It was an intensely hot May in the Old HIckory, TN and little did I know, that moment would be one of the experiences in my life that would inspire me. I was 8 years old when I saw that body hanging from that tree with a rope around its neck. I was 50 yards away, at least near old dusty cabins, which were supposed to be the slave quarters.
The Summer of 1988 was when Alex Haley came to Tennessee to film Roots: The Gift. I don't remember seeing him, but I vividly remember my family on set as background actors. I remember wrestling with Louis Gossett, Jr. and meeting who, for me, was the most famous celebrity at the time, Mr. Reading Rainbow himself, Levar Burton!
As an elementary school kid, I didn't know much about slavery or what exactly we were a part of during the filming, but I do remember all the production people, cameras, production trailers and wardrobe. The scene with the hanging body was surreal in person. I wasn't scared, but intrigued. When the film premiered I watched it with members of my church who were also in the film. That was the serendipitous moment that had me watching movies and television completely differently.
In high school I enrolled in a new Arts Magnet program as my direction and focus was clear. I took every Mass Media class available and chose Media Arts as my major. The summer prior to my Junior year I attended The Media Workshops of America on the Campus of UCLA and became more focused and inspired to learn as much as I could. By the time I enrolled at Fisk University I was working for two television stations and producing my own program on Public Access Television along with working on multiple shows with other producers.
I arrived in Memphis, TN and worked for FOX13 News for over 3 years and received 5 Mid-South Emmy Awards along with 10 Promax Awards and a host of other awards for advertising and public relations. I attribute David Stotts & Paul Sloan with pushing me past what I expected for myself.
As I began to produced creative projects for a wide variety of corporate, medical, christian and non-profit clients I realized there is a common element in every project… The Human element. It didn’t matter if we were trying to sell furniture, educate employees or inspire a religious community. If the creative connects with people on a personal level it becomes effective. While working at Hope Church I learned to look for the “value adds.” Consistently looking for ways to enhance the experience of worship. Nothing creative should be a distraction from the message.
That same concept works with any product or service. The final creative product should never be the highlight or be the central focus. Every creative project I produce I hope to create that memorable moment, that same serendipitous feeling I had when I was 8 years. That feeling of getting “it.”
The thing I keep in mind when producing anything is a quote from the great Maya Angelou. “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
To me, that is the core of Emotional Marketing. Make them feel something and they’ll connect with you.
UPDATE: 3/25/18: I spoke mom and she clarified that Alex Haley was actually not the writer for the 1988 film, "Roots: the Gift." D.M. Eyre Jr. was the writer and Kevin Hooks was the Director. It was based on Roots by Alex Haley, but he was not involved with this production. It is the third installment of the Roots series, which traces the maternal family history of African American author Alex Haley, starting with his fourth great-grandfather Kunta Kinte.
