difficult? Securing financing was not
very difficult at all. I had a few meetings with possible investors, but they
all said no. My father saw me moping
about and decided to invest in my
dream. I invested some funds and
credit cards and then we received a
grant from the Governor. My dad,
Joseph Earl Ricks, has always been
one of my biggest supporters, which
makes this project even more special.
(Cont’d from the front page)
his vision and inspiration behind the
movie with me.
What is the primary message for
"Troop 491"? The primary message of
the Muddy Lions is "Choices, Chances, and Consequences." We wanted to
speak to today's youth and offer them
valuable life lessons that can help
them in the future.
How did this script come about? The
script was an idea that my best
friend, Clifford Chambliss, shared
with me, to tell our story about a
group of friends that go to school together, go to church together, and are
also Scouts. It was such a fresh idea,
Black Scouts, that I give it a shot.
What made you decide to shoot this
film? I've been working toward making films since the age of 15 and the
Muddy Lions felt like the best choice
for my first film. It was a chance to
share with today's youth some the
principles that were instilled in me by
my parents, my community and my
experiences with Scouting.
Who are the lead cast members in the
movie? The leads were kids, Kimani
Coleman (star), Kameron J. Brown,
Malique Hawkins, Devin Druid, Tim
and Daphne Reid, Michael LeMelle,
Terrell Donnell Sledge, and Melody
Tally.
Writers World Newspaper, VOL. IX
We held two casting calls and saw
about 300 candidates and made the
best choice with the talent available.
How did you get them on board with
your project? To me, the Director is
the alpha male or female on set. He/
She is the leader and expected to
know all about the script, the story,
and characters. He/She works with
the other creative departments to set
the look and feel of the movie.
What limitations does a movie director have; in example can he/she also
work as an editor or cinematographer as well as a director on a film?
As an independent director, I'm not
bound by a lot of the rules a studio
may use. Traditionally, it's about collaboration and trusting others to do
their job. Everything is specialized
and it's not popular for the Director
to cross into others territory. As a
indie director, I can cross over when
and where I see fit.
(Cont’d on pg. 19)
Did "Troop 491" reflect your childhood? -In what way? Muddy Lions is
loosely based off my experiences with
the real Troop 491 in Richmond, Va
during the violent years of the 90's.
We averaged over 100 murders for ten
straight years. For me, Scouting
served as safe heaven, a way to connect with like minded individuals. It
taught me to set my dreams high and
work hard to accomplish my goals.
Do you prefer Directing or Writing? Why? I'm a storyteller, my preference
is Directing. I really respect the craft
of writing, but i feel like a novice and
it takes me a lot of time and editing
to get to a final product. Directing allows me to oversee everything and
collaborate with talented artists, I
love
being
in
control.
Below: Writer, Director, Producer—Praheme
Did you find the process of acquiring
financing for your project
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