BY: CHRISTIE LEVERETTE
Well-known hip-hop disc jockey, Southanbred, is the founder of a new Atlanta-based independent film production called Class Clown Films.
Class Clown Establishment
Film, acting, and the art of directing along with piecing things together are what Southanbred’s passions are. Southanbred’s eagerness to enter a different field in the entertainment industry has led him to establish Class Clown Films.
The name of the company came about from the production company’s association with parody-based films. It also produces films of popular songs, music videos for artists, and short films to enter into festivals.
Singer and songwriter, Alto Keys, has been a steady client of Class Clown Films since 2011.
Keys said, “Their editing and visual productions are great and they involve themselves greatly in all aspects of production.”
Starting in 2011 Southanbred has assembled a team of individuals that he felt were talented, dedicated and trustworthy. His team is made up of film students from Georgia State, The Art Institute of Atlanta, and Kennesaw State, as well as other individuals who have a desire to break into the entertainment industry.
Southanbred instructed to his team, “ Here are some things that I had in mind for years that I want to shoot and here are some things we are going to shoot.”
Locating Production Material
With Southanbred’s well-established entertainment background, he was able to find multiple outlets for his films to be aired. Well known urban website, World Star Hip Hop is one domain where you can find all of Class Clown’s newest material.
He also places the production’s material on Youtube, where they have over 100,000 views on a majority of its films.
Class Clown Films have also expanded past the Web onto film festivals. It entered a short film called “Spilled Milk” into Georgia State’s film festival and it was selected this year.
The prize for winning best picture will send it to Hollywood, June 2012, to participate in the next level. The film’s producers will be competing against other schools nationally for the chance to work with a disclosed movie producer.
“Spilled Milk” is the only project Southanbred has submitted to a festival.
What’s Next?
Being a DJ has been a major stepping-stone for DJ Southanbred to get his name out there in the music industry. This being his claim to fame has allowed him to produce a good enough income to fund his film aspirations.
This California native says, “You don’t spend your own money in Hollywood.”
As of now, Southanbred is investing in his production company and himself until he has established himself in the film industry enough to have investors. He plans to go back to California to market himself and his production company in hopes of getting his foot in the door.
Transitioning from Music to Film
Southanbred, now 27, started his disc jockeying journey at the age of 17.
When his favorite basketball coach was fired from Osborne High School in Cobb County, Ga., he decided he no longer wanted to play for a new coach and decided he wanted to find something else to do with his time.
He started going to high school parties and playing with the club’s system with cassette tapes. Discovering his talent, he decided to get some basic equipment and just started DJing.
Southanbred said, “It was never planned and I had no intentions for it to be what it is now.”
He is known most for being hip-hop artist Soulja Boy’s DJ. Parting ways with the artist, he still continues to DJ primarily in the Atlanta area at local clubs. Although he enjoys to DJ, it is not fulfilling his many aspirations of directing and acting. Initially it was hard for Southanbred to balance doing both film and music at the same time. However, he feels the main thing that allows him to be effective in both is scheduling and writing down what he has to do. His work schedule is split into two halves of the day. Anything film related is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. is anything club related.
He believes being a DJ has taken him far but film will take him further.
