers!

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OzCetera EUE / Screen Gem Studios

Expansion Incoming For EUE/Screen Gems

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n expansion is incoming for EUE/Screen Gems Studios’ Atlanta campus. The updated area will receive 60,000 square feet of top-quality production space as well as 15,000 square feet of mill/support space and 10,000 square feet for office buildings, making it the largest expansion in the studio produc tion company ’s history!

The Atlanta campus currently sits on 35 acres, and once the new areas are complete, the total square footage will rise to 335,000, encompassing twelve sound stages. This includes 192,000 square feet dedicated to soundstages, set decoration, hair/makeup, wardrobe, offices, storage, mills, basecamp, and catering, 60,500 square feet for offices, and 82,000 square feet in support space.

“With our latest expansion, we are creating a modern studio setting that any production will be excited to work in,” said Executive VP at EUE/Screen Gems

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Oz Magazine - film. tv. entertainment. SINCE 1990

Atlanta, Billy Stoll. “The new stages, office and support space will accommodate productions of all sizes plus the studio’s proximity to the airport and downtown will secure EUE/Screen Gems Atlanta as an even more desirable filming location.”

The project is expected to finish later this fall, and EUE/Screen Gems is thrilled to offer their clients even more flexibility through the addition of three brand-new soundstages. Each one is 20,000 square feet and 40-feet tall, and two of the stages have the capability to combine into one 40,000 square foot stage or to get divided in half by a motorized, soundproof wall that can extend back and forth as necessary.

The new office space includes 34 of fices, eight executive of fices, four production hubs, and two break rooms, and another 5,000 square feet will go toward catering areas, creating the ideal film campus for production to thrive.

With 50 years of industry experience,

EUE /Screen Gems is determined to provide a premiere experience for the changing needs of filmmakers, which is exemplified by this most recent expansion; one that marks the fifth expansion across their three locations in Atlanta, North Carolina, and Miami.

“We continually adapt to what the production industry needs,” explained Chris Crowder, Vice President of Physical Operations at EUE/Screen Gems. “Flexible spaces, health and safety protocols, bestin-class facilities and team — those are all examples of our commitment to provide top-quality services to our clients.”

North of 30 productions call EUE/ Screen Gems Atlanta home, such as “Stranger Things,” Black Panther, two of the Hunger Games movies, the Divergent series, “Raising Dion,” and many other Netflix Originals.

Caption

Belgian Economic Mission Tours Georgia State Facilities

T

he Belgian Economic Mission, which features Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid and many prominent business officials from Belgium, visited Georgia State earlier this summer to get a better look at the university’s top-notch video game design and production technology, as well as highlight the growing video game industries in the U.S. and Belgium.

“Georgia is a world-class destination for all digital enter tainment sec tors with a dynamic community of artists, programmers, and gamers,” said Georgia State President M. Brian Blake. “We’re creating the next generation of digital storytellers through emerging technology and making this technology accessible to all of our students.”

The Belgian Mission took a tour of the Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII) where Georgia State creatives were eager to display the facility’s advanced volumetric and motion-capture production studios. Belgian gaming companies also

took the opportunity to show off their design capabilities to Atlanta-based game developers.

While the CMII was only started in 2017, it now serves more than 800 Georgia State students looking to get their degrees in game development, game design, and media entrepreneurship. School officials expect this number to continue growing alongside Atlanta’s thriving eSpor ts community.

Commonly considered as the eSports capital of the U.S., Atlanta hosts massive events like Dreamhack, which is the world’s largest gaming festival with roughly 40,000 in attendance each year. The skilled workforce and incentive programs in Georgia’s economy have also attracted more than 50 of the premier gaming companies in the world.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development estimates 12,000 workers currently employed in the gaming industry and a $550 million impact on the state

economy!

In Belgium, the gaming industry has a €600 million economic impact, and a wide range of companies design and provide cutting-edge PCs, consoles, and streaming platforms!

“The choice of Atlanta for the location of this occasion seems more than logical to me for two important reasons,” said the Minister-President of the government of Flanders, Jan Jambon. “Atlanta is a mecca for games and developers — a hotbed for all digital enter tainment sectors.

Secondly, and very importantly, Flanders and Atlanta share the same goal. We want to bring more diversity into video games.”

While the focus of the trip is gaming, the end goal is to encourage international connections and cultivate cultural experiences in order to further develop each count r y ’s respec t i ve economy through the transfer of valuable information.

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OzCetera Jason Hanline

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J

ason Hanline always knew he had a passion for filmmaking.

Since childhood, he has been obsessed with binge-watching a new show or creating his own home movies. Unfortunately, the film industry in Georgia when he was a kid was not as supportive and dependable as it is now, so he found himself walking a different path.

“It was one of those things that if you really want to get into it, you were going to have to move and go up to New York or over to California,” explained Hanline. “It would have been really tough to try to do something [here] because it just wasn’t really happening in Georgia.”

Hanline wound up attending Gainesville College where he took every film class that was offered, but the program was limited at the time. Because of this, he would instead earn an associate’s degree in English, which led him to go into teaching with his wife.

After graduation, he started teaching at Forsyth Central High School, and he would soon get approached by students to start a film club at the school. Not long after this, the school principal asked him to bring the A/V program back in a unique way.

“He wanted it to be something that stood out from the other high schools,” said Hanline. “He wanted it to just be film, so he started asking around, ‘Who do we have that could do this?’ And everybody kept saying, ‘Go talk to Jason.’”

This resulted in the creation of the Central Film Academy. The new directive allows students to join a four-year pathway that encourages content creation and teaches valuable set design and production skills. Additionally, film professionals are invited into the classroom where they can engage students in their specific skill sets.

Hanline’s goal is to convey the necessary skills to students who can then immediately step on a film set and contribute in a positive way. Recently, his students took a trip with him to the University of North Georgia where they took a tour of the film production facilities there, and professors were blown away with the progress and curiosity of the students.

Film is not just a job for Hanline, though. In his down time, he takes classes at the Atlanta Film Society, and now, thanks to the Georgia Film Academy, he has another exciting opportunity.

“I hung around the Georgia Film Academy long enough that they kind of just put me to work and got me helping with training other teachers, and now I’m running a summer camp for high school [students], which is also really cool,” Hanline said.

This summer, Hanline also hopes to use the vast amount of film knowledge he has accumulated for his students to create his own short film!

TWD Set houses

End Of An Era For ‘TWD’

A

f ter eleven stellar seasons, “The Walking Dead” officially wrapped in March 2022, and AMC is now selling the set houses in Senoia, Georgia from the show’s fictional safe zone, Alexandria.

This home-selling strategy was part of the plan all along, so they were built as real houses instead of short-lived set houses.

“If you want to live in Norman’s house, or Daryl, or Rick’s house,” said developer Scott Tigchelaar. “They all lived in some of these houses at some point in the show, so take your pick!”

Cit y of ficials also intend to build more custom homes and brownstone townhouses at other set locations used

by the post-apocalyptic horror show in Senoia’s Gin Property, and the walls of safe-zone Alexandria will be torn down to create a s tronger neighborhood environment.

Three of the houses listed thus far were listed on Zillow earlier this summer, and seven more are expected to follow suit before summer’s end. This includes one house that might just have the most well-known front porch in cable television history!

Although the set property is now on the market, this is not quite the end for AMC’s smash series. A currently untitled spinoff starring Norman Reedus’

character, Daryl Dixon, is in the works.

“I’m gonna go on a mission and I’m excited,” Reedus said. “It’s gonna be much different than ‘The Walking Dead.’ I think it’s gonna look different. It’s gonna feel different. It’s kind of its own thing, you know, so I’m excited to get a hold of it.”

No matter what happens next for the beloved television series, it will always hold a special place in fans' hearts, and the state of Georgia is highly appreciative of the jobs, tourism, and memories that came with such a popular show.

Michael “Silk” Bosby And Georgia Film

M

ichael A. Bosby teaches Film II and III at the Athens Community Career Academy and Film I at Cedar Shoals and Clarke County Central high schools. Now, he is an award-winning filmmaker after his horror film, “Straight From Hell,” won a handful of accolades at two festivals, including a Best Director victory and a nomination for Best Actor.

In the 18 minute short, Bosby plays a high school film teacher similar to himself who finds a mysterious voodoo doll in the woods while on a hunting trip. The doll comes home with him and proceeds to terrorize him in a creepy murder voice that is also voiced by the director/star.

“I chose to do a horror short because it was the easiest genre for me to write,”

explained Bosby. “I’m a lifelong fan of that category of film, so I instinctively knew exactly how I could make one of my own without a lot of expensive special effects or a big crew.”

