His production company, Left of Bang Entertainment, allows him some control during the pandemic while giving at-risk young people an opportunity
During a time where the entertainment industry has slowed down across the spectrum due to the pandemic, actor/comedian Brian Hooks feels that his work within the space holds more purpose now than ever before.
Hooks, known for his roles in the films “3 Strikes,” “Soul Plane,” the sitcom “Eve” and more, has been able to stay active during the pandemic via his independent filmmaking and by reaching back to at-risk youths through his company Left of Bang Entertainment.
In a conversation with DeVon Pouncey, Hooks acknowledged the advantages he has had over his peers during the pandemic.
“It’s a blessing, because we entered this pandemic, and while most entertainment as actors are sort of waiting for the industry to open back up and at the mercy of them saying, OK, we’re going to go now and then things trickling out, and it’s not as much work,” Hooks said. “They’re just sitting, waiting to be called when I have all the tools to be able to make a film on my own, by myself, however, whenever with whoever.”
The following is an excerpt from Pouncy’s personal podcast, “Wake Up and Win.”
DeVon Pouncey: I want to talk with you about what it is that you do in the independent comedy, film and acting scene. Oftentimes, when we think about independence within entertainment, we attribute it to that of the music industry. So in your case, being somebody that’s been independent in the entertainment industry, what does it mean for the work that you do?
Brian Hooks: I think it’s the new normal, in my opinion, because it allows you to control your own destiny. And the way I dove into independence was sort of accidentally on purpose.
A buddy and I were studying at Cal State University Northridge, I was a math major going to school to teach and he was in the film program there, and it was on the heels of “Phat Beach,” which had been released theatrically and did OK, went to DVD, and went crazy and broke all kinds of records. He approached me to make this film and he was a little short on funds — he had, like, $10,000 and needed, like, $3,000 more. When we finished the film, it was absolutely horrible, and I mean horrible. But it was funny. And so Xenon Entertainment, which is this mid-level distributor, picked the film up, and long story short, the film we made for $13,000 went on to make $800,000. And from there, we found a little niche where we can make modest budget films and sort of control our own destiny and not be at the mercy of a studio or executive or whoever it may be telling us you’re not good enough.
Pouncey: Talk to us about what Left of Bang Entertainment is, and sort of the socio-cultural impact that you intend for it to have?
Hooks: I joined the Santa Monica Rotary, and that’s an organization whose motto is service over self. That’s how we move. That’s how we analyze the world. And they’ve done amazing things for years and decades, helping people locally and internationally. So one day within my Rotary, I was visiting a Rotary, there was an ex-police chief there as a guest speaker. And he made a comment that really put things into focus for me. He said that at the age of 3, they could predict that a child would end up in prison. So 3 years old, with certainty, they can predict whether a child will end up in jail or prison. When they said that, I’m like, OK, I’m waiting for the punchline, it can’t be that cut and dry. But that was it.
And then he went on to give us the reasoning for that and what he said was, they’re able to predict that because of the geographical area that a child is born in, the number of gangs they may have to walk by to get to and from school, and whether their parents have been in jail or prison or not.
And so here you are, this child at the age of 3, you don’t know what life is, don’t possess an ounce of ill will, and because of where you’re born, the arc of your life is limited to death or prison. And so I had to ask myself, if I had the ability to save that 3-year-old kid’s life, would I? The answer is yes. And that’s what Left of Bang is — reaching back and trying to intercept these youth who are born on rocky foundation and born into situations where they’re forced to choose between bad and worse, and allowing them another opportunity.
When these kids join these gangs and things like that, it’s not like they grow up, and that’s their profession of choice. These kids are looking for a sense of family and belonging. And that’s a human instinct that’s necessary for anyone to thrive, wherever you’re born. That’s just a necessity. They’re going to get that even if it’s with a gang. And so we want to make sure that they have other options.
So at Left of Bang, we’re doing our part to extend an olive branch from the inner city to the sets of Hollywood teaching them filmmaking skills so that they can become filmmakers if they choose or fall in love with the aspect of filmmaking or if nothing else, if they walk away, like, “Yo, that was dope, but filmmaking isn’t for me,” they at least walk away with the idea if I can do that, I can do anything. And that’s what the program is, it’s reaching back and providing these youth an opportunity to get off that path to jail or prison by allowing them to breathe and achieve and exposing them to different things. Because at the end of the day, if they’re given a choice to choose between shooting a gun or shooting a movie, they would obviously choose shooting the movie.
Pouncey: What are some of your thoughts about the role of the comedian in today’s society?
Hooks: You know the great comics, they’re always saying something. Beneath the laughter and beneath the jokes, as they take you on that journey, whether they’re doing an hour or they’re doing 10-15 minutes, they’re usually saying something.
Dave Chappelle, as you mentioned, has been excellent with that, you always get a huge message. And he’s always digging deep and saying eye-opening and mind-opening things. And I think that’s super, duper important. And I think it’s the role of every comic, if you’ve done your history to be saying something real, and be speaking your truth.
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