Geno Brooks
Geno Brooks is the Founder and CEO of The Artistic Standard, A BOUTIQUE MEDIA STUDIO FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING, PRODUCING, AND DISTRIBUTING DISRUPTIVE, SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY IMPACTFUL, TELEVISION, FILM, AND DIGITAL CONTENT. A chicago native, Brooks is best known for his two critical acclaim series, black boots and The therapist. He recently served as a writer and director on Bounce TV’s hit show, johnson.
How was your 2021? How did your year wrap up last year?
2021 was a year of growth. I feel like the company [The Artistic Standard] has made some tremendous strides. Personally, I think 2021 was a year that I put my foot down towards my larger goals. It was like a good starting year towards the things I have always dreamed of. I'm looking forward to what 2022 brings us.
A congratulations are in order. The Artistic Standard recently secured a distribution partnership. Can you share some details?
We have a distribution partnership with ALLBLK for our short films via our Bear the Torch mentorship program, our company started in 2020. The program consists of an apprenticeship for 8 first-time filmmakers. As part of the program, they each wrote a thesis short film. Their films will be premiere on ALLBLK starting the second quarter of the year.
You are currently working on your own new project, KING. Can you give us some insight into the story?
I'm really excited about this project. It's a coming-of-age story based loosely around my life and my journey from Chicago to LA to working in the business. It explores the duality of my dreams of being a writer/director/filmmaker while balancing a day job working in social services.
The story centers on a character named Malik. He moves to LA with aspirations of being a filmmaker, a writer/director. In the midst of that, to take care of himself, he leans on his education gets a job as a social worker working with foster kids in Compton. The amazing Twinkie Byrd is serving as executive producer.
Let's talk about your journey for a bit. How did you get your start in filmmaking?
My grandfather gave me my first camera, which began my appreciation for capturing moments. That’s where I first learned about framing and lighting. Also, I’ve always been good at drawing. I can freehand draw pretty well. Along with my love of poetry, those elements are what I would consider the foundation of my creativity.
During a visit to LA, I got an unexpected opportunity to work on CH2, the remake of Cooley High. That movie is one of the staples of filmmaking in Chicago, so I felt very drawn to it. That experience put me in the game and allowed me to stay in LA.
Eventually, my friend, Issac Keys (Power Book IV), challenged me to write my own project. I wrote a script, and after reading it, Issac turned to me and said, "We are going to produce this. We will figure it out." That script became my first web series, The Therapist.
Your resume is rather extensive. You have numerous writing credits, directing credits, and production credits to your name. What messages do you hope audiences receive from your overall body of work?
I'm all about Black excellence and preserving our culture. Entrepreneurship, showcasing HBCUs, Greek life, positive portrayals of Black men and women are themes you will see in my projects.
Also, I'm a POV filmmaker. I try to give the audience a first-hand experience of what the character is going through and their feelings so the audience member are experiencing it at the same time from the same point of view. I hope that the audience connects with my characters.
Staying on your characters for a moment, what effect does your experience as a social worker have on your development of characters?
A great question. I graduated from Wilberforce University at HBCU in Ohio, and then I went on to get my master's degree from the University of Kentucky in rehabilitation mental health. Based on what I've studied, I can pay attention to cognitive-behavioral situations. I use that to really get in tune with my characters… how they behave, how they speak, how would they react emotionally. I tap into all those elements to build characters.
What is the toughest aspect of filmmaking today for you?
I think the most challenging part today would be figuring out the proper placement of a project. Which idea fits which space, platform, and level of production and development you should put behind it.
Knowing what type of idea you have is half the battle. Some ideas are better off being packaged than self produced. I would hate for a filmmaker to go out and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a project that they can find partners for with the proper materials that will attract someone or a company who loves it enough to come in and assume some of that liability with you... Or, there's the version that I'm used to which is build it on your own and they will come... Those nights can be cold and lonely but if you can tough it out then it will pay off in the end... So, I say all this to say, having the experience is key. Spend the time perfecting your craft, intentional networking and delivering compelling art.
What are the qualities a person should possess when striving towards their dreams?
I think we should all start off with making sure our moral compases are properly set before we begin our journey's. This will help the creative along their way and hopefully help them identify compromising situations. I would say while you're looking to make that 10 million dollar film, continue to work on smaller projects while you're looking to get that one made.
The next would be dedication and consistency. If I want to make a five-million-dollar film, what am I doing while I'm waiting on that? I'm going to continue to create smaller projects because I love what I do.
Lastly, I would say a form of mentorship is essential. A good mentor provides access to their environment, network, knowledge, and experience. You want to really value that relationship and the trust given to you. If you're lucky to get a mentor that cares about you and pours into you, try not to let that person down or regret granting you access.
What is next for The Artistic Standard?
Really exciting stuff happening for The Artistic Standard. We are in development of a lot of things: scripted ideas, reality shows, podcasts, etc. I will be back for season two of Johnson for Bounce TV. It's a funny story about four best friends with the same last name, Johnson. The show is executive produced by Cedric the Entertainer's and Eric Rhone's company, A Bird and A Bear Entertainment, which was created and stars by Deji Laray and Thomas Q. Jones of Midnight Train productions. I directed four episodes of season 1, which was Bounce TV's highest viewed for a new show in network history.
Also, we just inked a deal to executive produce a black wellness podcast for Headspace. I'm really excited about this venture.
And then there's The Artistic Standard apparel for the business-minded artist. Our goal is for our apparel to be what Nike is to athletes to the artist community.
What quote or motto do you use as a guide for your life?
I live by this quote I created - "Live every moment, chase every dream."
For more on Geno, please visit theartisticstandard.com and follow on social @genobrooks.