Bosby was joined by crew member and student, Daniel Herrera-Sandoval, and filming plus post-production only took one weekend. Herrera-Sandoval focused on the complex camera setups while Bosby handled per formances, music, sound, and editing.

Bosby, who is originally from Chicago, has a degree in broadcast television and spent time as a studio manager in Skokie before moving to Athens with his wife and daughter twenty years ago. From there, he would go on to take leadership of a

new program at the Clarke County School District called A/V Film Technology.

“Mr. Bosby is a team player with a positive attitude," said ACCA Administrator Anita Lumpkin-Barnett. "His value of realworld learning and love of his craft add to the overall value of the class."

The future of Bosby and his students’ filmmaking careers are also looking bright with Athena Studios, a $60 million soundstage and production development, opening in Athens in 2023. This means film industry workers will no longer have to migrate to Atlanta for jobs, and instead, will have a plethora of amazing career opportunities in their own backyard.

July / August 2022

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RO S W E L L IS RE A DY F OR T HE

By Kevon Pryce

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ith the grow th of virtual reality, enter tainment, and technology, companies are looking for avenues to expand their reach in the space.

Exploring Digital, an Atlantabased startup, focuses on developing seamless and wireless location-based VR experiences. The entertainment company has launched the “Megaverse,” a virtual space tailored to the users' experience.

The 680 square foot space is referred to as the Megaverse Theatre and serves as a place where users can interact with up to six other users simultaneously; all virtually. The combination of a VR headset, hand controls, the ability to move freely in the space, and added sensory manipulation such as wind and vibration makes this space the first of its kind.

The Megaverse Theatre can also be described as an immersive 4D and mixed reality experience.

The Megaverse is located in Skyzone Trampoline Park in Roswell, Georgia, and Exploring Digital is looking to expand across multiple entertainment centers as well such as bowling alleys and movie theaters. With a select few games already available, expect more to be added to the catalog in the coming months.

The introduction of this space to Atlanta will allow not only an enjoyable experience but a means to test the limits of VR. Exploring Digital has also par tnered with Emor y Healthcare to provide healthcare professionals with VR and augmented reality training. This space is only the beginning for innovation here in Atlanta. Nick Muratore, Vice President of Operations, and Nathaniel Nuon, Chief Content Officer of Exploring Digital, wanted to share some insight on the future of virtual reality.

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What exactly is Exploring Digital and how did the company get its start?

Nick Muratore: The founders, Dave Walens and Matt Kelly, both wrote a patent for a VR modular room that has haptics that can be configured for any space a few years ago. Back in 2021 they pursued getting funding to actually make the patent come to life, which is what we know now as the Megaverse. Throughout the process, we originally contracted out to Third Realm Creations to build our first set of games and through that partnership we were able to learn about the experience t hey had in t he V R space and f ilm production which resulted in the merging of us and Third Realm Creations. Now we categorize ourselves as a company that does many things, such as the Megaverse, curating VR experiences, film production, and more.

Nick Muratore: We have an office out in Mobil, Alabama, but the bulk of our business is done out of Georgia. We’re hoping to transform Cobb County into a VR hub, comparable to how Atlanta is to film. We like to be able to create VR content and experiences and have other companies who are a part of the same geography participate in these experiences as well. We also would like to get involved with some of the universities in Georgia such as UGA, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, to name a few, as we’ve noticed their VR and creative media programs are expanding as well.

Oz: Where does the future of VR lie?

Nathaniel Nuon: LED Walls are becoming more common in film production. We’ve been doing LED wall stuff for quite some time now and we just acquired a new 60-foot wall that we’re putting up in a soundstage, so now we’re equipped to accommodate for some of the shows that Disney and Marvel have been shooting.

Our next big project is going to be a film that we’ll be working on called Tug of War. A lot of the things we deal with on the VR side actually relate to things we deal with during virtual production when creating content and movies.

Nathaniel Nuon: As VR becomes more affordable, which we’re definitely reaching that point now, every home will have a VR headset in it. Many universities and schools are going to begin using them as tools to teach. As the graphics get more advanced and realistic, I believe that a lot of people aren’t going to realize that e-sports (gaming competitions) are going to be a lot more interesting. As a society I think it’s safe to say at some point we’re going to move into a space like the film Ready Player One. There’s going to be a huge merge between the entertainment industry, VR, and your day-to-day life. It’s not going to be solely for gaming anymore; we’ll get to the point where it’ll be used in ever yday life. Whether people are joining spaces like Facebook’s Metaverse now or later, it won’t matter, because VR is inevitable; it’s like trying to stop the internet from happening.

Oz: Seeing as VR is rapidly growing, what are some of your plans to expand VR accessibility in Georgia?

Nick Muratore: We also hope to extend ourselves not only in the entertainment space, but also in the training space

Oz: How is Exploring Digital involved with film production?

Let’s Make Something

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Backdrops • Dimensional Graphics • Custom Props • Fabrication • Installations • Vehicle Wraps • Small & Wide Format Digital Printing • Enviromental Graphics

helping law enforcement, healthcare, and other professional industries. Here at Exploring Digital, we are striving to build our own virtual community.

Oz: What would some of those VR trainings look like?

Nick Muratore: We’ve worked with a few healthcare institutions, helping build training simulations. Both being all virtual and having a little physical interaction with certain devices. We’re trying to create another medium to train professionals to get experience in a virtual classroom setting. Not only is VR another tool for collaboration, but it’s a tool for convenience and being able to connect people who aren’t in the same physical space.

There are studies that are now showing that students and trainees connect better with virtual content and training than they do with traditional e-learning, and sometimes even in-person.

We Make Concepts A Reality

Oz: With the expansion of VR and people spending more time in spaces like the Metaverse, how do you all feel this impacts people’s desire for physical and human interaction?

Nick Muratore: In a way it is human interaction. Right now during this Zoom call, we’re interacting. The interaction exists, it’s just a different medium. In virtual reality you have the opportunity to create another personality, an avatar, and how you want to be presented in a virtual medium. This will allow a lot of people a chance to create an image for themself that they wouldn’t have otherwise. In a way some people may look at this [VR] as it’s going to ruin human and physical interaction, but we’re under the impression that it’s going to increase it. There’s a lot of people out there [that], for a number of reasons, prefer virtual reality as a means for communication. We think it’s actually going to be healthy for a number of people.

Nathaniel Nuon: Now we’ll have the ability to interact on another level. Let’s say if I wanted to hand you a virtual pen, you can actually grab it from me, now making the interaction tactile.

Things will get so advanced that you’ll be able to interact with somebody completely across the world in a virtual space that is so realistic to where you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between that and reality. VR is just another tool that humans have created to make content, express themselves, to interact, and to operate e-commerce. It’s here to help us connect on a completely different level.

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Cover Story

Breathe Life Into Art Thru

Story By: Sydnee Mutuku

S

toryboarding has come a long way since becoming an essential part of the creative process. The main goal of creating a successful storyboard is to show the director’s vision clearly. Coming out of Walt Disney Studios in the 1930s, the first complete storyboard can be traced back to The Three Little Pigs (1933). The history of storyboards goes back further to 1900s silent films; however, many have been lost or destroyed. Fast forward to the 21st century, storyboard artists are the glue that holds the foundation together. Five storyboard artists share their vision and how they got to where they are now. “Between cartooning, design, storyboard, directing, and producing, it’s all about telling a good story. A great pitch is a story, too.” Mark Simon Five storyboard artists share their vision and how they got to where they are now. “Between cartooning, design, storyboard, directing, and producing, it’s all about telling a good story. A great pitch is a story, too,” said Mark Simon.

Image courtesy of Mark Simon

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Boards

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Cover Story

Mark Simon Known as the Godfather of Storyboards, Mark Simon has over 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry.

He is currently the storyboard artist for The Walking Dead and provides animatics for the hit series. Mark has over 5,000 production credits, including Disney, Nickelodeon, Universal, Sony, HBO, FOX, and more.

When did you know you wanted to be a storyboard artist?

I wanted to be a comic strip artist growing up. Those are my heroes. I didn’t know storyboards existed until my 20’s. My family built custom homes growing up, so I grew up designing and building homes. I used that experience to enter Hollywood, designing and building sets.

I got my first job as the construction coordinator at Roger Corman’s studio in LA. 2 weeks later, I was the art director on my first movie. I art directed for a few years, but I missed drawing. I had been seeing storyboards come across my desk in production and decided that was my next career. I started providing storyboards for my productions as I also designed shows and movies to gain experience. When Steven Spielberg came to Orlando with Walker storyboard frame with Mark

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his NBC series SeaQuest 2032, I decided to go full-time storyboarding on that show, and I’ve never looked back. This year I celebrate 30 years of storyboarding fulltime.

What do you love most about your role?

I get to draw and tell stories every day. I work with amazingly creative people and on kick-ass productions on big and small screens and see my work come to life.

