Film Courage: We look at your credits on IMDB Antoine, we see that you’ve worked on a number of projects. How are you working with the screenwriting? Are you taking the idea and choosing a screenwriter?
Antoine Allen, Filmmaker: I have a writing team, Eugene Walker, John Torres, and Gregg DaCosta. I come with the idea and I probably write the treatment whatever, but I pretty much come with the idea and I’ll hire the writers to write it for me. During Covid, me and my writing team got together and we wrote over 50 scripts. If you’re a writer, you want to make 100 drafts, you want to do this. I’m directing it so I don’t need 100 drafts, I need maybe two or three and then I’m good to go. I’m going to change it when I’m on set so I’m able to knock all those scripts out. All the ideas are my ideas and then I get the writers to come on board and help me flesh it out.
Film Courage: Where are you meeting these screenwriters?
Antoine: Some of them are friends, some with actors, one of my writers, Eugene Walker, he is one of my partners and he was in a few of my films. I got him writing because I told him that You need more power. I want you to have your own power. He’s a great writer so I got him writing. Then I have one of my actors, John Torres, I said You have a good idea, start writing because I need writers. I got him started writing. Now he doesn’t just act, he’s also a writer. I’ve got another writer, Lester Greene, that you know, I’ve got him writing now. Whoever is around me I want them to do more, I want them to have more power, I don’t want to be the only person to have all this power. I always say If you’re in a room and you’re the only person with all the money and your friends are looking for you, you’re not doing a good job as a leader. I want everybody around me to have power so if I need something I could go to them. If they need something, they come to me and vice versa.
Film Courage: How do you know they’re good writers? How do you know they have what it takes to make your vision alive?
Antoine: Write it and if I don’t like it I don’t use it…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
About Antoine:
Award-winning filmmaker Antoine Allen had dreams like any other kid growing up, and it was those same dreams that allowed him to break through every obstacle in his path. Despite growing up poor in Jamaica, Queens, Allen was already rich with potential. Refusing to let this define his future, he moved forward with a passion, drive, and tireless dedication that has now become synonymous with the Antoine Allen brand.
Allen began his career in the music industry, successfully managing hip-hop artists for many years. During that time, he had several experiences that opened his eyes to the fact that he had more to offer. It was at this time that the phrase “dream big or don’t dream at all” really hit hard.
Forgoing the traditional film school route, he began educating himself on all creative, technical, and business aspects of the process and never looked back. Allen transformed himself into a successful writer, director, filmmaker and producer. He sold his first screenplay,
No Where Land an animated feature film in 2008. As an award-winning director, Allen has gone on to be involved in a variety of film and music video projects.
In the summer of 2010, Allen made his directorial debut with Split Decision a narrative short film exploring love, rejection and motivation, which he also wrote and produced. He took promotions into his own hands, launching a highly successful social media campaign. The trailer alone received over twenty-one thousand views on YouTube and countless ‘Likes’ on Facebook, all culminating in the Split Decision world premiere. The opening screening in New York City sold out. This should have come as no surprise since Allen sold out a premiere to a 3-minute music video that he had previously directed. On a personal level, the film allowed him to draw from his own experiences of beating the odds when life got tough, and was an experience that brought Allen full circle.
His most recent project, a full-length feature film Life Is Too Short (2015) premiered to another crop of sold out audiences and has been honored with multiple awards and film festivals selections.
Aside from pursuing his creative projects, Allen has devoted a great deal of his time inspiring, mentoring and giving back to his community by helping young entrepreneurs and artists achieve the bigger dreams that they have for themselves. This is a reflection of the extent and impact that one person can have within their surroundings.
CONNECT WITH ANTOINE ALLEN
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