We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Josh Sikkema a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Josh , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
I am a Film Director from Grand Rapids, Michigan and have been living in Los Angeles for over 8 years. I quickly learned that to have longevity as a Director, you need to retain as much IP and leverage as possible when it comes to projects. I redirected my focus to the Michigan film industry as I didn’t see building in Los Angeles as advantageous. With my two partners Johnny Ray and Thomas Blunt we co founded Black Pigeon Studios in Grand Rapids, MI. BPS is a 6,000 sq ft soundstage that serves as a hub for Michigan creatives. Along with providing a creative space, we also developed workforce development programs to grow the Michigan production workforce. Our mission is to, “Bridge The Gap” between Hollywood and Michigan. I then joined the Michigan Film Industry Association board (MIFIA). Our mission of MIFIA is to rewrite new legislation, fundraise, and advocate for the newly introduced Michigan Multimedia Jobs Act. There are currently 41 other states with film tax incentives and it is a imperative that Michigan joins that list.
Josh , 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?
I started with humble beginnings dropping out of college after 3 weeks in Michigan and working at local news station for 4 years. When I moved to Los Angeles in 2015 from Michigan, I quickly found myself directing music videos and small commercials. I honed my skills working part time at a camera rental house in between jumping on tours with various musical artists.
I went on to work in the marketing and video departments for a label within RCA Records and then after, a few other smaller indie labels. Working with the likes of Mya, Snoop Dogg, Stokley, and super producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, my visuals have assisted over 1 billion streams worldwide, Gold & Platinum records, and 2 Billboard #1’s
Recently I have moved towards documentary and narrative work. I am in production on 3 documentaries and pre production on a feature film in the Spring.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I met one of the co founder/director’s, Johnny Ray at an LA Fitness in the valley. He was head to toe in all Detroit gear. Being from Michigan I approached him and we instantly connected. Johnny had explained he was a screenwriter for TV & Film which I found fascinating. I had never met someone who just, wrote. Since then we have built an incredible dynamic as John moves into not only writing the narratives, but also co directing with me. Joh and I were co-directing a music video in West Hollywood and we were in need of extras. John’s good friend Thomas Blunt came to help us out and ultimately became the third partner in our endeavors.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The goal that drives me is to provide value in the community I came from. I believe it is imperative as humans once we receive knowledge and education in our respective fields, to share it within your community. This is how we as a society grow and help the next generation. The world is abundant and there is opportunity for all of us, but we have to be willing to champion building community over customer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackpigeonstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejsikk
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackpigeonstudiosgr/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/joshsikkema
- Twitter: @thejsikk
- Yelp: Black Pigeon Studios
Image Credits
Credit: Black Pigeon Studios