Independent filmmaker Michael “Boogie” Pinckney got his start working with one of the most prolific filmmakers of this generation. We find out what it’s like following in the footsteps of his mentor Spike Lee and finally making an imprint of his own.
Independent filmmaker Michael “Boogie” Pinckney got his start working with one of the most prolific filmmakers of this generation and the camp at 40 Acres and a Mule.
We find out what it’s like following in the footsteps of his mentor Spike Lee and finally making an imprint of his own.
Name: Michael “Boogie” Pinckney
Company: Black Noise Media/Blackfoot Films
Crème Magazine: What was the inspiration for starting a career in the film industry?
Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: I always wanted to be a writer since high school. Short stories and poems. In college at SUNY Purchase I wrote and directed a few plays and was introduced to the film program there. Spike was my first real exposure to wanting to be a filmmaker when I saw “She’s Gotta Have it”. I said to myself I want to do that. I want to see one of my films on the screen. I want to tell stories that they aren’t telling.
Crème Magazine: We hear you are an amazing AD; how was the transition for you from the AD Department to actually directing a film?
Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: The transition has been on going for the past 7 years because in between shooting the five short films in my short film series, I was Assistant directing for directors like Spike (Bamboozled, 25th Hour, She Hate Me, Inside Man) etc, Bill Duke (Miracles Boys) and Mario Van Peebles (Hard Luck). I’ve learned so much as an AD that the transition was a lot easier because I know what’s needed. How to execute an idea and how to pull people together to get a project going. It can be difficult sometimes because it’s hard for me to separate myself from the AD in me because it’s a part of me. I look at a script and immediately start breaking it down likes an Assistant Director. At some point, I do have to hang up the Assistant directing hat and just wear the directing hat. Being an AD gave me knowledge and the access that I needed to become a director.
Crème Magazine: It is empowering to see that you’ve not only created your own film company, but a publishing company, which documents your rise in film. What provoked the idea to document your journey?
Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: I always wanted to write books. But what happened was, I speak at schools a lot about films and filmmaking and when I work on Spike’s films we usually have a lot of interns from colleges interning on the film and they all ask me the same questions about filmmaking, making a film, breaking into the business and such [so] I thought it would be helpful and interesting to document my journey. I also loved how Spike use to have companion books to accompany his earlier films. So I wanted to do that. I figured I’d write it all down. I plan to do the book for the making of “You’re Nobody ‘til somebody kills you” it’s going to be called “19 Days Ouch!!” That’s how many days I had to shoot my feature.
Crème Magazine: Where did the title Shoot First Ask Questions later come from?
Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: It was kind of a mantra for me. I would tell all young aspiring filmmakers to shoot, shoot and shoot some more. Shoot first and asks questions later. Shooting is the most important aspect of growth for a filmmaker. Writers write. Directors shoot. I hate when I’m not shooting anything. I love shooting films. It’s a term I use for guerrilla filmmaking and shooting by any means necessary.
Crème Magazine: The film industry is very small, especially for Black Filmmakers, yet you’ve got a head start working with one of the most profound filmmakers of our time. What’s it like working under the tutelage of Spike Lee?
Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: It was great working under Spike for so many years. I grew up working for him. I started when I was 19 years old. He is the most prepared and focused director I’ve ever worked with. I’ve learned so much under his tutelage. I was able to watch and be involved from the beginning to the end. Sometimes it was kind of surreal. Shooting on set with Spike or sitting in on rehearsals with him and Denzel and talking about script notes; It was and still is a great ride. I started as an intern and quickly rose to PA and then AD and now I’m on my journey as a director. Coming from the Spike school has really prepared me as a director.
Crème Magazine: Where did the nickname “Boogie” come from?
Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: I was a PA on “Crooklyn” and the 1st AD Mike Ellis, whom I’ve been working with for 15 years wanted to give me a nick name because my first name was Michael also[and] we kept getting confused which Michael they were referring to, so they gave me a nick name “Boogie”. I was really fast and I had a lot of energy as a PA and I don’t even remember who came up with the actual name but it stuck.
Crème Magazine: So now you’ve got your first feature film on the way; “You’re nobody ‘til Somebody Kills You.” What can we expect from this film and what was the inspiration behind it?
Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: I’m expecting big things from the film. It’s the first time a film like this has been made. We need a film like this. A serious and classic thriller with a hip-hop twist. I wanted to make a thriller with a classic Hitchcock feel to it. Smart, scary and bloody. It touches on all the elements in Hip Hop. The music, women, music videos, shady record executives, the violence and the bling-bling. But the film goes even deeper to talk about what hip-hop is becoming and how that can ultimately destroy it. I am a big hip-hop fan and I wanted to make a film about hip-hop but not a comedy or a drama [but] a thriller. I didn’t like a lot of the films made about hip-hop and how they negatively portrayed it and stereotyped the culture and the people.
Crème Magazine: When will the film be released?
Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: Tentatively the film will be release in the fall. I think the fall is a good time for thrillers and slasher films. I’m hoping around Halloween.
Crème Magazine: What kind of advice can you give to young filmmakers about the world of film?
Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: I say if you want to be a filmmaker you should shoot. It doesn’t matter what the format is 35mm, 16mm, HD, MiniDv, as long as you develop and tell the stories you want to tell. We have to define our own images and take charge of our images. The digital technology allows us all to tell stories that we want told. There are no excuses now. We can shoot, cut, design and distribute any film we want to now. We have so much more at our disposal than the filmmakers before us. Crème Magazine: What’s next for you? Michael “Boogie” Pinckney: I’m working on a series called “Chocolate City”. It’s an edgy urban drama series that has a film noir feel. It’s going to be very stylized and fun. Something that black actors can really sink their teeth in and have some fun with. I’m hoping to start shooting late spring.