We recently connected with Elrico Tunstall and have shared our conversation below.

Elrico, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

As an Entrepreneur and independent Filmmaker/Producer, Being immersed in this industry means your chips are pushed to the middle of the table. When you win, your whole team wins and eats, but when you lose and struggle to put gas in your vehicle, you’re alone on an island solo. But the thing about taking risks is that you always hope the next roll or Shot will score. It’s taken me eleven years to achieve this little portion of success in this industry, so I know all about risks, rewards, and failure.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I began in this industry after having my Military career cut short due to Wartime injuries sustained while serving with the 2nd Infantry Division United States Army. I was at a point where I was unsure what I wanted to do with my life, so I began coaching at my high school Alma Mater, Escambia High School. After completing the season as runner-up for the city championship, I looked for a new challenge, which led me to the other side of the United States, the West Coast Los Angeles, California. I arrived off a one-way ticket with no connections, no directions, and no answers, just only with Faith and trust that my steps were ordained. After spending time at the Chateau in North Hollywood, I met lifetime friends Chris, Ian, Sean, Ruben, Crystal, Iris, Brian, Ruth, and Patricia, plus many more, but this group would help this southern Small-town kid find his way. They introduced me to Actors Corp, where I would study and excel as a top student and learn the foundation of acting. After completing school, I looked for more challenges because I needed to know how to put Film and TV together, so I used my G.I Bill to attend Los Angeles Film School, where I made connections with men and women who influenced me and helped mold me into the Filmmaker I am today. Torthell, Vinnie, Ricardo, Chris, Martel, Isabello, Kevin, and Jericho, to name a few, were instrumental in helping me to understand and apply what I was being taught. I was not the best, but I was hungry and willing to take the low totem poll jobs on our student film sets. I initially thought I just wanted to focus on becoming a casting director, but by the time I left there, I would acheive much more.

After Los Angeles Film School, I decided it was time to take everything I learned back to my hometown of Pensacola, Florida, where The idea of Film and television was only known through being on the local news or a show titled Blue Lights. Normally the only way to acheive fame in our city was to follow the legendary footsteps of Roy Jones Jr. , Derrick Brooks, Emmitt Smith Michelle Snow, Justin Gatlin, Bubba Watson or Doug Baldwin. So the resistance I would face took some thick skin. But what I offered was an outlet for local men and women who couldn’t afford to make it to California a chance to learn the foundation of acting through my Manageroftheyear Actors Corp which has seen over 170 actors graduate and 161 of those graduates have been placed on Million Dollar movie sets such as Jumanji, Greenleaf, Avengers, Tyson, The System and more. I have filled and continue to be the bridge for local actors to achieve IMDB credits for their resumes and now since we are a Film Studio producing our own movies with our own local talent actors we are establishing and creating a lane that future entrepreneurs will be able to follow in. We educate and give you a place to apply it with From The mind Of Elrico Tunstall Studios LLC. Two Movie Full-length Features completed and another one planning to film in the late spring of 2024.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

After completing my First Feature Film, I made the mistake of announcing my Distribution to the media before the ink dried. After my local news and one reporter dragged my name and painted me a scam artist along with the Pensacola film Community, I was buried, or so they thought. But with the support of my Wife Eugena Tunstall, Mom And Dad, LaDaron Clardy, Bill Marshall, and my Manageroftheyear family, I kept my faith. I was able to stream my Movie on eight platforms worldwide accumulating well over 80k streams as an independent Filmmaker with no significant financial backing, and the smear campaign ran against me from my local news. And Film Community.

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

My Goal is to one day make Pensacola the next Atlanta/Hollywood, so my city’s youth would not feel the need to leave to acheive their dreams of entertainment.

Contact Info:

• Website: [email protected]
• Instagram: Fromthemindofetstudios
• Facebook: From The Mind of Elrico Tunstall Studios
• Linkedin: Elrico Tunstall
• Twitter: Elrico Tunstall
• Youtube: DnotoriousMotyshow
• Other: Facebook: Elrico Tunstall Facebook; Manageroftheyear Facebook: Sacred Instagram: Manageroftheyear