We were lucky to catch up with Karlton T. Clay recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Karlton thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I have always loved to write. When I was kid, I used to write stories based on my friends and I pretending to be Power Rangers. After we had our “pretend fights,” I would go home and write about what took place. I have just always enjoyed seeing characters and stories in my head and putting them down on paper. It’s always an enjoyable experience to come up with different scenarios and storylines.
At the age of 16, I was diagnosed with leukemia, and during that journey, God has given me the vision to begin my production company, Victory Productions. In 2003, I produced and directed my first theater production, “Speak To My Heart,” which was written by Angela Griffin. In 2004, I wrote my first play that I also wrote and produced entitled, “Leukemia & Me.” In 2006, I wrote, produced, and directed my first webseries, “College Daze,” which ran until 2011 with 5 seasons, 60 episodes.
Since then, I have written, produced, and directed 15 series totaling more than 400 episodes and 12 feature films (by the time this feature is published), which can be seen on Tubi, Peacock, Crackle, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and other streaming services.
Karlton, 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?
As I mentioned previously, I have always loved to write, and I began writing at a very young age. But it wasn’t until my time at Davidson Fine Arts School in Augusta, GA that I began to get involved in production and wanting to use his gift of writing as a career.
However, on March 18th, 2002, at the age of 16, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoma leukemia. During that time in recovery, I grew closer to my family, and my relationship with God strengthened. Also, from this experience, VICTORY PRODUCTIONS was born. I graduated from Davidson Fine Arts School in 2004, and I graduated from Georgia State University in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in film and television production.
Under Victory Productions, I have written, produced, and directed several theatre productions, short films, and 15 series: College Daze (September 2007-January 2011), The Lyons Den (February 2012-March 2021), Karma (September 2014-April 2017), Lovers Lane (August 2015-December 2019), Color Blind (November 2015-February 2017), EX-Factor (December 2016-June 2021), BrothAhood (January 2017-March 2022), Bondage (September 2017-present), Sweet Mahogany (February-December 2018), My Best Friend (March 2018-April 2021), In The Nick Of Time (July 2018-January 2023), Peace Be Steel (February 2019-August 2021), SistAhood (June-July 2019), The MAINE Way (January 2020-November 2022), and My Life (April 2020-October 2021). As of January 2023, I have written, produced, and directed 424 episodes. BrothAhood, Peace Be Steel, and My Life are available on Tubi.
Sweet Mahogany was picked up for distribution by Maverick Entertainment making it my first feature length film. Since then, I have written, directed, and produced a total of 12 feature films: Sweet Mahogany (2020), Reindeer Games (2020), Sweet Mahogany 2: Sweet Indulgence (2021), Redemption For Easter (2021), My Brother’s Keeper (2021), SistAhood (2021) – another series re-edited into a feature length film – The Assistant (2021), which was distributed by ITN Studios, A Very Merry New Year (2021), Pastor Thorne: Lust Of The Flesh (2022), For The Love Of Christmas (2022), The Other Side Of Me (2023, ITN Studios), and The Saved And The Salacious (2023). All 12 films can be seen on FOX’s Tubi while 7 out of the 12 are available for streaming on NBC’s Peacock TV.
I am also the author of a 4 book series entitled As The Earth Spins, which was published by Expand Knowledge and is available at Lulu.com, and I am the author of two poetry books: Ebbs & Flows (2020) and Raw-N-UnKut (2022) – both titles are also available as EPs under the moniker KayCee Thee Poet on all digital platforms. In 2023, I released “Titan Warriors: The Alignment Of Power,” which is the first book in an action-adventure book series, and the first issue of my first comic book series, “CHOSEN.”
I also serve as the founder and editor-in-chief of VPN MAG, which began in 2018, and I am the producer and interviewer for the WJBF News Channel 6 digital platform and digital host for the Celebrating Black Excellence 365 digital platform.
In everything I do, I hope to remain true to who he is and be that beacon of hope that will inspire others to follow their dreams. My motto: Grow as you go, which springs from my favorite scripture, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Also, as of 2023, I celebrate 21 years of being in remission from cancer.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I am actually going through a pivot right now. I am still a creative and will always be a creative. I am just now shifting my focus. I am taking a break from filmmaking and focusing more now on promoting my new book and developing new books. I am also focusing on my career in broadcast/digital journalism with a new initiative that we are developing called Celebrating Black Excellence 365.
I have dedicated 20 years of my life creating content under Victory Productions, and even though I have enjoyed the journey, I am at a point in life where I want to explore other creative avenues. I’m always going to write. I will never stop writing. I am just taking a break from the producing and directing. With the books, I can still write and create characters and stories for people to enjoy.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is when I am able to inspire or encourage others. Sometimes, this journey can be very discouraging especially when you feel like you aren’t as far as ahead as you think you should be in your career. However, when I receive messages from people about how my shows or my films have encouraged them with a particular issue or circumstance in his or her life, or when I receive a message about how the way I am going after my dreams inspires them to chase theirs, it’s a wonderful and beautiful thing.
It’s also a blessing to have been able to be a catalyst when it comes to other people’s careers. I have received messages from actors and actresses that I have worked with in the past that say that being a part of Victory Productions has helped them get work in other productions on independent and mainstream platforms. Even if the acknowledgement isn’t given, just knowing that I was one of the ones that gave some artists their first real chance on screen or on a viable platform is enough of a reward within itself.
I am grateful that God has put me in a position to be a beacon of light and hope for others.
Contact Info:
- Website: thevpntv.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/thevpntv
- Facebook: facebook.com/thevpntv
- Twitter: twitter.com/thevpntv
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KARLTONTCLAY
- Other: facebook.com/karlton.clay twitter.com/karltontclay instagram.com/karltontclay https://a.co/d/8wK1xml (Titan Warriors) https://www.thevpntv.com/product-page/chosen-issue-1-part-1 (Chosen)
Image Credits
Shahgraphy Photography Rhodes Creative Co. Photography WJBF News Channel 6