We recently connected with Maurice Proffit and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Maurice, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
When speaking about “Meaning Projects”, the one project that stands out to me would be the final theatre production that I directed before retiring my jersey in the rafters. For close to the last 15 years, I have been directing live theatre, film, and television and I came to the decision that Feb 2023 would be my final live theatre production that would have my name on it as “Directed By:”. The decision came with a heavy heart, but I felt it was only right to use the platform that I helped build to make a way for other aspiring directors to have an opportunity to showcase their talents. So for the betterment of art and for me to concentrate more on being a producer, this was the decision that I landed on. But I wasn’t going to go out with just something “basic”, but I used this opportunity to pursue a production that I have had the desire to do for many years, and that would be a production dedicated to hip-hop culture. With 2023 being the 50th anniversary of hip hop, there couldn’t have been a better time than this year. We put on a show titled “The Realness” (written by: Idris Goodwin) but I attached the subtitle “And Then There Was Hip Hop”, I felt this would give the full essence of what not only the play was about but also what the entire experience of the production encompassed (from the show, the DJ, the vendors, the decor, the vibe, the energy, etc.). The cast put on some of the best acting I’ve ever seen and the audience ate up every second of the show overall. The vendors had an incredible night and everyone left the theatre on cloud 10. Just taking a step back and taking a look at everything that came together, made me not only enjoy the ride but excited to see what tomorrow holds for B-Side Studios and our theatre division.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am the founder and executive producer of B-Side Studios. B-Side Studios is an independent media group that is based in Chicago, IL. We specialize in a variety of areas of media such as film, theatre, television, print, and podcasting. Our purpose is to provide a unique outlet for creatives who may be the creatives that are considered to be “non-traditional”. We’re a media company that finds the beauty within coloring outside the lines and going beyond the surface. For a good chunk of my life, I was searching for various artistic outlets in Chicago that would be open to bringing me onto their teams, but sadly I was met with a barrage of rejections left and right. While many people would look at this as a deterrent, I looked at this as fuel for me to create something that wasn’t there. Why should I continue to ask decision-makers if I could be great with their brand when I knew I had the tools to be phenomenal with my own brand? I say this, not out of arrogance, but rather the confidence and unapologetic self-belief that I have within myself. But my goal was/is to create a platform where we are going to be open to working with you if you want to work with us. I’ve heard way too many “No’s” from other outlets, we don’t need to contribute to what they are already dispensing.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
Is that scam still a thing?
How did you build your audience on social media?
We’re currently living in an interesting era that never really has been seen before. I guess you can say that we are all the proverbial “beta testers” in this life we live. Social media has created this landscape where mystique is minimal and transparency is maximized. Due to this, each of us is experiencing each other’s highs and lows on a regular basis (depending on what we decide to post/highlight from our lives). But because of this, complete visibility is imminent and not much is left to question. Sadly, many people can (and will) fall for these types of posts, and feel that this is real life. Social media is not at all what it was 15 years ago. Back then, social media really was fun, a pleasure, and a break from real life. Now Social media has found itself at the forefront of real life and people show this. With this said users of social media have found themselves departing from the community aspect of the app and instead looking at everything as a competition. How many “likes” does my post have? How many times was it shared? How many views does my video have? How much engagement is my post generating? Did my post go “viral”? Its madness. So I say this because many artists, who are relatively “unknown” or who are not “social media influencers”, may make some art or a post to plug their show and the “likes”, comments, shares, etc. may not be as high as the poster desires (due to social media norms). But I say to continue to post anyway. Post without any preconceived uneasiness because you know your art won’t take off and if it doesn’t, it’s totally OK! You’re doing something original and special while in a world now where too many people want to be like the next person.
Contact Info:
- Website: bsidestudios.net
- Instagram: @bside.studios
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mproffit5/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maurice-d-proffit-9395b424/
- Twitter: @mrproffit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bside.studios
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details_reviews_self?userid=yJGtUeyUm-jOFteWjLNFXg
- Other: Personal IG: @mrproffit
Image Credits
Feliz Rivera Paulia Fadrowska Ty Ellison Mike Irrizary