What’s not to love?

Growing up, have you always been into drawing?

Always. When I took music lessons, I came home with cartoons on my sheet music. My homework had cartoons all over them. Every scrap of paper I could find, I would draw on. I drew my own posters of superheroes growing up. I drew for the school paper, the yearbook, and theater in high school. I was the school cartoonist in college and paid my way through school designing marketing for local businesses.

There’s never been a time when I wasn’t drawing.

Did you have any mentors who helped you throughout your career?

No particular mentors. Live-action story artists never get together. We’re an independent breed. The closest I’ve had to a mentor has been some of the fantastic directors I’ve been lucky enough to work with who have taken the time to explain how to break down certain types of scenes.

That was the best in film school. I would have liked a mentor, so I make sure to mentor other artists all the time through schools and associations.

What advice would you give to your younger self to get started in the industry ?

My career in Hollywood launched pretty quickly, and I was able to use my existing skills to advance fast. So I wouldn’t have any new career advice for my younger self.

As an artist, I would tell my young punkself to use references to draw from. We’re trained in art class not to ‘cheat’ when we draw. As a pro, I realize there is no such thing as cheating. There’s only getting the job done in any way we can, as fast as possible.

Michael Gable Marynell

process can take quite some time and will be broken up into multiple meetings. The average time for this process is about eight straight hours (per sequence) of discussing shots and drawing thumbnails. If the film is heavy on the imagery and metaphysical side, then this process can be grueling but worth it. The rest of my day consists of staring at the shot list, importing thumbnails for reference, drawing out every shot on my Cintiq, and putting them together in a PDF. Growing up, have you always been into drawing?

Michael Gable Marynell is a storyboard and 3D artist with a BFA in computer animation. Based in Atlanta, Marynell has been in the entertainment industry since 2011, working in TV, film, animation, and commercials. Michael’s credits include Raising Dion, Metamorphosis, Through the Glass Darkly, Dioscurio, and Sentinel.

Take us through your average day at work.

When I get a job or project, I set up a time to meet with the director. I have a special process that I go through with them. I meet with whomever I need to, usually the director, to put together a shot list if they do not have one already. The shot list is the backbone of everything I produce. I have to think about the story, so I write my own shot list closer to an editor’s shot list.

I have to think about how the story will visually transition and be paced. The shots that I come up with must reflect what the director wants to show the audience through film language. My whole job is knowing film language. The director and I go through the sequences they want me to board out, and we discuss the visual storytelling. I will start drawing the shots’ thumbnails to show the director. I do this, so we are on the same visual page. This

My mother is an illustrator, so I’ve been around it my entire life. I can not think of any moment where I wasn’t drawing or in-between drawings. I had all of my mom’s art books and would copy everything I saw in there. I loved anatomy and figure drawing, so I would go through those books over and over again. My best friend’s mom was the head of the IT department, and she wanted me to paint a mural on the glass of the outside hall.

That, technically, was my first art job. I wanted to try music as a career and went off to college for that. After two semesters and heavy influence from none other than my art professor, Ed, I decided to apply to

Ringling College of Art and Design. I got into the same art school as my mom.

After finding out you wanted to do storyboarding, what path did you choose to get there?

In my second year at Ringling College, we started to get into concepts and stories.

With that came storyboarding, and I couldn’t have been more delighted. I had gotten into the computer animation department of Ringling College of Art and Design. They taught us 2D traditional animation first, and I loved the handdrawn animation style. I was so happy when I was introduced to storyboarding because I knew I wanted to do live-action storyboarding for a living in that first project. After watching the first season of The Walking Dead, I moved to Atlanta.

Atlanta is a city I have always known and loved, and I was born there. The industry is about to blow up, and it’s smaller and cheaper than LA. I got up here, and I networked my butt off for almost two years before my first movie with Andre Freitas of AFX Studios in Atlanta.

What is one of your favorite projects you worked on as a storyboard artist?

Raising Dion, Episode 8

Raising Dion, Episode 8

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Through the Glass Darkly was a special project of mine. So much of my soul went into every scene, and I gained some real friends from it. Raising Dion on Netflix was truly an amazing experience with such amazing people. Finally, I have to go with working with T-Pain. He’s a pleasure to work with and a genuinely good guy with incredible talent.

What advice would you give to others interested in this business?

Networking. You are the only person helping yourself in this industry. Get online, and find Facebook groups for the film industry. Attend awards shows, film festivals, and anything to get your name out there. Practice your skills, go to figure drawing classes, buy anatomy books, and draw from life. Start breaking down your favorite scenes from movies and deconstructing them. You have to do the homework. During the decade it took me to become a full-time storyboard artist, I kept telling myself that time and effort lead to success. Now, it’s words I live by and tell other people.

Karyn Rollins

Karyn Rollins was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She started her career as a character animator and television storyboard artist. Rollins works across multiple industries as a senior multimedia specialist and content developer. She won two 2017 ADDY AWARDS Gold for an Internet Commercial for the About Optym video and Branded Content & Entertainment Non-Broadcast for the Optym Onboarding Videos. Karyn’s credits include Cartoon Network, IFC, and HULU. Take us through your average day at work.

My typical morning consists of touching base with my team to review any outstanding items on our current agenda, find out where we are in the pipeline, what bottlenecks there are, and coordinate solutions accordingly. Suppose a project is in its initial stages. In that case, I’m putting together reference materials, developing concepts, designing style frames, and putting together mockups to present to clients before they commit to production. For an ongoing project, I’m creating assets, animating, and building out environments. I’m prepping for delivery and distribution to various Concept Art

Lightspace

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channels for projects that are wrapping up. Each day is different, and you don’t always know what to expect, but time management is key.

What do you love most about your role?

I love solving complex problems and being confronted with seemingly insurmountable challenges. As weird as it sounds, creativity is often what happens when you have no other choice. Project constraints can be stifling at times, but I feel like all my best ideas are born when I’m being told what I can’t or shouldn’t do.

Nothing like a career-ending setback to really get the creative juices flowing.

What are a few projects of yours that you are most proud of?

My most recent project Lightspace is an immersive animated short film targeting virtual reality headsets. VR is a space I’ve been interested in for quite some time now, so I’m excited to be contributing to a growing medium and platform that has yet to be defined fully. I mention this because it has been my life for the past year and is set to be released soon (June) through online distribution.

Outside of that, I will be launching a platform focused on exploring the cinematic potential of extended reality.

Animation falls under the umbrella of film, and that’s always been a passion of mine, so with all the excitement for Web3 and the Metaverse, there’s an opportunity to really push the medium forward.

What was your educational and career journey into your current role?

I was always into art and loved drawing, so when it came time for college, I decided to pursue a degree in animation, where I studied for about three years before accepting a paid internship with a studio in Atlanta. After getting some professional experience on my resume, I was hired by a production studio out in Midtown. I spent about four years working as a character animator and storyboard artist on television shows and commercials for IFC, HULU, and Cartoon Network. After four years of working in the animation industry, I transitioned to motion graphics design and started working my way through architecture, technology, and advertising. I had studied motion graphics design in school but was hesitant to stray from animation until I’d actually gotten a taste of the industry.

Motion graphics made more use of my multimedia skills outside of animating and pushed me as an artist. I met people from all walks of life, worked on projects way out-of-my depth, and was given the opportunity to learn about industries I’d never considered. This led to my rebrand as a multimedia specialist. At my core, I’m still an animator, but my skill set has evolved beyond the flipbooks and doodles I started with. No matter where I go, I’m an artist, so establishing a solid foundation has given me the flexibility to thrive.

before you walk through the door every morning. So, don’t take every setback so personally. It’s not a reflection of you as a person, your talent, or your prospects.

That’s just how the machine functions.

Life is a journey, and every place you get is just a stop along the way to your destination. Don’t get held up at the pitstop.

Kevin Mellon

Kevin Mellon is an artist and musician from Kansas City, Missouri. He currently lives in Atlanta and is an art director for HULU and Marvel. Kevin’s credits include Archer, Dicktown, The Vampire Diaries (seasons 6-8), Black Lightning, Legacies, and Dynasty.

Black Lightning Storyboard frames

What advice would you give to your younger self to get started in the industry ?

Commercial art is a business; there’s a creative side and a corporate side. The creative side may primarily be driven by passion and innovation, but it is not controlled. There’s so much behind the scenes, discussions, and decisions made

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Cover Story What are a few projects of yours that you are most proud of?

I’d have to say Archer since it was the first show I worked on, the reason I moved to Atlanta, and why I’m a storyboard artist in Tv. I’d also have to say The Vampire Diaries and Black Lightning. I was a fan of The Vampire Diaries before getting the chance to work on it. I was given many opportunities based on my experiences with the crew that led directly to working on season 1 of Black Lightning. It was a great experience working with such experienced directors on a show with a unique voice.

