Exclusive Interview with Writer Producer of the thriller film: "Gold Digger Killer"
Luis: Congratulations on your DVD release. I want to ask you what made you think of the topic of gold digger - player relationships?
Jeff: When I was single I had a close call with a girl who had friends who were Golddiggers and was fascinated with their lifestyle. I wrote Gold Digger Killer to scare her and other women.
Luis: Did you experience this type of relationship before?
Jeff: Not directly and I don't have enough money to attract a Golddigger.
Luis: There should be different types or degrees of gold diggers and players?
Jeff: Not different levels but there are wannabe Playas and girls who try to juice men for money. Wannabe Playas get caught and labeled cheaters. It's hard to be a successful Gold Digger.
Luis: I know that hip hop videos have over glamorized gold diggers- player relationships almost demeaning our women... what can you say about this?
Jeff: I won't say it's the videos or even the music. It's really the American culture which is the problem. This belief that it's normal for a man to be a sex addict combined with the fact that women here are raised to want a Knight in shinning armor or a man who will take care of them. Hip Hop is just a offshoot of American culture.
Luis: I'm sure there are names out there hip hop wise who talk against this gold digger- player relationship besides you? Or are there? Why do you think that is?
Jeff: I can't say that there are people who interrupt our problems the way that I do. There are people who counsel people on finding a good man or woman. People like Michael Baisden and publications like Essence magazine address some of our male/female issues. Even the greater White American culture has many people address male/female bonding. Most of these efforts show ways of dealing with the status not change them. I believe the culture can be changed and it doesn't have to get progressively worse. That's why I developed the Hip Hop Dating Codes (see at the end of this interview).
Luis: If this was an open letter to the hip hop world pls feel free to express yourself in this interview...
Jeff: My message to the Hip Hop community is we have both good productive values and negative counter productive values we have the choice of which way we decide to behave . Hip Hop was formed under respect for ourselves and the world we live in. As long as we hold that true to ourselves and the people we bring into our lives we will be alright.
Luis: Who are your filmmaker heroes?
Jeff: I have much respect for Spike Lee as a Black man filmmaker. I also, take from Woody Allen and Roger Corman as independent filmmakers.
Luis: If you were to put an ideal cast and crew in your ideal movie who will they be?
Jeff: Dagg that's a lot of people. Of course I would have to have Denzel Washington. But, I also like Chiwetel Ejiofor he was my man in Serenity. I like Westley Jonathan from Roll Bounce. Females Sanaa Lathan, Vivica Fox, Angela Basset and my girl Shatara Curry from Gold Digger Killer.
Luis: What would that ideal project be?
Jeff: One of my scripts. Maybe, Gold Digger Killer 2 or this Vampire story I have.
Luis: What are your advise to future filmmakers? What are your lessons learned from your past two projects?
Jeff: Perfection is and an evolution not an instantaneous product.
Luis: How did you market your film during your festival run?
Jeff: I used the street team approach. I hit the lobbies at every festival handing out flyers to regular people.
Luis: Did you involve your cast and crew in your promos?
Jeff: I tried to give them guest lists at every screening and gave them flyers to hand-out.
Luis: How did you get all these talented poets in your film?
Jeff: I wrote roles they would like and made the shooting schedule easy for them.
Luis: What is your sales pitch for your film?
Jeff: Well the tag line is: Nothing scares a player like a Gold Digger Killer.
Luis: Do you have any favorites in the Summer releases this year and why?
Jeff: I am waiting to see how Rob Zombie does the Halloween series. I like 28 Weeks later and Fantastic Four so far.
Luis: I heard you visited the biggest Comic Con in the World (San Diego) recently? Any fun stuff? Did you meet any celebrities?
Jeff: I brush shoulders with Rosario Dawson and I met Reginald Hudlin and Xzibit. Overall I had a great time. It was the largest event I have ever been other than the 1986 Democratic Convention. I met other indie publishers and some hot entrepreneurs like IDW and Onipress.
Luis: Did you learn anything marketing wise at the convention?
Jeff: Having girls at your both is only a distraction. If you have a good product then people will see it.
Luis: Which do you enjoy more writing your script or producing your film and why?
Jeff: I like writing the script a little bit better but my favorite part is watching my film with other people in a theater. I like cracking jokes about my own film in a theater .
Luis: If you were to meet Spielberg tonight what would you tell him? (Sell yourself)
Jeff: Man, I don't want to give my secret away but, it would be something about me being an emerging Hip Hop filmmaker and how popular Hip Hop is becoming.
