We were lucky to catch up with Troy Seals II recently and have shared our conversation below.

Troy, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

The story behind Black Hourglass Productions’ mission really starts with my childhood in Houston. Growing up, I was captivated by how movies could be this incredible vehicle for delivering messages—not just entertaining people, but actually inspiring them and making them think differently about the world around them. That realization that storytelling has this profound power to foster understanding and connection across different cultures and experiences became the foundation of everything I do.

When I started Black Hourglass Productions, I named it deliberately. There’s this beautiful tension between the fluidity of sand passing through an hourglass and the organic flow of creativity. But honestly, what really drove me to take that leap was confronting my own chronomentrophobia—this deep-seated fear of not having enough time. You know how they say time is the ultimate creative constraint? For me, that awareness of time’s finite nature became this urgent, almost poetic force that pushed me to stop waiting and start creating. That fear of running out of time transformed into this beautiful urgency to amplify voices, to create work that matters, to build something that outlasts the moment.

In addition, what makes this mission deeply personal for me is witnessing the lack of diversity in our industry and seeing how many emerging filmmakers struggle to get their authentic voices heard. I’ve been fortunate to have my work featured on platforms like BET and at festivals like Dances with Films, and I know that representation matters. Every project I take on has to serve a larger purpose—whether it’s challenging conventions, amplifying underrepresented voices, or simply making people think about their world in a new way.

My southern roots and Texas culture heavily influence how I approach storytelling, but the mission extends far beyond regional perspectives. I want Black Hourglass Productions to be a place where filmmakers can push boundaries while staying true to their authentic vision. We’re not just making movies; we’re creating catalysts for meaningful conversations about the human experience. That’s what drives me every single day.

Troy, 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?

I’m Troy Seals II, founder and creative director of Black Hourglass Productions, a film company born from the intersection of artistic vision and existential urgency. My journey into filmmaking began in Houston, Texas, where I was raised surrounded by the rich storytelling traditions of the South. From a young age, I was mesmerized by cinema’s ability to deliver profound messages wrapped in compelling narratives—this medium where you could genuinely inspire and transform perspectives through the power of story.

My path wasn’t traditional. After earning my Master of Fine Arts from Loyola Marymount University, I dove headfirst into the independent film world, cutting my teeth on commercials, music videos, and festival shorts. My first music video premiered on BET, and another was featured at the Dances with Films Festival. Although, what really catalyzed my evolution as a filmmaker was confronting my own chronomentrophobia—this deep fear of not having enough time. That awareness transformed from anxiety into artistic fuel, creating this beautiful urgency that pushed me to stop waiting for permission and start creating work that matters.

Black Hourglass Productions operates on the principle that every element in a project must serve, reinforce, and magnify the themes at play. My distinctive style merges refreshing childlike wonder with philosophical depth—you can feel it in how characters interact, in the cinematography, and in the cultural motifs that reflect my Southern roots. We’re not just making films; we’re crafting intricate mechanisms for meaningful dialogue.

What sets us apart is our commitment to authentic storytelling that challenges conventions while fostering understanding across different cultures and experiences. We provide comprehensive film production services, from concept development through post-production, but more importantly, we solve the problem of surface-level entertainment. Our clients come to us when they want their stories to resonate on a deeper level, to spark conversations, to create lasting impact.

I’m most proud of our mission-driven approach and our dedication to mentoring emerging talent while advocating for greater diversity in the industry. What I want people to know about Black Hourglass Productions is that we believe time is precious, stories are powerful, and every frame should serve a greater purpose. We’re here to create films that don’t just entertain—they inspire, challenge, and connect us to our shared humanity.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

The funding story for Black Hourglass Productions is deeply personal and honestly, it’s rooted in sacrifice and this relentless drive to bring authentic stories to life. Growing up in Houston, I always had this burning passion for writing and expressing myself—whether it was through short stories, poetry, or just finding ways to communicate the ideas swirling around in my head. It all crystallized when my father gave me my first camera, which was this incredible moment of faith and support that planted the seed for everything that followed.

That first camera became my gateway into visual storytelling, merging my love for writing with this new medium. I threw myself into creating projects, but I quickly realized that pursuing filmmaking seriously would require significant resources. So, I dove into corporate sales, this completely toxic, cutthroat environment that was the antithesis of everything I believed in creatively. Every day felt like I was betraying my artistic soul, but I had this clarity about what I was doing and why.
That environment, as soul-crushing as it was, taught me invaluable lessons about negotiation, client relationships, and the business side of creativity. More importantly, it fueled my determination. Every morning I’d wake up knowing I was trading my creative energy for dollars, and that tension kept me laser-focused on my endgame. I lived incredibly lean during those years, saving every dollar I could toward my education and future projects.

It was actually one of those early films I created during this period that became my ticket into film school—it opened the door to my MFA program at Loyola Marymount University. Even after graduation, I knew I had the vision and the skills, yet I was still staring down the harsh reality that independent filmmaking requires serious capital. So, I continued that grind, every paycheck a step closer to freedom, to being able to fund my first professional projects without compromising my vision.

That initial capital became the foundation for Black Hourglass Productions—not just the money, but the discipline, the business acumen, and the deep appreciation for creative independence that came from knowing exactly what I was willing to sacrifice for my art. Those corporate years were essential. They gave me the financial foundation and the real-world experience to build something sustainable, something that could honor both the artistic vision and the practical realities of running a business.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I had to unlearn was that suffering for your art somehow makes it more authentic or valuable. Growing up with that passion for writing and storytelling, I bought into this romanticized notion that true artists had to struggle, that pain was the price of creativity, and that if you weren’t tortured by your process, you weren’t doing it right.

This belief was reinforced during my corporate sales years. I was grinding in this toxic environment, telling myself that the misery I felt every day was somehow noble—that I was paying my dues, that the sacrifice would make my eventual films more meaningful. I wore that suffering like a badge of honor, convinced that the worse I felt, the more authentic my art would be when I finally escaped.

In result here’s what I realized: that mindset was keeping me trapped. I was so focused on the struggle that I wasn’t actually creating my best work. When I finally started making films—my music videos that premiered on BET, the shorts that played at festivals—the breakthrough moments came not from my pain, but from my joy, my curiosity, that childlike wonder I’d always carried.

The real turning point came when I started Black Hourglass Productions and began working with multiple emerging filmmakers. I saw talented artists destroying themselves because they thought they had to suffer to be legitimate. I realized I’d been perpetuating this toxic cycle, and it was completely counter to everything I believed about storytelling’s power to foster understanding and connection.

What I learned is that while struggle can inform your art, it doesn’t have to define it. My Southern roots, my time in sales, my journey through film school—these experiences gave me perspective, but they didn’t make me a better filmmaker because they were painful. They made me better because they were authentic. There’s a huge difference. Now I approach every project from a place of purpose and passion, not from a place of proving I’ve suffered enough to deserve success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm10032730?s=92cbfbfd-22cd-11aa-12f4-d28c89c34051&site_preference=normal
• Instagram: t_seals4
• Youtube: @blackhourglassprods.2553