Comic book-related, I’d have to say my book Suicide Sisters, which I wrote and drew. Next would be a tie between Gearhead (co-created with Dennis Hopeless) and Heart (co-created with Blair Butler). Both are emotional and creative landmarks that have helped get me where I am today.

What was your educational and career journey into your current role?

I started drawing comics as a kid, and by the time I graduated high school, I had drawn hundreds of pages and worked on my craft. I went to college at The Kubert School in New Jersey. It’s dedicated to fostering and developing comic book artists. Before storyboarding, my career was creating and drawing comic books. I had no intention of working in television, but social media allowed me to apply to work on Archer. I storyboarded on Archer for seasons 3-10, which allowed me to grow as an artist and become the storyboard director in the company. I moved on to work as a storyboard supervisor and artist on America: The Motion Picture (Netflix), Dicktown (Hulu), and as the art director on Marvel’s Hit-Monkey (Hulu). I am currently working on season 13 of Archer while we wait to hear whether Hit-Monkey gets another season.

Did you have any mentors who helped you throughout your career?

I’ve been fortunate to have a few key people guide me along the way. Phil Hester

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and Steve Lightle were instrumental in encouraging me as a comic book artist at a very young age. Many years later, I was fortunate enough to collaborate with Phil on my second comic book series, Thirteen Steps. My teachers at the Kubert School were guideposts along the way, including the school’s founder, Joe Kubert. Neal Holman and Chad Hurd, my directors on Archer, were huge forces in guiding me to where I am today as an artist and director, aside from being great friends and sources of inspiration.

What advice would you give to others interested in this business?

Do the work. Even when you don’t have work, do the work. Much of the business and industry relies on people who are selfstarters and self-motivated, especially if you are interested in being a story artist or director. Learn everything you can from everyone you encounter and work to know and form your own voice. Drawing well is merely a function of working to tell stories clearly. Don’t just learn anatomy and perspective like the back of your hand, but learn how to self-edit and be selfmotivated. Learn to listen before speaking and allow space and room for others to speak and be genuinely heard. Oh, and be kind.

Brian McGee

Brian McGee was born in Mineola, New York. He is represented by Audrey BeharieMcGee for BRE Productions International, Inc., an Atlanta-based company specializing in film pre-production, digital illustration, concept art, storyboarding, and event management. Brian’s credits include Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, MTV, Adult Swim, HBO, AMC, Fox, Marvel, NBC, Warner Bros, and more.

What do you love most about your career?

What I love most about my career is being an essential part of a film or television production.

Knowing that my efforts in creating visual narrative are needed and appreciated is what drives me.

What key skills should people work on to do your role one day ?

I’ve loved drawing since childhood, so turning my passion into a career has been a great joy in my life. To be an effective storyboard artist, one should be

efficient in drawing believable scenery.

This includes drawing the human figure interacting with its environment or other human figures. Perspective drawing is crucial. One of the responsibilities of a storyboard artist is to communicate where the camera needs to be in any given scene. This can only be achieved with the understanding of drawing varying angles.

What was your educational and career journey into your current role?

While I was still in grade school, drawing was just something that I did. Still, I eventually attended the high school of art and design, where I studied color theory, perspective drawing, and editorial illustration. These are all skills that I still call upon today. I also went to the school of visual arts for about a year and studied illustration and photography.

After a few years of working as a toy designer, I was selected for an apprentice program at the Walt Disney company, which served as a continuing education for me.

Can you tell me a few Georgiabased projects you’re currently working on?

I just wrapped up Creed 3. It’s Michael B Jordan’s baby. I was able to help him visualize the script facilitating his transition into a first-time directorial role for him. Also, I worked on a comedy a few years ago called They Cloned Tyrone with Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris. It’s due to air on Netflix soon.

What project of yours are you most proud of?

One of the most prized experiences I am most proud of was the time I spent in Miami Beach working on my second film ever, 2 Fast 2 Furious. I highly value that experience because the late director, John Singleton, took me under his wing and was instrumental in ushering me into my present career. He had faith in my abilities and took many chances on me. I was fortunate to have met and worked closely with him; may he rest.

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By: Daniela Cintron Getting off a black SUV, wearing two big gold chains around his neck, and holding a handgun ready to shoot, Osito - a malevolent Haitian-Dominican lead drug dealer - makes his debut in Starz’s crime drama “Hightown.” The primary antagonist is brought to life by Atkins Estimond, an Atlanta actor who thought he had absolutely no shot at getting the role three years ago.

Atkins plays Osito. Image courtesy of Starz

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s the television series progresses, the audience encounters a bad guy who is impossible to hate. “Who doesn’t love Osito?,” says “Hightown” fan Robert Heitner online.

The multidimensional beloved villain has become a key character for Starz’s series, in great part due to Estimond’s nuanced performance. “Even though he's a criminal, he does have some honor. He has a ‘code,’ ” echoes the sentiment of another fan identified as Red Red. Developing and portraying a character of this caliber does not happen overnight, and Estimond showcases his expertise in this role.

10 P.M. on a Saturday. Just a couple of miles from some of Atlanta’s busy weekend hangout spots sits the main office of Southeast talent agency People Store. It’s after hours, and in the usuallybusy parking lot sits only one car. Lights are on inside the building.

While large groups of 20-something-year-olds cheer and dance the night away just blocks away, Atkins Estimond, 28, is getting ready for

one more take in front of a camera. He reads his lines over and over again. He watches the recording. Takes feedback from his girlfriend, brother, and friend, and goes at it again. And again. And again.

He is not part of any production. He is not getting paid for this. He is not even hired, yet. This is one more audition tape.

This hard work is for the mere chance to get to do what he loves; to act.

After pouring his heart and soul for hours into what resulted in a short video of him reading a few lines, he gets the recording ready to send out to his agent.

“Now we wait,” he says.

It’s not his first late-night weekend at the agency’s studio. It’s not his first audition, and it is most certainly not the only time he will not get a callback. Like many other actors, he went on to get in front of the camera hundreds of times to audition over and over again before getting a chance. A real chance that would change everything.

— Born in Fort Lauderdale, FL to Haitian immigrants, Estimond was the second of two sons. He and his older brother by two years grew up together, but not so close.

“We used to fight all the time,” recalls Estimond. “My mom and dad worked and had the typical jobs Haitians in Florida did at the time. Dad was a taxi driver and mom worked in a nursing home,” recalls Estimond’s older brother, Rick Estimond.

“We pretty much raised each other.”

Spending so many hours together at home, television became not only a big reason for the brotherly fights but also a getaway from their four walls.

“We would fight all day long about what shows to watch,” remembers Rick Estimond. “And I think we

finally became friends when our parents bought a second TV.” Surprisingly, Atkins Estimond grew up as a very shy boy. His older brother had a passion for acting and theater from a very young age. It was then that he saw his older brother audition at a Boys and Girls Club talent program. It sparked his interest and at his next chance, Estimond auditioned as well. Things didn’t quite work out. He blew his very first audition for the Boys and Girls Club talent show.

Despite this being his very first failed attempt at booking as an actor, it didn’t turn him away.

During his elementary school years, his family moved to Atlanta. The suburbs became home, and throughout the years, high school friends became family for him and his brother. “The majority of us in the group of friends were all very interested in theater, but my brother got recruited to play football,” says Rick Estimond.

“Coaches saw him and thought he would be great for the sport.” Despite appearing intimidating, Estimond was just not cut out for such a rough and violent activity.

“I’ll never forget the day he was playing defense and saw the player from the opposite team run right past him toward the goal. Atkins just let him go. He didn’t have much interest in tackling him,” recalls Rick Estimond with a big laugh.

“Being such a lovable guy, football didn't go with him.” Eventually, Estimond left the cleats and helmet for the stage at his high school theater.

“Every time I would go watch my friends perform, I felt something,” says Estimond who also attempted to go join a band hoping music was going to be his calling. “Turns out, I am not such a great musician. I knew acting was something that I wanted to explore.” So, he went for it.

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Rick and Atkins Estimond. Image courtesy of Joseph Sinclair

With hopes to get representation and get his career off the ground, in 2010 Estimond reached out to one of the biggest talent agencies in the Southeast.

Their answer: “No, but come back later.”

“It wasn’t a full ‘no,’ ” says Estimond.

“So I was hopeful and went out and took as many acting classes as I possibly could.”

Months later in 2011, Estimond tried again and, this time, was successfully signed by People Store, his talent agency to date.

At that time in his life, Estimond had been working for MARTA, the public transportation system in Atlanta. He knew that he wanted to pursue a career in acting, “but it’s a hard leap to take when you are going on a different path,” he says.

