The Show Must Go On
from Blackeye Entertainment Films
Interview with Film Director and owner of Blackeye Entertainment Films, Antonio Simmons, on the upcoming film Doggmen.
Q: What made you decide to go into the film industry?
A: When you come from the music industry background with father, uncles and friends all in the music industry your whole life, it doesn’t become challenging anymore. For me, being a former drummer, I grew tired of music in general. So, in 1998, I wrote my first script which was called The Last Parole Officer. A family member tried to buy it from me and that was when I knew I was on to something. I ended up watching more films, along with lighting and sound and watching UK films more closely. I stopped watching films after I realized the writing was trash and I said, “Well, I think I could do better than that.” I crossed into film 100% in 2000.
Q: So why produce Doggmen first? Why not The Last Parole Officer?
A: The reason why I choose not to shoot The Last Parole Officer first was because Doggmen was easier for me to produce. It’s not about explosions. It doesn’t have a lot of people jumping through windows. The cast was easier; more comfortable and they could deliver. The Last Parole Officer has way more explosions, cars turned over. I would need a bigger production house. So, I made an executive decision to do Doggmen first.
Q: Out of all the actors you could have recruited for this project, why were you set on DMX?
A: OK. For one, when you put Earl Simmons and Antonio Simmons together… you do the math. Family ain’t hard to work with. I knew what he could do as an actor. I knew what he could do on the fly, and not too many actors out there can deliver like he could deliver. He was raw talent; he could play anything you wanted him to play. I would keep Earl because he could deliver. I knew that. Most actors give you the same face, so you already know what you going to get from them. Earl had various looks and he was a bad mother f**ker.
Q: You established Blackeye Entertainment Films as a production company in 2002. Was it difficult to get it up and running to become what it is today?
A: it wasn’t really hard for me to get people to see my vision because I talk clearly, direct and think outside the box. But it’s just when you got a new company, dealing with egos and testosterone, is really hard to get them see your vision. A person like me, I didn’t really care about what ‘they’ say or how ‘they’ move because I knew what I could deliver for me. To answer that question, nah, I’m too persistent for that as a Virgo.
Q: Have you ever considered expanding Blackeye Entertainment Films?
A: When you say expand , my company is called black eye entertainment so we basically do anything under the entertainment umbrella including music, plays, clothing lines, dog food, food for humans, whatever it takes to make a person smile, my company will do it. So, I already expanded in just about every lane. I have a branch in London, a branch in Germany and the mother ship is in America.
Q: What is the most important quality a film director should have?
A: The most important quality is like a two- part question. 1. Is to have personality and 2. To be a real good director you should have at least 30 characters in his body that he could bring out at any given moment while directing the film. The film must be able to make you laugh, think, cry, feel and react. So, the director has to have personality, or be a certain type of way or the film will just be flat. It doesn’t matter the genre if it’s an action film, a comedy, drama, or horror, his personality has to go into that film and if you don’t have the ability to bring it out of yourself into these people the film will be trash. But I think you should have personality… at least 30 characters in your body at all times, to be a film director.
Q: What is the type of music you listen to before you go on set to film or inspire you?
A: That’s an easy one for me. Music to me is like food, you gotta eat to fuel the body and feed the brain in order for it to work. I like anything from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and then the 90s, only up until like 97. I like grunge, 90s R&B, everything in the 80s, all the 70s and all the 60s. There’s certain music I listen to that brings the best out of me and makes me crazy. It takes me to a certain level in my head that makes me feel like I’m the actor and what I do with that energy is to make it generate to fuel me up and to bring the best out of the actor.
Q: If you could work with any producer or director in the world, who would it be? And why?
A: If I could work with any producer or director on earth I would have to go with Michael Mann. Michael Mann is edgy, he’s not soft, he’s in your face. But he has it. It’s the ‘IT’ factor for me. Everybody cannot do action and drama but he can. Mike, he got it. I don’t know when It started if it started in 3rd grade, 7th grade, college, but he got it. He did Public Enemy, he did Miami Vice, Heat, Ali and Thief . When I saw Thief with James Cann , I knew Mike was a gangster and that’s why I would love to work with a cat like him.
#Antoniosimmons #Doggmen #Blackeyeentertainment #DMX #Finalfilm #ATL #NY #LA #Philly #London
Follow @doggmen on Instagram
