We recently connected with Daryle Edwards and have shared our conversation below.

Daryle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

If I could do anything at all to speed up this process, I would have liked to have known this was truly what I wanted to do in college instead of winging it once I graduated. I should have put in more effort networking and building my brand than hoping to be discovered under a rock.
The only obstacle that stood in my way was me and on some occasions I still find that to be the case. Whether I am less motivated than the day before, losing my confidence in what I truly believe I am capable of doing, or simply being lazy because I believe I have all the time in the world, which in fact I do not.
The most essential skills I have gained working in this industry and specifically as a producers assistant is learning how to budget a TV show and sticking to it. I am a TV fanatic and a binge watcher, once I find a good show, I’m doing all the research behind it. “How much did it cost, how much were the actors paid, what were their longest scenes?” I have learned in this industry that a show doesn’t just get canceled because of ratings or the producers felt it was over with. No, maintaining the budget in a show takes more precedence than anything else.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I graduated from Hampton University early in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts with my focus in journalism and English. Following my move to Atlanta, I quickly sought after a job in film and television. Although my original plan was to be in front of the camera, I soon realized how much I enjoyed being behind the scenes, I know now my end goal is to be a Show-runner and screen writer, but it did not start out that way. I began taking on small jobs in film production such as a production assistant and eventually worked my way up to being an assistant to the producers on a well known Warner Bros Television production. This position although tedious and the number one cause of my exhaustion taught me the ends and out of the film industry that I was not learning in my acting classes or by simply auditioning for TV roles. I am not only proud of my position and where my career currently stands but I am most proud of myself and my ability to adapt. I left Texas at 18 to go to college in Hampton Virginia, knowing absolutely no one, fearing I wouldn’t fit in going to an HBCU considering my entire life was spent in the prodosmentiely white suburbs. I then left to pursue my dreams, although I didn’t know I would form new ones, in Atlanta, and the very second I was offered a job in California, I hoped on the first plane out to continue moving forward with them.
The fear of change no longer scares me but the fear that all of my work will have been for nothing.
Now that I am going on year two in LA, working on an amazing television series that uplifts and sheds an amazing light on HBCU’s, I truly feel that I am moving in the right direction in my field. Learning more about production each and every day. I had no idea the effort and strategic work that went into producing a TV show. It’s not just the beautiful faces on the screen. There’s so much more that without the team behind the scenes that people sometimes forget are there, they wouldn’t have the entertainment they view on TV today.

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

My ultimate goal is to write and produce my own television drama series. I have been writing for as long as I can remember and now I am in a position to actually put my work in the right hands. I want my stories to be told for the world to view and to create a name for myself in the most positive light.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew back in high-school and college about the numerous writing and young show runner programs that the large production companies offer. Granted, I should have been more diligent in my search but I am more aware now of the programs that are offered to creatives and artist. Warner Media, Universal, Paramount, and many other multi-million dollar production companies offer competitive programs for those aspiring for careers in production.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thedarylekennedy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsdaryle/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsdaryle/photos/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/daryle-kennedy-e-