It was then that life made the decision easy for him. He got laid off.

Now with no job, and a small cushion to survive a couple of months, it was time to go all in.

Laying in bed next to his brother one afternoon at his parent's house, Estimond announced that he had decided to pursue his dream. “I’m going to be an actor,” he said to his brother with confidence. And from that day on, he was committed.

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“Atkins has put in a lot of work,” says Rick Estimond. “Nothing has come easy for him in life.” Getting signed by a prominent talent agency did not exactly change his career from day to night.

During the first year, Estimond didn’t book anything.

Things felt like they were finally turning when he got a call from the agency. He had just been confirmed for a big commercial.

His parents, being immigrants, had wished their kids had pursued more conventional careers and often questioned Estimond’s future as an actor. “More than anything, they wanted me to find a job where I could sustain myself and a family,” says Estimond. Wanting to make them proud and prove to them that this dream was going somewhere, his first call after getting the news was to his father.

Before Estimond got a chance to deliver the good news, another call came in back from his agency. There had been a budget issue, and they had to cut one actor. It was Estimond. He had been dropped from what would have been his first real gig.

“That day I said, ‘I am done. I quit. I can’t do this anymore,’ ” says Estimond, referring to the “beating that you have to take as an actor sometimes.”

Defeated and ready to throw the towel, Estimond talked to Brian Bremer, now Vice President of Talent and Development at People Store. “You can quit. That is fine, but you will always be an actor,” said Bremer, compelling Estimond to not give up. “That day I realized that I had to do this. I couldn't leave it alone,” he says. “As mad and sad, and just defeated as I was, I still couldn't leave it alone. I had to push.”

Bremer invited Estimond to write down three things he wanted to achieve in a year. “There is power in writing down things,” he remembers Bremer saying.

Estimond listened, and all three things related to his career came to fruition in the following months. Things finally started to take a turn.

— One of Estimond’s greatest supporters and believers throughout the years has been his wife Kristen Estimond. “I couldn't do it without her,” he says.

Since meeting at a birthday party very early in Estimond’s career, she has become a very essential piece of his life.

“She has been my ride or die, especially with my acting,” says Estimond.

As an aspiring actor, Estimond didn’t have a steady income. “I was broke a lot,” he

says, putting strong emphasis on “broke.”

“I am a feminist, but I felt bad having my girlfriend pick up the bill all the time.”

Kristen Estimond’s support for him has been consistent and unconditional over the years. Sometimes she even helped pay for a plane ticket to a big audition. “She has really been there for me throughout it,” says Estimond.

After years of dating, Kristen was ready to start building a life, and Atkins knew that he wanted to marry her, but was afraid of the uncertainty of his ability to support a family, or even pay for a wedding. It was after seeing his great grandfather surrounded by a big family at his 94th birthday party that he decided he was going to take a chance because he knew that that was exactly what he wanted. There was only one way to go - forward. Atkins and Kristen decided to get married. “It was then that jobs started coming in left and right,” says Rick Estimond. “The money he needed to start his family was coming in at the right time every single time.”

Marrying Kristen was a pivotal time in Estimond’s life and career.

— It was 1994 when Atkins Estimond watched the blockbuster Dumb and Dumber. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that 20 years later he would be walking the red carpet of Dumb and Dumber To next to Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels as part of the cast. “I couldn't even believe it when they told me I booked it,” he says. “It felt so unreal to be part of something big like that.”

His role in Dumb and Dumber To became the first big shift in his career.

As doors continue to open for Estimond, it is clear that it is more than his talent and tenacity that has earned him a space in the industry. “People love Atkins,” says Rick Estimond. “He has the gift to connect with people from different upbringings and different worlds.”

Growing up, Rick Estimond worried his brother would be bullied the same way he was. As an older brother, he wanted to protect him. But that did not become necessary. “Atkins has always been very lovable, and he used wit to disarm people before they got a chance to attack,” tells Rick Estimond. “He makes people feel good.”

Throughout the years, Rick Estimond - who also built a career in the

industry parallel to Atkins and now sits as President of People Store - has been incredibly proud of his brother’s tenacity and hard work. From chasing each other with a machete as kids to walking red carpets in New York and Los Angeles, their love and respect for each other have been key for them.

“I remember seeing Jeremy Irons walk into a party with his dog at a bar in Edgewood,” recounts Rick Estimond. “He looked around the room. Saw Atkins.

Pointed at him with a big smile, and immediately made his way to him to give him a big hug.” The whole scene was beyond belief for Rick Estimond. “All they did was laugh. Jeremy loves Atkins. People love Atkins.”

— Regularly, Estimond’s phone rings with one of his parents on the other end asking Estimond to talk to a friend who happens to be a fan of the show or a stranger who has a cousin who has a nephew who wants to act. His parents are proud of Estimond’s achievements and are not quiet about it.

But it has not always been this way.

Atkins Estimond is proud to be a voice and representation for Haitians. Recognizing the sacrifices his parents made to give him and his brother the opportunities they now have is always at the top of his mind.

Initially, their parents were concerned about his career choice. “To be fair, I told them first I wanted to be a musician,” remembers Estimond with a laugh. “So I really blew it when I then told them I wanted to be an actor.”

Despite the doubts and concerns of his parents, Estimond understood their position. “I am not mad about that. They came here and didn’t have the opportunity to think about dreams and doing what they wanted to do, or wishing what they wanted to do,” says Estimond. “They had to come here, and hit the ground and see how to make money and how to survive.

I am very fortunate to be in the position I am because they did all those things.”

Maybe Estimond’s parents couldn’t see the vision at the beginning, “Rightfully so,” he says. “We didn’t know anyone in any proximity to the entertainment industry, so the idea was very foreign to them. They just wanted to make sure I could take care of me and take care of a family.”

His parent’s skepticism was confronted on a regular basis with Estimond’s hustle and determination,

which was a testament to his forthcoming success in the industry. “They saw something was going to eventually come to fruition,” he says. “But I don’t think they ever imagined it would be something close to what it has become.”

In 2014, Estimond had the honor to take his mother to the premiere of Get On Up, his first big film. He got to sit down to watch the movie next to his mother in a room full of industry legends like Chadwich Boseman, Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Dan Aykroyd. The dream became so tangible. So real.

“Months earlier when getting ready to go film Get on Up, I told my mom I was very nervous to mess it up,” he recounts.

“She said to me ‘Look at me. Just a woman from Haiti. I am not anyone important.

Just a regular person. But my son is about to be in a movie with all these big people. That is special. This is special.

So, just go out there and do what you do.’ ” As simple as that was, it was incredibly meaningful for him. It was the push and encouragement he needed to truly believe in himself.

In a journey of rejections, struggles, and hurdles, moments like this have become the fuel for his career.

— As the third season of “Hightown” is in the works, fans are speculating about Osito’s development in the crime drama series and anticipate another treat. “He has the charisma and on-screen presence to steal every scene he’s in and truly captivate the audience,” wrote Fansided’s Mads Lennon.

While his character evolves into “King of the Cape,” Estimond evolves as an actor, a father, a husband, a son, and a brother.

“I am incredibly proud of him,” says Rick Estimond. “He has accepted himself and has gotten others to accept him exactly for who he is.”

For years, Estimond had been anxious about every success thinking that with so many good things finally happening, something bad ought to come after. “But what if instead, more good is yet to come,” Rick reminds him.

“I followed my heart and it’s taken me to places I’ve never thought I would be.” Atkins Estimond.

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By Noah Washington

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F

or many businesses, COVID-19 was a deterrent to progress and a means for involuntary destruction. Many pondered the question, “What does the future hold?”, in the face of having to close down shop or deciding to venture into an unknown future-a path that few could take. One of the few, Travis Cochran, decided to seize the opportunity for change and make space for creatives in a time when their oxptions were already so limited. Through his new career of managing artists, his business options expanded quickly over time. He and Cantrell, his flagship artist who would become the face of the HBUC, created the concept of an ingenious studio space together.

“The pandemic played a big part in the creation of the studio. I was just thinking of ways to keep things going without being around too many people.

There needed to be a space where you could control your room and control your content. All these things came together, and so the want arrived for a space like this.”

Starting the studio was Cochran’s way of taking his circumstances into his own hands. From an opportunity standpoint, he wanted to put himself in a position to make his own opportunities and grow from that: “I wanted to do this for all the artists who didn’t have the opportunity to grow on their own.”

When Cochran decided that he was going to open his own studio space he chose to name it “The Historical Black University of Black Creatives,” otherwise known as, “The HBUC.” The name was a play off of Historically Black Colleges and Universities like Morehouse, Spelman, Morris Brown, and Clark Atlanta University which reside down the street from the HBUC’s location in the MET. “I wanted there to be an education undertone associated with the facility.

