Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to William & Caleb Suggs. The brothers are co-founders of the Memphis film production company, Studio Suggs. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

William & Caleb, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?

WILLIAM: I think one of the biggest misconceptions for me is that I’m shy, afraid to speak, and/or unapproachable. I don’t have a particular story to tell, but there have been instances in both college and in my work life where questions directed at me have been answered by someone else as if I wasn’t capable of doing it myself. I think people assume quiet/introverted people are afraid to speak up or just don’t want to be bothered. While that can certainly be the case even for me, from a personal standpoint, the reality is usually one of two things:

I need to get a better understanding of the situation or the topic before I can properly engage, so I listen first.

I don’t always have something to say. Being a part of a conversation doesn’t require one to play a dominant role or have all the answers, especially if you are not leading the conversation. There’s nothing wrong with having nothing to say, but if you do have something to say make sure it’s meaningful.

The biggest thing I take from experiences that I’ve had because of this misunderstanding is that I have to do better at being more assertive and carrying myself in a way that makes me more approachable.

CALEB: I mean naturally, there’s always going to be details, intentions, and decisions that are missed or misunderstood when it comes to anything, and I’m not exempt from that. But I will say, I don’t think me or any work I’ve done has been misunderstood or mischaracterized. It’s just that no one really knows the full picture or sees the whole vision yet. Everything’s leading to something greater.

William & Caleb, 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?

WILLIAM: Like most things I do, something caught my attention and I went down the rabbit hole to learn more about it. Caleb is very passionate about film and everything it entails, and I’m very interested in music and the storytelling process. Studio Suggs sprouted from an idea that I got while watching a Youtube video about anime studio, Ufotable. The studio connects with the community by doing things like showcasing new projects at their local movie theater and hosting workshops for students, going so far as to allow some of them to help with projects the studio is working on. I thought something like this would be really cool to do in Memphis even if it takes time for us to get there. I presented the idea to Caleb, and we eventually started things going with our first film, “Homeboys Haunted 2.”

I have two things that I’m proud of so far. The first one is how much my brother has grown as a director and an organizer. He’s really emerged as a leader and person to watch as he develops more and more. The second thing that I’m proud of is the opportunity I had to compose the music for our film, “Free Indeed.” It’s not something I thought I would be doing this time two years ago; I certainly didn’t think I would be making music for a film made by a company I co-founded.

CALEB: So, I was really inspired to create something for TV by watching Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, etc. as a little boy. I pretty much knew before kindergarten that running a television network was something I was interested in. But since that’s not the type of job you necessarily hear about on career day, the thought kind of just sizzled on the backburner of my mind and manifested from time to time through my interests of performing and writing. It wasn’t until I went through the production program at my alma mater, Germantown High School, and got intimately acquainted with film and TV through their multimillion-dollar station, GHS-TV, that I realized my childhood fantasy may be something that could actually be brought to reality. I went to University of Memphis and double majored in Broadcast Journalism and Film/Video Production. In 2018, I got my first film job as a producer and chief videographer for the documentary, Once More at the River: From MLK to BLM. I directed my first 2 films — UNO OUT and Rec Tech: The Student & The Studio — in 2020, right before the world shut down. Made a couple shorts with William, graduated college, and officially started Studio Suggs with him in 2021. Here we are 4 movies and several film festival nominations later.

I’m a writer, director, producer, voice talent, actor, and cinematographer. Either out of interest or necessity, I’ve pretty much learned how to do a little bit of everything when it comes to production. I’ve come a long way from just being talent, and now I’m able to take my ideas and bring them to life with what I’ve learned and the people I’ve met along the way.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

WILLIAM: The most rewarding part of being an artist or creative is that I’m always learning something new. No matter how good I get with music or writing or anything in that ballpark, there will always be something that I can improve or some new technique that I can learn. There’s no such thing as true mastery and it keeps me from getting bored (which can happen very easily and very quickly). In terms of Studio Suggs, I want to be able to contribute in any way that I can, so having skills that I can use to do that is something that’s important and rewarding to me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

CALEB: There’s something that’s always been really cool and fulfilling for me about taking an over-the-top idea and making it a reality — and that’s exactly what I get to do in film. I think bringing something in your mind to the light of day is one of the most rewarding things about being creative as well as the reactions and impact that thing can have on others. Not to mention, making movies is a cool excuse to hang out with my friends and make something fresh.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.studiosuggs.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiosuggs/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StudioSuggs
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/StudioSuggs
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4BmC_pPI5GK_xs-JqYEyhg
• Other: WILLIAM’s LINKS: Insta ~ @journeymanwill_ Twitter ~ @JourneyManWill CALEB’s LINKS: Website ~ www.calebsuggs.com Insta ~ @cjsuggs100 YouTube ~ @calebsuggs Backstage ~ https://www.backstage.com/u/caleb-suggs/