Antoine Allen, Filmmaker: He says I wouldn’t know him for years,
we don't understand this that's fine. Why I didn't understand he became a billionaire.
Film Courage: Have you ever met Tyler Perry?
Antoine: No, but he's one of my biggest influences from the business side because
when I started in the music business I had people like a Jay-Z or the
Cash Money or Master P or 50 Cent that had structure but when I came in the
film business I was like Ya’ll don't own nothing Ya’ll don't own none of your films
but Tyler Perry showed me the industry way to do it so he's my biggest blueprint
of how to truck your business and own your catalog and so he's yeah he's a great guy.
Film Courage: When you first saw a Tyler Perry film
how did you start researching him to really dissect how he does things?
Antoine: I didn't have to research him. There was bootleg videos everywhere. Before we had all this,
a lot of his plays and movies were bootlegged so it was everywhere. He had plays in New York so
he was just everywhere. So he was like Oh this is how you do it, this is how you do it because
he's really the only filmmaker African-American filmmaker where I know that have a large catalog,
like his kids are fine. There’s people that own their films but his catalog of ownership is
just like…the Medea catalog alone is just
ridiculous. I’ve never seen this done before. So it was amazing.
Film Courage: Did you say I want to do the same types of films or you had your own spin on it?
Antoine: I had my own vision. I didn't want to be one of filmmakers that does all those
100 studio films but I own nothing so I'm big on ownership only so you got to own something like it
don't make no sense that auto directors those auto films you know no IP [Intellectual Property] like
it don't make no sense like I don't I don't even fan them how how you could work and do a
whole bunch of films and on anything like I read the article with Sylvester Stallone and he was
talking about how he don't own nut in the Rocky franchise he had no ownership I was like how did
this happen but back then you know he didn't have the right people around him but he did a article
recently he complained about it that he doesn't I mean he get paid but he does the own no IP of it
I forgot who owns it but he doesn't own so in my film when I heard that Lola is a franchise
I own the whole franchise but you gotta you know I'm big on ownership don't make no sense to me
like when you watch Jason [Voorhees] Jason in space, Jason goes to Manhattan like they don't
the person that really did Jason do not own this IP that does the movies like that so I'm
big on ownership you have to own something what if someone says I'm going to give you
this amount of money to sell this Lola franchise this little idea this this character and
you won't own it you're going to sign over your rights but you're going to get x amount of dollars
whatever that makes sense so like Lola one little two have ownership in it but I just have to make
sense I just have to make it have to make some type of sense but right now no nobody so if it
doesn't make dollars it doesn't make sense yeah you gotta make sure that makes sense even if even
if I say hey here's some ownership I'd do another franchise but it gets it don't make sense to do
like I'd be seeing filmmakers make like a hundred films you know on one movie like one so I'm big on
IP because but most somebody's only thinking about IP like all those big studios got ninja turtles IP
star wars marvel like that's heavy IP catalog but most filmmakers don't understand that but you got
to look at legacy you know when I'm not here I want to give my kids something I don't want to
give them hey your dad was a great filmmaker but I'm broke so I want to give passing down
do you have kids not yet my wife is working on kids now oh okay all right
okay if if your son or daughter wanted to be a filmmaker would you say great okay how much do
you know about Tyler Perry and how he got his start I know everything when I look at somebody
that I relate to I really studied him like he his story is when they make his movie it's it's it's
going to be amazing but your history he's just he's one of one he's like a one percenter you
know if you go research someone did it before him was years ago I always mess up his name
Oscar Michaeux I probably mess up the name but yeah I can research it Oscar Michaeux he's
one of the black filmmaker and back in the day his films didn't want to take it so he started his own
studio stopped using his own films and yeah so todd perry is like my mirror to go to when it
comes to ownership and building your own empire like I said it's okay to give some films away but
own something and Tyler Perry was homeless at one time he was homeless I was homeless so how much
does does that factor in because you know how in the film industry it seems like a lot of people
come from you know more of a a middle-class helped background and I know I get some flashbacks and
and so and and people can be mad if they want but but that does set a foundation that does help you
you know whether it's just parents know somebody and they can get you a job somewhere
how much does that help you relate to that person when you see that they they came
from humble beginnings or I don't even know what his family situation was like I don't
know why he ended up homeless but well he has seen family I had broken family
he got molested when I was younger I went through some of that but yeah you come from
some people when you come from that trauma it's two things gonna happen you're gonna die in trauma
or gonna turn your pain into purpose he turns pain into purpose he helped a lot of people so he's one
of the people that I look up to and influence in my life and so he initially started doing plays he
was on plays about the church or the church and what he taught me is know your audience
he had a huge onus like a rev Hughes and he just knew his market and when I'm looking at certain
things he's like one of him 50 cent a few other people but him and 50s the two people that we look
up to in terms of what Tyler Perry's been able to build what's the top inspiration for you he did it
he did it with no help I mean he had help but he he didn't come from the beginnings of family
hey I know this person in that studio I can give you a job he literally got it out the mud
he started with nothing and he built this amazing empire to help a lot of people so that's why I
look at it because at the end of the day it's easy to be oh I did all this stuff who'll help you like
I have a friend that he brags about but his father works for a big studio so you take his dad away
