Not many people can say that they know movie directors such as Antoine Fuqua, Spike Lee or Denzel Washington. But you can get to know one of your peers who aspires to be one of the greats.
Business marketing and entrepreneurship major Troy Whitehurst and theater major Mike Williams have goals of becoming two of the most sought-after producers and directors in the black community.
Whitehurst and Williams met on the set of “Gangsters of Harlem 2001” at The Paul Robeson Theater. They worked together again on the production “Two Trains Running” in 2002, and their bond has become strong enough to form their own production company titled Skeebo Productions.
Whitehurst and Williams’ first major production was “The Fuzz and the Jive,” which was a classic tale of scandal based around a college campus.
“We sell ‘The Fuzz and The Jive’ right out of the trunks of our car,” said Williams. “If the ‘Fuzz and the Jive’ was a record, we would be gold right now.”
Skeebo Productions specializes in several different business aspects. They do commercials, films, photography and headshots for actors, musicians and dancers. The business plan for Skeebo Productions won first place for the Interdiciplinary Center for Entrepreneurship and E-Business (ICEEB) awards this spring.
In February, Whitehurst and Williams had the chance to attend The Spaghetti Junction Urban Film Festival in Georgia.
“I got to meet a lot of film makers in the business,” said Whitehurst. “It let us know that we are one of the top independent companies coming out of North Carolina.”
“The Fuzz and the Jive” was a finalist for Best Short Film at The Spaghetti Junction Urban Film Festival. They also offer marketing consultant services for other businesses.
Whitehurst gave a comical answer when asked why he decided to enter the entertainment industry.
“I wanted to start making films when I saw ‘Hollywood Shuffle’ by Robert Townsend. He paid for the film with credit cards,” said Whitehurst. “One of the characters name was Jheri Curl, and I always wanted one. But my mother wouldn’t let me get one.”
Williams game plan seemed to be straight to the point.
“I wanted to be happy with what I wanted to do in life and love going to work. I feel personally that I can’t work a nine to five,” said Williams.
So when you see Whitehurst and Williams on campus, purchase the ‘Fuzz and the Jive’ and look for their Hollywood star real soon. Check out www. skeebofilms.com for more information.