We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful D Mccoy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with D below.

D, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

My journey as an artist started when I was just a boy in Watts, emulating my grandmother, whom I call Diva, as she was a pianist and singer when I was young. I adored the piano and loved the melodic blues which Diva often sang in practice, and at shows which I would attend. Throughout middle and high school, I practiced piano and grew fond of the instrument, but even fonder of the opportunity it afforded me to express my self and my stories through instrumentation. Unbeknownst to me, this was me falling in love with storytelling.

As I progressed to college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, my interest in music dwindled as I was introduced to the visual mediums of artistic expression, with the most notable being film. My whole life I loved films – the worlds, characters, stories which encapsulate a viewer and truly allows one to see the experience of another. Over my upperclassmen years, I wrote and directed several short films for myself and fell in love with the process from tiresome development to dark hours of editing which was all worth the effort when looking at the completed film which properly tells the stories important you.

This process is not easy! However, as a young adult, I knew that storytelling through film, and the arts associated, would be my professional pursuit.

D, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is D McCoy and I am a filmmaker from Watts, California! I was raised by my beautiful mother and grandmother and I am fortunate to have had their love and guidance as a young man in the city, just as I still appreciate their love now. I have siblings through my father, but was raised an only child, which has proved to separate me from most as I find myself more reserved and appreciative of the smaller things. Nonetheless, I love a great sunset on the water, can spend hours playing video games, and am a car fanatic which loves our LA Car Culture, although its been getting out of hand, recently (lol).

As a creative, I am filmmaker, to the fullest extent of the word. I am fortunate to be working my first job out of college as a Documentary Film Producer with CWK Network. Based out of New York, this opportunity has thrown me into the deep end of producing as I am simultaneously operating projects within every stage of the production process. I am also a self-funded writer-director and I have a documentary project I am producing that is set to release early 2025, which I am so happy to be bringing to life. The narrative, titled “A Place Called” will follow my godfather, who is a music producer born and raised in Compton and it will work to shine light on the nuanced lived experience of young men from the city. Being able to bring this project to fruition over the last 2 years has been an amazing learning experience as I work to become an even better storyteller.

Although I am primarily working on documentary projects, I am a dramatic narrative storyteller as well and my ultimate career aspirations includes storytelling at the levels of Hollywood productions. As a Black filmmaker, I take inspiration from those like Spike Lee, Jordan Peele, and Ryan Coogler as I aspire to create films which provide insight into the Black experience and provides a holistic view on subjects which have historically had canted portrayals. My favorite documentary piece thus far is “Sickle Cell Warrior”, a short documentary which features my mother explaining what sickle cell is and how the chronic disease has had impact on her life. My favorite narrative short film would be “Cost of Compassion” which features a Black homeless man and begs the question of the value, the cost, of compassionate acts. As I develop as a filmmaker and storyteller, perspectives like these are the ones I wish to amplify.

My foundation as an artist, and as a person, exists in our shared reality in which opportunity is not equally afforded to all members of this country. As I develop as a filmmaker and storyteller, I am working on my brand, 88 Crossroads, which will bridge the themes and purpose of my work. The name 88 Crossroads pays homage to the street in which I was raised, but also personifies the endless crossroads people of color experience and have to navigate to liberate oneself from the physical, psychological, and spiritual cages in which they are placed. I hope my work, my legacy, may inspire other Black youth to see that there is a way through every crossroads placed in front of them.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

When thinking about resources across my creative journey so far, what I have found in myself and in my peers is that we often underestimate ourselves. I wish I understood early on how valuable and resourceful I am as a creative and really took ownership of the control I have in forwarding my passion. Experience has proven to be the best teacher and there have been times when I thought I would outsource a part of the creative process but the most practical option was for me to step up to the plate and get ‘er done. This is not to excuse the immense power that is found within the, very much needed, collaborative components of the creative mediums! Having the experience to go to LMU’s School of Film & TV for one-year gave me a much deeper appreciation of the time and effort which must be put into every role for a film to be successful. As you gain respect for the mundane facets of the artistry, you learn to respect how they motivate the excitement of proper execution.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

In my opinion, whether it is a narrative or documentary project, the most rewarding aspect of the creative process is being able to achieve the impossible – encapsulating the essence, emotion, integrity of a lived experienced within the confines of an artistic composition. Conveying even simple ideas is actually very complicated and to create emotion through character-driven storytelling is not for everyone. For a filmmaker, nothing beats sitting in the edit suite and taking that last deep breathe which certifies you have achieved a feat of magic with pictures and sound.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://darionallen77.wixsite.com/my-site
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drctr_d/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariona
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@directordfilms4718
• Other: https://cwknetwork.com/about-us/