We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tine. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tine below.

Alright, Tine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I think it takes a strong sense of self to be successful, to trust your instincts, and to be authentic. To me, success isn’t measured in awards and accolades. Awards and accolades are the by-product of a job well done but not the measure of it. Success is measured in how you achieve your goal. Did you put forth your best effort? Did you realize your vision? As a filmmaker, I strive to tell stories that challenge thought, spark conversation, and that guide the heart. My vision is to create fresh and dynamic ways to tell stories, to think beyond traditional documentary aesthetics, and to create visually engaging narratives. Unafraid and unapologetic for painting outside the lines. If I have done all of those things and stayed true to the story and my convictions, I have served the story, and therefore, I am successful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

A little about me. I am a documentary filmmaker and director of ABC Network’s Soul of a Nation multicultural specials. I am a native of Hampton, Virginia, and have a BA in Journalism from Hampton University. I began my journalism career working at the CBS affiliate, WTKR, in the Hampton Roads area. I started out as an editor and van operator for the newscasts before becoming a cameraperson for the station. It was there that I began to sharpen my skills and learn the power of visual storytelling. I remember one day sitting with an editor who was also a cameraman. He was showing me his old photographer’s reel. We came to a part of his reel that I thought was highlighting a local arts and crafts festival. I had covered a dozen of those festivals myself and always found them easy to film: shoot a wide shot of the festival, get coverage of some pretty art and some audio of music playing, and you’re done. So I was puzzled as to why he would have something so mundane on his reel. A photographer’s reel is supposed to catch the eye, dazzle, and make folks think that you’re the next Steven Speilberg. But I watched, and as I did, I became enamored with this story of a local musician. He had shot this compelling story of this man who came to festivals and performed simply to bring joy to the folks as they milled around the festival. The story was so rich and beautifully shot. I asked him if the station had asked him to do a story on the musician. He said no, they only asked him to shoot the festival. So I asked how he knew about the musician, and he simply said, “Stories are everywhere; you just need to look, and you will find them.” He taught me a valuable lesson that day: if you only look at what’s in front of you, you may never discover what’s below the surface. Or, in this case, what was beyond the wide shot of the festival and the pretty art. I took that lesson and so many others with me and moved to New York to pursue my career as a documentary filmmaker.

I worked for local stations as an editor before becoming a photojournalist and editor for BET as they were revamping their nightly news program. I eventually worked my way up to management, becoming one of the company’s youngest managers and serving the news division as Director of News Production. I have spent over two decades in both the news and entertainment industry working for ABC’s Good Morning America, World News with Diane Sawyer, ABC’s 20/20, Nightline, and Universal Pictures. I have edited for CBS’ The Early Show, The Anderson Cooper Show, The Katie Couric Show, and Discovery Channel’s Focus Earth.

ABC’s Soul of a Nation was birthed out of the racial reckoning our country and the world experienced with the death of George Floyd. I came abroad as the series editor, helping to shape the look and feel of the show in post-production. What started as a 6 part series evolved into yearly cultural specials, which I now direct.

In 2004, I decided it was time for me to form my own production company, Tine Time Productions. Tine Time Productions was born out of the idea that the lack of resources should never stifle a creative idea. I wanted to create a boutique company, not just for myself but as a resource for those who wanted to create but didn’t have the financial means to do so. While at Tine Time, we have formed creative partnerships, both big and small, with brands in both film and television, we still hold space for those passion projects, those stories that guide our hearts and compel us to capture them.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I remember reading this book by a group of scientists turned filmmakers at Muse who developed a philosophy that says, “guide the heart to move the mind.” This idiom serves as my mantra for the Soul of a Nation series and as a filmmaker. I genuinely believe that to “guide the heart” and ultimately “move the mind,” people need to see themselves and others authentically. Empathy, in its purest form, is the ability to truly understand the heart and soul of another. To become empathetic, one must understand the cultural dynamics that define a people. Examining a cultural environment’s core beliefs, values, ideas, ideals, and norms creates understanding and produces an ally. My drive is to break down those barriers visually to take creative risks so that people continue to see themselves in exciting and new ways. I love to think outside the box, to think about all the different ways to tell a story, and marvel at how the story is finally realized.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the responses from those who view the work. Whether the reviews are good or bad, to have someone view your story, your art is success within itself. For a person to take the time to watch your special or documentary and examine a topic or issue from your perspective is a gift. Documentaries are visual conversations to me, it’s my voice. So when someone watches them, they are taking the time to listen to what I have to say.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.tinetime.com/
• Instagram: @tinetime
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tine-a3658036/

Image Credits
ABC_HEIDI GUTMAN ABC_Chrys Davis ABC_Jose Alvarado, Jr. ABC_Michael Le Brecht II NICK GIGGANS-HILL STEPHANIE WASH