We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Derrick Hicks jr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Derrick, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
That’s a great question. I’d have to say it was when I realize that I took an idea I had and created something that brought people together and had an impact on their lives in a positive way. That alone fulfilled me creatively and motivated me to continue to pursue this as a career.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a film maker i can play a variety of roles such as: Writer, director, cinematographer, or video editor. Naturally I ended up playing each role as I was developing my craft, so I understand the process from multiple points of view. This is also true for the other members of our film crew. Being able to play multiple roles helps when we are under staffed, need insight, creativity, and diversity when it comes to understanding. This is what makes our team very special and capable of creating great projects at a consistently. Dividing the responsibilities of each roles makes things run way smoother and less stressful.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Creativity 2. Insight
3. Business
These are the 3 main factors I feel that has helped me on my journey and still holds an impact.
Being creative is very important in this industry. Being able to let your imagination guide you within itself creates endless possibilities in your craft. This will help separate and solidify your work as a unique product that only you are capable of creating.
Having insight is major. Understanding the ends and out of the business, people, situations, or whatever it is you are aiming to create will be what connect viewers to your story. People love to engage with relatable content that’s entertaining but yet bring value to their lives. For instance, when it comes to relationships we all are very familiar with a woman’s perspective right? Bringing a man’s point of view into the equations helps bring new ideas or perspectives on that topic. But that requires having insight on a man’s perspective on relationships and love which will help your story be realistic and impactful.
Now let’s say we created this short film that expresses a man’s point of view on love and relationships, what’s next? How do we get this film out to the world and how do we generate money? Having knowledge of the business or industry will help you with getting your positive reinforcement from your work and money to pay your expenses. If you don’t know have a plan to find your targeted audience or knowledge of how to generate a profit from your film, how will you be able to stay consistent or even be motivated to make another if no one noticed the first one? Study the business and have a game plan.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
This is actually a tough question for me. I face so many challenges on my journey daily that I never thought about this. But I would have to say my biggest challenge or obstacle is the man in the mirror. And what I mean by that is I have to be ready to face myself each and everyday to ensure that I’m ready for what ever obstacles and challenges I have outside of me. So for an example, if I’m feeling overly anxious about a opportunity or project, I know that I have to focus on being patient and aware so I don’t rush and make mistakes. Having the discipline to Stay focused & be prepared mentally and emotionally has played a huge part on my journey so far in my career and in life itself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/flick_tha_rick?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@flickduptv4761
- Other: Currently working on a new updated website. I will share on my social media platforms soon.
Image Credits
Laylow Films and DHicksMedia
