Take 5!

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Dr. Anwar Jamison is an award-winning filmmaker and film professor at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He has written, directed and executive produced five feature films. He is also an accomplished actor, author, and hip-hop artist. Inspired by films of generations past, Jamison’s films balance light-hearted comedy with poignant, social commentary. His most recent films: Coming to Africa and Coming to Africa: Welcome to Ghana, showcase narratives in the African American aesthetic tradition with a Pan-Africanist sensibility.

Q: What do you like most about your job as a producer?

A: I enjoy the process of harnessing my imagination, molding it into a tangible artistic expression, and sharing it with an audience. Everyone has an imagination. Everyone tells stories. Everyone evokes various emotions in other people. Everyone makes someone laugh or cry at a certain point, but very few people get the opportunity to affect a substantial amount of people in that way at the same time in the way that a filmmaker does. I enjoy the feeling of watching actors take words that I’ve written and breathe life into them. I love sitting in a theater and receiving confirmation from an audience’s laughter at something that I thought would be funny to them when I wrote it. Those are the things that I like most.

Q: What do you consider your artistic process when it comes to making a film?

A: I am a writer also, so, it always starts with the script, and the script usually begins with a real experience. It may or may not be my own experience, but it is always based on reality. Then, I start to fictionalize that reality and decide what I want to address in the narrative. For some reason, I always find humor in a given situation, so I tend to lean towards comedy. I may walk around “writing” the script in my head for months before I type it. I will constantly think about the different scenarios, characters, and dialogue until it gets to the point where I can watch the movie in my mind. Then, I sit down and write the script. However, the director in me knows that the script is usually not finalized until it is shot. So, I am constantly adapting and creating as needed, even on the set. After production takes place, I also edit my films, which is a tremendous advantage. Editing allows me to control the pace of the film and ensure that the actors’ performances and the narrative are the best they can be before the film is released to audiences.

Q:Why did you start making films?

A: I stumbled into filmmaking almost by accident. Many years ago when I was a young hip-hop artist, I hired a director to shoot a music video for a song that I was about to release. On the day of the shoot, the director did not show up. Since I had invited a significant number of people to appear in the video, it was an embarrassing moment, and I was furious. That day, I decided that I would learn to direct, shoot, and edit my own videos. I enrolled in the film program at The University of Memphis, which is the same program in which I am now a professor. Writing has always been my first love, and combining that love with the art of filmmaking created the perfect symbiotic relationship for my artistic endeavors. I quickly forgot about my music video ambitions and dove headfirst into filmmaking.

Q: What are you currently watching?

A: I enjoy films and television shows from past generations. I’m waiting for the new season of Godfather of Harlem, which is one of my favorite current shows. However, I often find myself re-watching the films of some of my favorite directors like John Singleton, Michael Schultz, and Martin Scorcese.

Q:Any advice to those starting out in the film

A: My advice to those starting in filmmaking is to educate yourself and work on your craft. Please! That does not mean that you have to go to film school and earn a degree, but the information is available for those who want it. If have you the time and financial support to attend film school, it is a wonderful experience, but there are other ways. I have a friend who put himself through “YouTube University” spending several years studying videos, practicing, and applying that acquired knowledge to his projects with great results. With the technology that is available today, a lot of people just pick up a camera with no knowledge of the fundamentals and make movies. A low budget does not have to equal low quality. You would be amazed how much you can raise the production value of your films by applying the most basic fundamentals.