George Tillman Jr. (Director, Screenwriter, & Producer) on Filmmaking, Influences, & More!

Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Research Expert Kevin Goetz

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Kevin is joined by the critically acclaimed Director/Writer/Producer George Tillman Jr. to discuss making movies from the heart.
George Tillman Jr., Director, Producer, Writer
With a career spanning over two decades, George Tillman Jr. has brought a unique voice and perspective to the film industry, tackling a wide range of genres and themes in his work. He is best known for his films Soul Food, Men of Honor, and The Hate U Give, as well as for producing the successful Barbershop franchise.
A tale of two test screenings (3:28)
George Tillman Jr. reminisces about his disastrous first test screening in Beverly Hills and how that experience made him fearful of future audience screenings. He contrasts this with the audience screening for Soul Foodand how that screening became one of the highlights of his life.
Early influences (10:49)
Tillman discusses the two films that influenced him as a teenager: Taxi Driver and Cooley High. Cooley High was the first film Tillman saw with African Americans in the lead roles, and it showed real friendships and relationships. Taxi Driver stood out to Tillman for its camera work and the way it controlled the viewer's experience.
Working with De Niro (20:35)
Kevin asks George about his greatest influences and mentors. George talks about working with Robert De Niro on Men of Honor and how De Niro guided him in post-production, even advising Tillman to cut some of De Niro’s own performance for the sake of the film.
The $150,000 movie success (24:18)
Tillman talks about raising money for his first film, going mainly to family and friends in Chicago, and taking that movie to Hollywood and selling it to Savoy Pictures for $1,000,000. Unfortunately, Savoy Pictures went out of business, and that first film was lost, but it helped Tillman make connections that led to green lighting Soul Food.
Tell the stories you want to tell (31:17)
Kevin asks George what he has learned on his journey as a writer, producer, and director. George talks about making movies from the heart and about telling the stories that you want to tell.
Feeling the audience's reaction (43:05)
Kevin asks George to talk about audience test screenings and if the audience response was responsible for big changes in any of his films. George goes into what it feels like to participate in a test screening and sit among the audience. He talks about how he made changes to a movie based on what he felt around him at the audience test screening. They then go into positive test screenings as a validation of the filmmaker’s instincts.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Guest: George Tillman Jr.
Producer: Kari Campano
For more information about George Tillman Jr.:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/george_tillman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/george_tillman
For more information about Kevin Goetz:
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