I wanted the creativity brought into the studio to have a symbiotic relationship with us learning from one another.”

The HBUC officially opened on June 1st of 2021 and is comprised of an impressive roster of co-owners and investors including Trent Brown, offensive tackle for the New England Patriots; Jamere Jackson, CFO of AutoZone; and Caleb Seales, director and producer of Resolve Media Group and co-founder of the production business OPN SZN. In creating the studio, Cochran wanted to emphasize ownership, the ability to take charge of your own future, and continued growth, by providing a specific type of environment for creatives.

The best method in cultivating such an environment was crystal clear to him: collaboration. Throughout the interview, Cochran compared the concept to a country club model.

“We have the space to invite everybody in and build a better community through it in a way that makes it bigger and better for everybody.”

Collaboration exists at the heart of Cochran’s pathos, the logic being that more can be done at a higher quality and more can be learned in a collaborative space.

“If ten of us get together to build a table, it will be a great table. If ten of us try to build our own tables, they may be good tables, but it won’t be the same level of quality.”

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Given this point, the studio’s motto, a metaphor that serves as a double entendre and hammers home the point of inclusion and collaboration, is:“Our table is always better.”

Cochran despises the “need” to be at tables that he is not invited to. In his opinion, “If we build the table the right way, we won’t have to ask for inclusion. Our table will automatically be put in the room. It’s about doing the best things we can, but also having our business in order.

Oftentimes we have the best art or the best style, but our business isn’t in order, so we are not taken as seriously as our counterparts are.”

Cochran’s philosophy doesn’t just apply to his studio or community, but to the music industry as a whole.

“The difference between the B.E.T Awards and the Grammy’s is that they have not been branded or preserved the same way.

It’s all about perception. If we take care of ourselves, the need to be at those other tables will disappear,” he explains.

Cochran cares deeply about the art form but, as a businessman, he also understands the harsh complexities of the business.

“I don’t buy into the mentality that artshouldn’t have a proper business. It is about monetization, we want to have monetization. But with that, you have to have ownership so that you don’t lose hold of the preservation part of the process.

There are plenty of artists who got rich off their music and brands, but they could have been richer if they were in the same position as the people who were pulling the strings. You see all these artists fighting for their masters and not owning their own names or likeness. The money is short-lived if you do not have the correct rights attached to the product. The art is just your soul on display.”

A cruel reality of this industry is that you are going to have starving artists. Just like there are rookie contracts in the NBA, there are rookie contracts in music.

“You have to outwork the deal. For a lot of my artists, I don’t go straight for the major record deal. I understand that there are other ways to get the same amount of money without giving up your power. For a kid who is 17 or 22, if you put a million dollars on the table, he will more likely than not take that deal. But we are now realizing that just because we are giving 34

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something up, that doesn’t mean that we have to give it up forever. The key phrase in contracts now is, in perpetuity. You need to make sure that 22 years from now, you aren’t looking to take your own work back. You should never beg to take your own work back. Make sure you create terms for your contract that you can have control over. Try to make it terms you can live with. It’s way easier to be a millionaire in 2022 than it was in 1992. We should learn and develop with the times, and it’s the responsibility of those who do know the system to teach those who don’t.”

After Cochran shared this wisdom with us, we took a deep dive and discussed the creative aspect of the studio design.

With Tameka Hardaway and Takashi Smith leading design, the HBUC sets are a successful representation of how combining creative thinking and an expertise in set design produces wonderful things.

Cochran describes the process, stating, “I’ve also partnered with Caleb Seals, who is one of the brightest young directors in the world. On Tuesdays, we have meetings about what the new sets are going to be. Everybody goes through their creative idea and then comes to the team with it and decides what will be a good set. Once we vote and approve on approximately 5 sets after an intense session, we go and get to work on the building process.”

A creative process like this can be costly; the average set can run up into the thousands. However, in HBUC’s case, the breathtaking designs of the rooms make up for the expenses of creating them. The LED room in the facility is the most used set and is the oldest. Since the HBUC’s creation, that set has remained beloved and is not going anywhere, anytime soon.

“A lot of different videographers and directors have used the set in new and intricate ways so that the set never feels old or duplicated.”

The set design team has come up with a total of 20 set designs so far. But just because a design makes it past the build stage doesn’t mean it will be well received.

“We had a Versace room. A lot of people liked it aesthetically, but nobody could figure out how to incorporate it. A lot of people liked sitting in it for sure,” Cochran laughed, blaming the lack of use on “bad timing.”

"We should learn and develop with the times, and it’s the responsibility of those who do know the system to teach those who don’ t."

In many cases, a studio's lifespan not only depends on prices and availability but on the talent who comes through them.

The HBUC has plenty of it, with room to spare. Acclaimed artists have had their impressive shadows stalk the sets which are housed in the sizable studio which includes over 20k square feet of space.

“Young Thug is one of the artists I can think of. He has shot 4-5 times within a year. Cordae has also come through to record, he was actually recording with Young Thug. He came through during the NBA playoffs last year. There was a lot of dead time on set, a lot of talking.”

Cochran went on to sing his praises about some of the other artists who have come through like Mulatto and Dreamdoll. However, his favorite shoot was Chris Brown’s “Go Crazy,” remix featuring Young Thug, Future, Mulatto, and Lil Durk.

“It’s not because of the names that were attached. It was because it had the most moving parts. We had to build four scenes with four brand-new rooms from scratch. At that time we didn’t have any sets in the actual studio. There were a lot of visual effects that were put into that video.”

Other famous artists have popped into the studio as well, such as Trina, Rap City, and Quavo.

But Cochran’s aspirations for the studio exceed its current nature.

“Right now we are moving into Phase 2 of the studio, where we are building out the lounging areas. I don’t want it to just be a performance space. As I said before, I want it to be a country club. One of my other partners, Trent Brown, is building a private training facility in the studio as well.”

“Those are our two biggest projects right now. We want the lounge area to be a place where members can come and network and companies can have seminars. We also have a massage therapist with a massage spa on hand as well; that is definitely my favorite part.

I’m always on the run and need them.”

Having Cochran’s job and responsibility would put anyone in the need for a massage, but he assures,.

“It’s not stressful if you love it.”It was clear from the glee in Cochran’s voice as we spoke that his love for the industry is rooted in his love of music, specifically Hip-Hop. Even though the facility has been open for a while, Cochran still hopes to give the HBUC the grand opening that it deserves.

“We haven’t had our official opening party yet. I believe I am going to do what Tyler Perry did and have it open for a year before celebrating.”

With the impressive track record that the HBUC has established, an opening like Perry’s is certainly called for, with little room for hesitation. The future for this new facility is certainly bright, brimming with opportunity and an infinite amount of hope.

Cochran explains that Brown’s project is expected to break ground soon and be open and fully running by the end of the year.

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By: Noah Washington

I

n an age of social media consumption, uninspired trends, and a lack of self-preservation (or maybe even selfish self-servicing), one individual stands out against the mold. Radazaih Whittington, the millennial firecracker, is not only exploding onto the Film and Television scene, but is also excelling in her space as a creator and entrepreneur. Whittington began her journey into the scene when she realized her gifts in the arts of organization and production, with a knack for all things structured. Whittington’s skills, in combination with her creative mind, inspired her to further pursue production and a place in the Film and Television industry.

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"I wanted to be able to give creatives more jobs in the market."

Her first step forward was earning her B.A. at Culver-Stockton College with a focus in TV and radio production. While there, she had a stint managing the CulverStockton Radio Station, “C.A.T.” It was there that she learned how and where she should start her career. Whittington quickly realized that she could not stay in Missouri, “There wasn't a market for Film and TV in Missouri. It was mostly news.

It wasn't that I was against news, but that I wanted to touch all of the media as a whole. Especially digital media. So I moved to Atlanta and knew that I was going to be able to chart my own path.”

Whittington realized that not everything would come at once for her, though. When she moved here, Whittington decided that she wanted to get a master's degree in Film and Television from the Savannah College of Art & Design Atlanta Campus.

So not only would Whittington have one degree, but would soon have two to help her take over the world. While at SCAD, Whittington got a job in the TV industry working on the heralded global phenomenon and household name, “Sesame Street.” There, Whittington worked out in the field as an Assistant Director, recording their “in the street segments” for about 8 months.

Following that, Whittington would go on to the Black News Channel as an Editor and their Lead Producer. Having that experience helped prepare Whittington for future ventures. While there, she learned to pitch, write, and produce on a higher level. Seizing the opportunities

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that social media would provide, Whittington expanded her expertise to creating news content for Over The Top media (OTT) and maximized the use of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and Youtube to do so.

