Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kenny Pitts. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Kenny thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights 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.
How did you learn to do what you do? I learned my craft through jumping in with a bare-bones-no-budget-hands-on experience and a deep passion for music and film. In music, I started songwriting a couple of years after picking up the guitar, which eventually led to forming my own band and performing live. In film, I gained experience through my production company, Outsiders Productions, by producing and acting in various projects, which won us several awards, including four Emmys.
Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? Focusing earlier on specific goals and building confidence sooner would have accelerated my progress. Seeking mentorship and industry insights earlier would have also been beneficial.
What skills do you think were most essential? Focus, confidence, creativity, and adaptability were crucial. In music, songwriting and performing skills were key, while in film, acting and production skills were essential.
What obstacles stood in the way of learning more? Balancing a day job with my creative pursuits was a significant obstacle. Additionally, a lack of initial confidence and a broad focus delayed my progress. The pandemic also disrupted my plans, but it ultimately provided a valuable learning experience in adaptability.
Overall: The main thing I learned is to get out there and do it. Follow your heart and start it up! When I quit my day job of 14 years and started making the positive steps in that direction, within the next 2 months, I won my first Emmy, I released a 5 song ep and most importantly, my wife got pregnant with our first and only child!
Kenny, 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 am 48 years old. Born in California and raised in Oklahoma. We came at an early age, so I am really mostly and Okie without an accent. I am a singer/songwriter, musician, actor & filmmaker. I write songs to perform myself and write also for other performers. I am an actor. I am also a filmmaker and have done a lot of overall producing projects and also sometimes very streamlined jobs such as a locations manager.
Both sides (Music and Film), when you nail it to one thing that I’m drawn to, it could all fall under creating & storytelling. Even at an early age, I remember also creating stories. Whether it was on paper, using my toys or just the ole imagination.
I got into the music and movie business initially from college. At East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, I received my Bachelor’s in Mass Communications. That landed me my initial job working as an On-Air DJ at the local radio station. Colleget is where I started writing songs. From there, I got with friends who were also in college and aspiring filmmakers. After college, we started making indie films and playing in bands.
In my initial band, I did not sing and was just playing guitar. After that band broke up, I had a guitar audition for a band which did not go well. On my hour long drive home, i made up my mind that I had to do my own thing. Since then, I’ve had my own band where I was the singer and songwriter. I currently am still performing live solo or with my band, “Kenny Pitts & The Raging Peacemakers”. I am also actively working in the songwriting business side of the industry.
After college, my friends and I began our production company, Outsiders Productions.. It was a cool trial by fire type of learning. I have produced quite a few films since our company’s beginning in 2004. We have multiple feature length and short films and we have a couple of series. From film fests to comi-cons around the country, we have won multiple awards. The biggest achievement in that area, came from our music series, “Play It Loud”. We have won 4 Emmy awards and currently are nominated for another. All this production work has been great experience in the film world, but it’s also helped me find my main love within it and that is Acting.
Some of the main things I want are:
To write great songs that I can share with the world.
To portray great characters and tell stories people want to watch.
One of the main things I am happiest about is that I am still doing it! The only thing I gave up on was my day-job! I am glad that I have the mind-set to want to still continue this while my daughter is young. Years ago, I may have thought I had to quit this dream when having a child. Now, I feel that I need to do this alongside her!
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
The main resources I didn’t know about are right in our communities. Most states have Film and Music commissions that offer valuable resources. On a local level, your hometown or nearby cities may have film and music offices, schools, and colleges with great resources or connections.
With the internet and social media, finding these resources is now faster. Many online groups focus on specific interests in film and music. However, it can be overwhelming, so start simple. Attend local film festivals and concerts to meet filmmakers and musicians. Building relationships with people already doing what you want to do is invaluable.
And remember, you don’t have to stick with the first idea or person you start a project with, but you do need to start somewhere before finding the right fit.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
The biggest pivot I faced was quitting my day job of 14 years to pursue music and film full-time. A month after quitting, I found out my wife was pregnant, and a few months later, the world shut down due to COVID-19. Initially, I had a solid lineup of gigs, acting roles, and production jobs, but everything disappeared in March 2020. From 2020 to 2023, I was in a constant state of starting over. This experience taught me to focus on what I truly wanted, follow my heart, and set boundaries. Now, I feel the best I ever have in my career.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennypittskp/
- Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/latest/home?business_id=383552425593662&asset_id=623220454457782
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4EdCdZBBrKGbMso9ZC0N7A
- Other: OUTSIDERS PRODUCTIONS:
https://www.instagram.com/outsidersproductions/https://www.facebook.com/OutsidersProductionsKENNY PITTS IMDB:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1099403/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
