WHAT IS THE PRODUCING PLAYBOOK?
The Producing Playbook was created from the frustration of not seeing enough resources exist for those who are interested in the role or career of a Producer. I started my career from a video production class in high school and have seen first hand how valuable the experience can be with teaching. That class created exposure and an introduction to an entire industry I didn’t know existed. I didn’t know what a Producer was (or did for that matter), but I embarked on a path through college and then graduate school to find out.
Upon entering the real world, I went on to produce a lot of things over the years: Music Videos, Short Films, Webseries, Sketches, Documentaries, Feature Films, and Television. I’ve been a part of shaping groundbreaking projects for the culture and aspire to continue championing underrepresented voices and stories. What did I discover on this journey? Well, producing is a lot of things and the role of a Producer is an important and valuable one, but because the position functions in various ways it is not necessarily the easiest thing to teach someone how to do it.Â
My best advice is to learn by doing. That’s truly the best way to build your producing acumen. But that could sound scary to a lot of people when you don’t know what you don’t know and maybe you’ve never been to film school or taken a class on filmmaking.
So, this workshop is designed for you. It’s all the things I wish I knew starting out and put together in a digestible format. My hope is that by taking these courses you feel inspired and knowledgeable enough to go create something. Whether it is for digital, social media, a short film, tv series, or movie. Producing isn’t as daunting as you might think and it’s challenging (most times) but remember that you’ll never learn everything from just the one experience. It’s an evolving skill set that will continue to grow as you develop it. If you’re looking for where to start or want to deepen your knowledge, then I encourage you to sign-up and discover more with me.
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Deniese
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SIGN ME UPMEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR: DENIESE DAVIS
Deniese is a four-time Emmy nominated Producer and the Founder/CEO of Reform Media Group. She began her career producing music videos, short films and digital content including Issa Rae’s award-winning web series "The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl". Her producing credits include: Sony/TriStar's theatrical film ONE OF THEM DAYS starring Keke Palmer and SZA, the upcoming independent film HARD FEELINGS directed by Jo Hatcher and financed by Tyler Perry Studios, two HBO Emmy-nominated comedy series’ INSECURE and A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW, and the MAX comedy series RAP SH!T. On the unscripted side, Deniese was a Consulting Producer for Hulu's THE HONORABLE SHYNE documentary and an Executive Producer for the PBS docu-series A TOWN CALLED VICTORIA. She also produced TT The Artist's debut documentary DARK CITY: BENEATH THE BEAT which premiered at SXSW and streamed on Netflix as well as the documentary INSECURE: THE END for HBO. She is currently in post production on an upcoming docu-series for TLC/MAX. Additionally, Deniese is a co-founder of ColorCreative, a management company with a mission to empower diverse creators by disrupting creative industries. An alum of CUNY Brooklyn College and The American Film Institute, Deniese sits on the board of Black Public Media, The Blackhouse Foundation, and is a founding member of AFI’s Alumni Council for the Lawrence Herbert Alumni Center (LHAC).
ABOUT REFORM MEDIA GROUP
Launched in 2020 by Deniese Davis, Reform Media Group aims to produce television and film content that has social and cultural relevance and strives to enlighten, entertain, and inspire. The company focuses on amplifying marginalized stories in all facets of the entertainment industry by way of both business and creative ventures. Led by innovation, RMG encourages us to think differently about media reform and the current entertainment ecosystem.