Meet Quantieshia Brown: Screenplay Writer, Film Director, and Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Quantieshia Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Quantieshia, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I was a little girl, I knew that I always wanted to be creative. I knew that I wanted to become an actress and bring characters to life. As I grew up and started going to auditions, I realized how discouraging it can be to not be casted for a part or hear the casting director talk about how bad my audition was or that I needed more work. That negative energy stayed with me for so long that I literally gave up on my craft of acting. However, it was in high school when I started learning more about what goes on behind the scenes of a film and I felt in love with it. Fast forward to 2020, I launched my company in hopes to give other up and coming actors and actresses who felt discouraged after auditioning for a role that they really wanted and was told no. I want to use my company to give other creatives the confidence to work on their craft and make their dreams come true. I also give opportunities to individuals who want to learn the behind the scenes aspect of filmmaking the opportunity to learn and grow without having to pay thousands of dollars for film school. I know how hard it can be to try and pay for classes or materials to jump start your acting or filmmaking career. With DRIP Productions, we are here to give people that confidence, hope and motivation to pursue their creative career without feeling discouraged. My business is about giving back to individuals like myself and boosting their confidence to prepare them for their next big audition or filmmaking gig.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I tell people that I am a screenplay writer and film director while going to school and owning my own production company, they ask me how I do it. I am here to tell you, it is not easy, but I push through because I have a team that supports me and their passion for filmmaking is high just like mine. I wrote my first short film Escape: Heart Conditions in 2018 but directed it in November 2019. That particular film I am most proud of because it was my second film that I’ve directed and it has received so much recognition that I never thought it will receive. What sets me apart from everyone is that my films come from personal experiences that I have been through or what people close to me have been through. The most challenging part about writing Escape: Heart Conditions is that it made me think of my grandmother and what I been through in 2018. When my grandmother passed, I felt so alone, discouraged, it felt like life didn’t mean anything to me anymore, but I realized that way too many people loved me and would be sad if I was to give up on life. Filming Escape: Heart Conditions took me back to a dark place that I had finally overcame. It felt like I was reliving the pass but I needed to push through because this story had a strong message. It was teaching parents and guardians to not neglect their child feelings, especially when they have to deal with a disease or sickness that is uncontrollable. Love and cherish your loved ones because you never know what they are going through. When I write scripts and direct films, they are coming from my heart and a place of passion. I intend for my films to be a conversation starter on the issues that people are afraid to talk about. My next film that I am currently in pre-production for, Escape; The Unknown is bringing awareness to domestic violence, specifically stalking. I was stalked by an ex-friend of mine for a very trivial reason. What made me decide to create this story is when I went to report the situation to the police officer, and the first police officer I encountered told me that I need to not be afraid of an internet thug and to brush it off because I am being childish. Mind you, this was a woman officer of COLOR! At that moment is when I realized and understood why people don’t report their domestic violence situation because they are laughed at and turned away. It took for me to go back a second time to report the situation for the male officer to take me serious and give me some type of help. With that being said, creating stories and bringing them to life through film production is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to bring a story to life. You need the right attitude, the right mindset, the right people, and the right spirit to bring a production together. Since I am the owner of the company, the writer, director, and producer of the films that DRIP Production creates, I have to dedicate a lot of time and efforts to this. When people see DRIP Productions work, they see time, they see effort, dedication, a well thought out story that will spark a conversation and bring awareness to certain topics. As of right now, I am currently preparing for production for my next short film Escape: The Unknown that will be filmed in July 2021. We are currently raising funds to go towards productions and also looking for sponsors to back the project. While working on this project, I am learning how to write up contracts, learning how budget production cost, and really carry a production on my back. Although the task of bringing a production together is not easy, the end result is phenomenal because all of the hard work has paid off and we will have a great film for you to watch in September 2021. If you want to support the film, you can by donating to the project or sharing it with people you know. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_donations&business=drip.productions2020@gmail.com&item_name=Escape:%20The%20Unknown&currency_code=USD