his story when her story gonna end because he don't have that drive
so that's why there's tala people like Tyler Perry the 50 cents in the world and everybody
they come from beginnings I can relate to well I mean and in fairness to people who do come from
you know more of a a money background it's not their fault it's not their fault and they can't
help it but it's also what they do with the opportunities that they're given because i've
seen both you know some people take it and they run with it and that's great and then others
it seems like they don't and I think that's the frustrating part yeah for people that don't come
from that because they're like you're wasting this you know and it makes you angry not just
jealous but it's just like that's that's wasted yeah when I look at it I tell people at times you
come for nothing you come from a lot of money at the end of the day it's all about execution
I know people that would have a lot of money they ain't doing anything so it really
comes down to you so don't let your beginning don't let your family and friends that have
money you if you really want it you're gonna do it no matter where you come from so I know
friends that i've been looking after like how what what like you have all of this like what
but I realized at the end of the day that's in your DNA the hustle like the house is so separate
you have everything you want the house is so separate and that house is going to get you to
the next level like look at 50 cent for example 50 cent they don't know if Curtis 50 Jackson his
beginnings everybody nobody got shot blackboard that stuff what he was able to do at stars network
no one could never do this he took a network that no one cared about like I had stars I didn't know
what stars was I was like why am I paying for this no one knew about this thing he took this network
and turned into his own marvel I never seen a drama series break off in different series like
like it's marvel like what he did was just incredible so once again it's producers have
been in the industry for years they can't do what he do it's in his dna the house is so separate
what is the hustle passion anything necessary execution do what you have
to do to get where you want to go and get out your comfort zone and don't settle for less
but then going back to that party where people were enjoying themselves and in ways that
sometimes people think it's just one weekend and they'll be fine they can walk away from
it and then if you've ever been on the other side of that you see that that one weekend is going to
turn into months and years like me I don't smoke I don't drink I barely go to parties because
I'm at point my life right now that I don't have time to have a whole weekend partying
I could be doing something else it's okay to do and dab but don't have to party but your whole
life so any means necessary does not mean enjoying and joining for one weekend when it could it could
catch you yeah it means necessary is if you have a film project like for me for example right
it means necessary lola when I could get investments I did always talk about my job
I don't like my job but I did what I had to do I worked at my regular job I did what I had to
do I didn't wait I just did what I need to do and I saved up my money one of my 401k and invested
in my movie oh wow okay so anyway necessary you it's it's we have too many options now
it's no more gatekeepers you don't order people on tick tock and youtube and instagram that's making
their way and making money and paying for their family no more gatekeepers no one can tell you no
the only gatekeeper is a person remember and that was for lola one yeah okay one of my projects
majority of my projects those two my new movies the first film that I had a producer really paid
for everything but but yeah most of my films I funded what are the things that you've learned
from reading and watching Tyler Perry as an artist and a business person that anything is possible
but that you that you have taken on like like specific things not just anything is possible
only your content trust in your vision loving yourself first
don't listen to the industry because Tyler Perry he's just not getting flowers
they the Hollywood he says hallelujah knowing him for years
we don't understand this that's fine why didn't he understand he became a billionaire so it's
noise you look at you know Hollywood was it made for African-Americans it just wasn't
so a lot of times like the image just passed abroad complaining oh the enemies it wasn't
made for you it's like being in a relationship if you're a person keep cheating on you and
disrespecting you don't go home leave so we have to realize that though auto industries all those
structures wasn't made for us so if they're not made for you make your own go somewhere else
it's no one gate you could go to there's so many other options that's nothing you taught me
options when the big networks that you're trying to go you're trying to pitch your film or picture
project they say no it's okay but when they say no it's not really no it's no right now
because they can't see the vision so when when we know that something is not right for us like
an industry and there's hashtags that say whatever Oscar's so white or whatever and so we know that
but then at some point though they go oh yeah I like that and you see like okay now they need
us or now they need our picture what do you say to that okay I’ll play this time this is up to
you it's the individual we play this time write a bigger check it's all up to you but at the end of
the day eventually they come around you can't like top her make so much noise now they're
coming around so this is this is part of it so though what's that one saying oh be so whatever
that they can't ignore you yeah okay that's what he did he like now they can't you know now he's
working with Netflix so eventually they even gonna come now they come later but they're gonna come
if you build it they come okay but then don't don't expect do do it your way and then when
they're ready then they'll show up whether it's music yeah it doesn't matter don't wait like don't
don't be there knocking on the door and wasting 100 years knocking on the door and say please
I wanted to see at the table when you build your own table the food tastes better
so build your own table like back in the day I get it back in the day was hard now you make
phones you make moves on your iPhones you can just do so many options now that you don't need it.
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