Whittington’s showcase of skills would be put on full display once again; under her reign, BNC saw a 3,000 percent increase in viewers. This impressive achievement brought the channel's subscriber count to 22.3 million. Whittington didn’t just expand the network’s audience, though; she was also able to increase revenue for the platform by six figures within six months of being there.

“My time at BNC truly was something special that I had to get adjusted to. It was amazing to work with so many people of color with such high roles all throughout the company. The CULTURE at BNC was a phenomenal experience in a workplace, and I’m forever grateful for the experience of working with so many talented Black storytellers and journalists,” Whittington says.

After her experience working for BNC, her career and expertise would take off. After graduating from SCAD with her Master of Arts in TV and Film, Whitington came to the realization that everybody wanted to make content, but nobody wanted to own it.

“I wanted to focus on creatives owning their own stuff. None of the creatives

that I came across were focused on their names being associated with ownership.

They were putting their names on their products, but only on a superficial level.

Your name won’t mean a whole lot unless you trademark or put a copyright behind it.”

With this in mind, she then decided to pursue entertainment law. Through attending Emory University’s School of Law, Whittington proved that she had the ambition to succeed in her endeavors and the brains to match her ambitions.

Very few people can say that they have collected three degrees in the field of the entertainment industry.

Whittington’s interest in ownership did not end with clients. She started her own business, Royal Horizon Productions, to cater to creatives and specifically actors' needs. The company’s mission statement reads, “Royal Horizon Productions is committed to creatives and industry professionals, developing them to their fullest potential, while supporting new and established actors in media, aligning their goals into reality.”

Whittington’s commitment to this selfless act of providing support for artists has led to great success among many actors. Actors who have used her services have been cast in television series such as

Donald Glover’s “Atlanta,” "Stranger Things," and "Tails," among many others.

Her talent has also been cast in films such as Madea's Funeral.

“I wanted to be able to give creatives more jobs in the market. It’s so hard for us to get jobs, I wanted to be able to fill a database to get actors into movies and any other project to start their careers.”

Whittington emphasizes that she loves it when creators get paid. Her decision to obtain a degree in entertainment law and her work through this business venture has forged a new path for creatives; one where this is possible.

Her company's other services include photography, consulting, legal services, production, casting, and self-tapes, among many others.

Whittington’s determination and ambition to succeed has continued to lead her down the path of success. Recently, she was hired as the head Executive Producer of Streaming at 11ALIVE (WXIA/ TEGNA). Her task is specific: define the vision and execute the program strategy for the channel’s 24/7 OTT app. The tools in her kit include live newscasts, breaking news, original content, and any and all archival material. Whittington is at the forefront of producing and making OTT news services available to the mainstream public; a task that seems more impossible in the aftermath of CNN+ shutting down alongside public reliance upon cable, satellite, and social media for their news.

News is harder to monetize over streaming due to its traditional narrative content, so achieving this position in the first place was no easy feat.

Whittington was able to accumulate all of her experience and skills in order to seize this opportunity and excel in it. Her training and natural inclination to strive for success were certainly necessary to landing such a monumental job.

Whittington is on a rocket, shooting for the stars. To be able to achieve all that she has in such a short time span is nothing but incredible. I look forward to seeing where her ship lands next.

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Actor to Lead Largest Spanish-Language TV Station in Atlanta

By Daniela Cintron

T

elevision veteran and actor Ivan Shammas is named President and General Manager of Univision Atlanta and Univision Raleigh, NC; the U.S. Spanishlanguage broadcaster now owned by the newly formed TelevisaUnivision Inc. Based in Atlanta, Shammas will oversee all operational aspects of both stations including marketing, community affairs, news, and local and national advertising sales. “My goal in the new role is to take these television stations to a new level of community and partnership integration,” says Shammas. “Which, in turn, helps all aspects of a multimedia station's performance and growth.”

This move marks Shammas’ return to Univision where he previously spent 11 years as part of the original team that launched the WUVG Univision Atlanta station in 2002. He held various roles during his tenure including national account manager for Univision Atlanta and Univision Raleigh.

Shammas started his career as an account executive selling cable airtime on Univision, Telemundo, and Galavisión. “When I was graduating from Georgia State University, a family friend had mentioned that I should go work for Univision. Being of Venezuelan descent and having been raised speaking Spanish at home, Univision was a channel that our family knew all too well and watched regularly,” says Shammas about the opportunity that sparked his interest early on in his career. Today, he leads the station.

However, his passion for the performing arts and interest in the entertainment industry come from way back. Before being an advertising account executive, Shammas was an actor.

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Ivan Shammas & Daughter Lucia Shammas

Ivan Shammas with his wife Gopi Shammas, twins Bodhi and Kash Shammas, and Lucia Shammas

“Ever since I was a little boy I’ve always loved theater and everything associated with performing arts,” says Shammas. “I remember watching classic movies at a very young age with my dad and being influenced by the amazing performances by the actors.” At the age of 8, Shammas set foot on stage for the first time as an actor at an elementary school theatrical production. Since then, acting has become a creative outlet for him.

“I have always appreciated the talent of what a great actor can accomplish because of who they are able to become onstage or on camera,” shares Shammas.

“It’s the draw of a good script that I enjoy diving into, breaking down and analyzing, in order to have a better understanding of the character, where they come from, and why they make certain choices.”

Over the years, Shammas has continued to act and be part of some exciting productions, from short films to feature-length movies and national commercials. “I have always been passionate and active in all aspects of the arts, whether it has been acting on stage or in front of a camera to even the simple joy that comes from taking my kids to a broadway production at Atlanta’s Fox Theater.”

Despite the demands of his new role, Shammas finds the time to keep his passion for the performing arts alive,

whether it is taking classes or supporting other productions and instilling that love into his children as his father once did with him. “Early this year I was able to jump back into some scene studying and character analysis classes which felt amazing and was a lot of fun,” says Shammas. “I always aim to support the local arts where I can. I now find joy in seeing my children be active in their respective plays or classes.”

Having a strong background not only in the marketing and sales side of the industry, but also in the creative and artistic side of it gives Shammas a better understanding of all aspects of the business. He is able to give proper direction and feedback when working with clients’ productions and is also able to give guidance to on-air talent, content creators, and producers with the goal to provide captivating content for the viewers.

“I continue to be blessed to be surrounded by the art of performing, producing, informing, and entertaining because of the industry I work in and the company I proudly represent,” says Shammas.

Acting has also provided Shammas with powerful tools to lead in both his new role and in his community. “Acting is listening and reacting, which can be applied to so many aspects of one’s life and career,” says Shammas. “Also, it certainly

helps with confidence, my public speaking engagements, and moderating of events.”

Shammas is very involved in the community through various nonprofit organizations, including the YMCA of Metro Atlanta Board of Directors, Atlanta Community Food Bank, and Caribbean American Cultural Arts Foundation, among others. He has received prestigious awards throughout the years, including being recognized as one of Georgia’s 100 Most Influential People, awarded as one of the 50 Most Influential Latinos in Georgia, and being inducted into the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Hall of Fame in 2021.

Leading with heart and passion, Shammas is looking forward to serving his community and his team. “A Servant Leadership mindset is key for growth, fulfillment, and for reaching today’s business objectives. Through this leadership style, I aim to provide a culture of positivity where all can thrive, be innovative, performance-oriented, rewarded, and have fun while making an impact,” says Shammas. “It is our duty to be servant leaders, be a voice for our community, provide a positive influence, and pull others up, as so many have done for us.”

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POISED TO TURN UP THE VOLUME ON GEORGIA’S MUSIC INDUSTRY BY: LISA FERRELL

"Music is part of the fabric of everyone's life — but this is especially true in Georgia, a state which has a storied history in supporting and developing innovative artists across music genres, from hip hop and classical to R&B and country," says Mala. “Music makes money. Music makes Atlanta better.”

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WE CAN GROW THIS INDUSTRY EVEN FURTHER IF WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AND INVEST IN MUSIC."

A

ccording to a study commissioned by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, GMP, and Sound Diplomacy (and linked on The Georgia Department of Economic Development website), Atlanta is known as an internationally recognized music hub. The economic vitality of Fulton County’s music industry is responsible for generating $1.6 billion and creating 10,500 jobs. The study goes on to note the metro region’s growing number of recording studios, which totals more per capita than either New York or Seattle.

There are over 200 recording studios in town bringing in millions of dollars each year.

But even with those impressive numbers, Georgia’s music industry has the potential to do much more—both for the state and the artists.

“We lack statewide incentives to jump start investment and cohesive, connected leadership across the Metro area to best support the music economy.

The music industry contributes $3.7 billion to Georgia's economy … and once live music and festivals are added in, that number is closer to $5 billion. We can grow this industry even further if we all work together and invest in music."