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If you visit Florida, We are going all over the city! Well, due to the pandemic, some of my favorite spots aren’t really open, but if they where we would go there. One of my favorite spots before the pandemic was a club/bar called Rock Bar that’s on Fort Lauderdale Beach. I was going there so much to the point I had a personal bartender. On Friday or Saturday, you will find me there eating their wings and drinking their margaritas. The music there was everything you can imagine because they played all types of songs from different genres. Everyone there had one mission, that was to have FUN! Whether you know someone or not, no matter their race or skin color, everyone danced, laugh, and partied with each other. Another place we will go is Aventura Mall. I love to shop and that is one of the best places to go. It has every store that you can imagine in there. They just refurnished the mall like two years ago and it looks AMAZING! I am big kid at heart and I love jumping around on trampolines. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself at Urban Air Adventures in Plantation, Florida jumping around and flying in the air like a big kid. I am not a pizza fan but their pizza is amazing. I am a foodie, so a lot of the places I go, I will be eating. Now if you don’t know, there is this new Ice Cream Shop called Cleveland Ice Cream on Miramar Parkway. If you want some good ice cream that’s not too expensive this is the place to go. The ice cream scoops are big and for a reasonable price. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Whew! There is so many I want to shoutout, but I am going to limit it to five people. First, I want to shoutout my Parents, Steven and Kaprice Brown. They support me in everything that I do. When I decided to quit my job and put my focus into my film career and being a full time film student, they supported that decision. When I lacked the fund to submit to film festivals, or needed money to go towards a film production, they are always ready to put in the money, after the fussing lol. Another person I want to shoutout is my God Mother Tamiko Jones. She is always ready and on the go when I call her. If I tell her I need to use her house for a production, she prepares it and make it ready for me. If I tell her I need my god sister Royce to be in a film, she is there, Whatever I need to be successful, she is always there. Another Person I want to shoutout is my dance director/mother Genevive Carvil-Harris, “The World’s Favorite Capacity Building Strategist”. I meet her right before my grandmother passed away January 2018 and since then, she has taken me under her wing like her child. She helped me launched my business, she also paid for some business master classes for me when I was unemployed to help me grow. One thing I love about her is when I am in production, she shows up on set and surprises me. I literally forget that we are rolling when I see her lol. I am the director so I can do that hahaha. I want to thank her for pushing me and being their when I need her. I can’t shoutout her out without giving her sidekick aka my aunty Latequa Mills a shoutout also. Whenever I need her for a production, she is ready to get into character for me and bring the story to life. The next two people I will love to shoutout is Shelda Dervis and Denise Gordon, my 1st and 2nd Assistant Directors. These two are the people who see my tears, who hear my rants, who receives all my pushbacks, etc. when we are planning a production. They are the brains that help me bring these scripts to life and without them, I don’t know where and how these productions will end up. They help me with all the paperwork, the logistics, and make sure that I have everything squared away during pre-production, production, and post production. For this, I thank them. It’s too many to name but I want to thank my DRIP Production Crew! They know who they are. They are the reasons I am able to bring these stories to life. They bring their ideas, their energy, and even though I am the writer of the screenplay, they take my screenplay and make it as if it’s their story. They bring so much dedication to the company and I really love and appreciate them for that. Lastly, I want to thank my bestfriend Walner Wroy! He has seen my tears, he has seen my breakdowns, he has seen me go crazy when it feels like things aren’t going right, he has really been there for me. Whenever I need to vent about how I feel so overwhelmed with everything that I have going on, he always knows what to say to get me back on track. He has helped me to get back in school and pursue my Bachelor’s Degree in Film, Television, and Digital Production, he has help me submit to a lot of the film festivals that I have won, and he has really just been my support system for the longest. I truly thank him and appreciate him for that. I want to thank everyone who has supported me in everything. If I didn’t mention you, please don’t hold it against me. I want to thank everyone for all their support. My cousin Kyndreshia Stroman and her husband for donating $2,000 to my Indiegogo Campaign for my upcoming short film Escape: The Unknown and everyone else who has donated.

Website: www.dripproductions2020.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drip.productions2020/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/drip-productions

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DripLlc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DRIPProductions2020

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGr6iHGnEQHX64IQpVCxbRw

Other: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/escape-the-unknown-short-film#/ https://www.instagram.com/tieshia_b/ https://www.instagram.com/escape_the_unknown/ https://www.escapetheunknown.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Escape-The-Unknown-105313981572383

Image Credits
Jeisselle Lopez