We recently connected with HT and have shared our conversation below.

HT, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I think my current project “Disciples of a Craftsman” is the most meaningful project I’ve worked on to date. It touches on themes like community, hope, and empowerment that are both personally and socially relevant. It’s the story of a man who’s lost hope, not in the community, but in the idea that anyone can change things for the better. He goes through a trialling few days in the wake of his father’s death that force him to accept that the only way anything will improve is if we each play our part in making a change.

I think the idea that we can have an impact on our surroundings is important to remind folks with so much in the world trying to make us seem powerless and our problems seem insurmountable. Along with the optimistic messaging, it brings up several timely and culturally relevant subjects. Our numbness to violence even at a young age is one of the most prominent of these subjects.

Along with the thematic aspects that make the writer in me grin, our mode of production makes this project just as meaningful. We work to make projects that capture our unique spirit in the Bay Area and Northern California. We do this by rooting our production in the region in ways from using local cast and crew, to finding unique locations and using local artists for our soundtrack. Our production model is derived from the practices of the “Third Cinema” movement which emphasizes collaborative practices that help tell unfiltered stories of underrepresented peoples.

Just as the production is rooted in Northern California, the script is filled with the spirit of African American poets throughout history. Poets, their work, and their ideas heavily influenced the creation of the world and story of the film. Most notably “The Craftsman” by Marcus B. Christian which the film gets it name from. I believe that even if nobody gets the homages, the intentionality that comes with this way of developing a film adds to its value. This plus our excessively collaborative production model enables us to create art that is a unique representation of those that made it.

HT, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m HT, I’m a storyteller with strengths in writing and creative production. I started off only interested in screenwriting, but I found that if I wanted the story told, I’d have to make it myself. During these initial attempts that resulted in projects like the short film “Why Us” I discovered my talent for producing. I put this talent to the ultimate test when I decided to make the leap and produce my full length feature, Samantha & The Fisherman’s Dream. I’m most proud that I was able to bring together such an array of wonderful, talented people to make something that couldn’t be recreated.

On the business side, I offer a wide range of writing services from feedback to rewrites. On the producing end, I’m always finding more hats I can wear, but my core service is helping you get to the finish line. Whether you need casting services, advice, production coordination, or to start by figuring out what it is you need, we’re able to make it happen. For larger scale productions I can do system analysis to increase efficiency. I’m all about helping people create which is why I founded Hatching Chick Media Group with the mission to help empower others to tell their stories.

I think what sets me apart from others is that I refuse to get outworked or out-prepared. It’s a sports mindset that may seem odd since film isn’t a competitions where you can outscore someone, but I’d compare it more to golf and playing against yourself. We work and prepare in order to execute to the best of our abilities when the time comes, and the level of preparation I demand allows our team to adapt as obstacles arise. I’ve been told that this drive is infectious, but I believe it just attracts other people that are ready to work just as hard.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m not sure on an end goal for my journey. I kind of just do what I’m called to do, and I tend to end up where I need to be. I’m passionate about storytelling being a tool for empowerment and fearful of how it’s already being used against us. Because of that, my mission has been to help others create and create the art that I’m provoked to put into the world.

My goal is to put art in the world that forces people to feel something or form an opinion, even if it’s against what I’m saying. Just feel something! The goal is to move folks because when people are moved, they take action. When momentum builds, and people are taking action, they realize the power they hold. It’s only when we realize our power that things can change, but we have to be able to be moved, not numb.

“Just feel something, anything but indifference” – Saba 2025

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think the most rewarding part of being a creative is getting to work with a team towards a common goal. Being able learn from each other and see one another grow from start to finish as we create art is a surreal experience. The camaraderie we develop through collaboration is a reward in itself. The fact that we can use our art to highlight topics, provoke thoughts and feelings, introduce perspectives, as well as just entertain folks makes this process even more rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/htsidlemind?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ht-fleming-2903a422a
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/nT8WIE_V18U

Image Credits

Peter Williams, Andrew Garcia, Timothy L. Brooks