Of Georgia’s many creative sectors – film, gaming/technology, music – the film industry enjoys the lion’s share of the attention and, some would argue, the support. Mala feels that we haven’t capitalized on music the same way we have with film, but added that by working together, music could help film reach more of Georgia’s communities and all of Georgia’s creative industries can flourish.

“We will always be seen as a place to film but we are not writing the projects here, we are not finishing the projects here. And so, until there is that holistic approach – not just for film but for all of it – we haven’t built a sustainable industry.

If we are able to build an environment where Georgia is not only the Hollywood of the South, but the Nashville of the South, the Silicon Valley of the South, then we’re unstoppable,” Mala stated.

“That has been our message.”

“Statewide, music does not have the leverage right now that film does, but we have the numbers. We have grassroots, and that is what film is lacking. But without that sort of cohesive partnership, it’s like we’re all kind of siloed. I see film struggling to say ‘we really do mean a lot in these other communities,’ so there is that. I have been

doing this policy for music since Rick and Wilbur [of the Georgia Production Partnership] taught me. And so I know the process, yes. Unless you’re there on the ground, and that’s where music is, there on the ground day in and day out.

So you could have bigger numbers in those markets if it was the entertainment community and not just [for example] Athens music partners. You know the entertainment commissions in all these markets.”

Mala is known as a creative thinker by her peers with financial skills and is a proven leader of high performing, collaborative, cross-functional teams.

Her broad-based experience in the entertainment industry includes business development, management and strategic partnerships in music production and digital entertainment – but not performing. How did someone who is self-admittedly “tone deaf and can’t play a note” become a champion for the music industry? We have Georgia’s own Godfather of Soul, the inimitable James Brown to thank for that.

With his music being sampled more than 7,000 times, James Brown is arguably one of the world’s greatest inspirations in music. Fortunately for

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"

I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT DEKALB COUNTY WAS THE FIRST COUNTY WITH AN ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION FOR ALL ASPECTS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY." MALA SHARMA

Georgia’s music industry, one of those inspired by Mr. Brown just happened to be a four-year-old Mala, who grew up to become co-founder of Georgia Music Partners (GMP), a non-profit music advocacy coalition that seeks to grow Georgia’s music industry to become one of the country’s biggest and best.

“I was born in India and grew up in Augusta, Georgia, of all places,” recalls Mala. “One of my earliest memories – I think I was four – is my still adjusting to living in a different country and seeing this magnificent house on Christmas decorated like I had never seen in my life!

All of these amazing decorations and a Christmas tree with a Black Santa on top.

It was James Brown’s house!”

“I ended up going to school in Athens – Public Relations major – and music was a big part of Athens in the late 80s, early 90s. So loving music, I thought if I could figure out some way to go to these shows for free. I was part of the Student Union bringing concerts to the campus and I began doing press and publicity – so that’s how it started. I also managed some bands in Athens, so I decided that when I graduated, I was going to go to LA,” she continued.

This early experience led to a love for music and a career in the music and entertainment industry, spanning more than two decades. Over the years, Mala collaborated on some of the most successful albums of our time. Her work with GRAMMY-winning music producers

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Rick Rubin and Brendan O’Brien resulted in timeless, multi-platinum recordings by artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, and more.

Mala also established City National Bank’s presence in Atlanta as VP by building and fostering successful relationships with high-profile entertainment clients. She oversaw marketing and sponsorship for the bank’s flagship Atlanta office. Mala’s career also includes tenures at Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Def American Records, and Fifty Seven Records (a Sony label).

“Music kind of helped me adjust. It helped me in so many ways. I can’t play a note – I am tone deaf – but what music has done for me personally, my soul, I have this passion for it and I always have. It’s always been nothing but that: music has been my medicine, it's been transformative.”

With her more than two decades of work in and around the music industry, Mala went from having a front row seat as she watched Atlanta grow as a music town – specifically in the late 80s, early 90s with LaFace – to watching as Georgia talent began to move to other music cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville.

“I think that back in the day back when musicians LA Reid and Kenny “Baby Face” Edmonds left Los Angeles and opened LaFace Records (with the help of Clive Davis) here, it kind of put Atlanta on the map in a whole other way. It was great to have all eyes on us. But we really

haven’t had that type of infrastructure since he left.”

Mala believes that although Atlanta has a world class music economy, it has not been seen in the same vein as film.

To change this, Mala and the partners of GMP came together to figure out how to get Atlanta to invest in and accelerate its music economy in the same vein as the film industry.

“The film tax credit was already in place. I think they had made a few changes to it so it was finally working, so I had conversations with Ric and Wilbur [Georgia Production Partnership leaders] on crafting the incentive,” said Mala.

Wilbur Fitzgerald, Shay Griffin, and Ric Reitz, former members of The Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) Government Relations Committee were instrumental in crafting and supporting the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act and Entertainment Production Sales & Use Tax Exemption Bill (HB385) in 2010.

“We started focusing on a music tax incentive after we saw what the incentive was doing for the film industry, which was also the same time we were seeing the [musical] talent drain,” said Mala.

“So, we thought that if we had started [at that time] attracting the businesses and helping those studios stay open and attracting those flagship studios like Nashville has, there is no doubt in my mind we would now be experiencing the kind of business that Nashville does. They have the EA Sports – they have, as a city,

figured out how film, music, and digital entertainment can help each other.”

Mala helped found GMP in 2010. As GMP's executive director and president, she led the group’s lobbying efforts resulting in The Georgia Musical Investment Act, signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal in 2017. “[The Georgia Music Investment Act (HB-155)] was birthed really out of the Recording Academy, the Atlanta Chapter,” said Marla.

“In the beginning was Tammy Hurt, Michele Caplinger, Dee Dee Murray, Jay Lett, me, and a few others who started GMP. Of those folks, it has been Tammy, Michele, and me who have really been with it –sticking it out.”

The Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter and GMP were in attendance on May 30, 2017, at the Georgia State Capitol, when former Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill 155 into law.

GMP President Tammy Hurt said at the time, “Now the work of capitalizing on opportunities can begin as we look forward to working with the talented Georgia music creators and businesses to attract new opportunities to Georgia.”

The Georgia Music Investment Act (HB-155) is a 15-20% incentive that is to incentivize recording and scoring projects as well as live tours from around the country and the world to rehearse and start in the state. To qualify, a production company must meet a minimum threshold of $500,000 for live performance rehearsals, $250,000 for stand-alone scoring projects (aggregate in a year) and $100,000 (aggregate in a year) for recorded music performances. If the production takes place in lesser-developed Tier 1 and Tier 2 counties, it can qualify for the additional 5% credit.

Mala has been consulting in the creative industries since 2015, working with clients in all aspects of the entertainment industry clients including, Wabi Sabi Sound, Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, Avatar Events Group, and Sound Diplomacy.

In 2019, she was honored with an appointment to the Georgia Film, Music, and Digital Entertainment Commission

by Governor Kemp. Additional board service includes US IP Alliance, Georgia

Joel Katz, Michele Caplinger, L.A. Reid and Mala Sharma

IP Association Entertainment, Arts and Sports Committee, the Board of Governors for The Recording Academy Atlanta Chapter and the advisory board for UGA's Music Business Program.

Most recently, GMP, in partnership with Metro Atlanta Chamber and Sound Diplomacy, convened to discuss how to invest in, support, and further develop our music economy to determine what needs to be done and how to get there.

“The mayor [Andre Dickens] has been phenomenal, as has City Council President Doug Shipman,” said Mala.

“We held an event in April that was the first Music Cities Summit, so the mayor spoke. It was hosted by The Atlanta Metro Chamber and GMP and it was phenomenal. So, we are having those conversations.”

“I am incredibly proud of the fact that DeKalb County was the first county with an entertainment commission for ALL aspects of the entertainment industry: film, music, and video games.

Shelbia Jackson [Dekalb Entertainment Commission] is such an amazing force.

And that is extremely important because what that says is that we are starting to research how to take the steps forward to start attracting businesses at every level.”

“With the 2008 Entertainment Tax Incentive – which is the reason there are so many major motion pictures being shot

in Georgia. With the music legislation that passed in 2017, which took seven years to get passed, our hopes are that this is a compliment to the film and tv incentive.

So, I feel like we are embarking on this perfect storm to become an entertainment hub – period. So, instead of people having to leave and go to someplace like Los Angeles or Nashville to make a living, we can keep them here, but we also want to be a destination. To have your career break in the state of Georgia, and I believe the tax incentives will do that.”

“And that’s been important to GMP from the get-go. We have really been mindful from day one – we can all operate independently, but if we skate to where the puck is going – when we started there was more of a clear delineation.

But now with emerging technology, and just digitalization of every aspect of the business, you can’t just be the capitol of film production, the longevity is not there in that.”

July / August 2022

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