Meet Alscott Worrell | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alscott Worrell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alscott, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
I want my legacy to be that I not only advocated for the telling of Black and Queer stories, but that I created a lane to help get those stories created and out to the masses. I want people to remember me as someone who created high quality, inspiring content, that’s raw and rooted in authenticity. Someone who pushes the boundaries and isn’t afraid to build from the ground up if that means creating access for myself and other filmmakers from marginalized communities on a large scale.

My production company, 1990 Productions, was created to cultivate a space for indie filmmakers who identify as Black and/or queer to tell their stories from their point of view. The only show I can recall that centered Black queer men is Noah’s Arc, created by Patrik-Ian Polk and that’s been off of the air since 2006. In Hollywood, we rarely see stories being told from these perspectives and we’re fighting to change that.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a filmmaker, I am adamant about creating content that is centered on Black and/or Queer characters. Building a production company and researching property to build a studio that centers on creating this content would make it one of the the first and I’m so excited and proud of myself and the people who are working alongside me to make it happen. Having a dedicated studio and production company where indie filmmakers feel safe and supported to create the content that Hollywood often ignores is very important to me and I’m ready to film our first two pilots, Risk and Nosy by Nature in Q1 and Q2 of 2022.

The journey to get here has been complex. Since I was a child, I’ve always been interested in television production and writing. I was a part of production teams in both elementary and high school and wrote my first book when I was 16. Though I had all of these signs pointing to what made me happy, I had no idea that I could make a living do these things until I was well into adulthood. In 2018, I was driving from Houston to NYC during spring break from work. At the time, I was a Director of Campus Operations for a middle and high school and I hated my job. My stress levels and anxiety was through the roof. I was unhappy but didn’t know what I needed in order to be happy. I committed myself to figure it out during the 25 hour drive.

That drive helped me get in touch with my inner child and by the end of it, I had made the decision to pursue screenwriting. From there I took classes, wrote my first pilot which manifested itself into a failed web series. In hindsight, I was in over my head but we did successfully film multiple scenes for multiple episodes. Although unfinished for a number of reasons, I’m still very proud of what we did accomplish and the lessons learned.

Along the way, I’ve learned many lessons but there are two that stand out the most. The first would be that you should be your biggest fan. There will be times where people will try to make you doubt yourself. In those moments, that belief in yourself will be your saving grace. The second lesson: surround yourself with people who genuinely are invested in you and your work. People will try to attach themselves to you when they see that you’re making things happen and being able to discern when it’s not going to be a good working relationship will save you time, money and from disappointment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would do a mix of things!

Day 1
Happy Hour @ Escala (Happy Hour) –
Dessert @ Holy Roly Ice Cream
Movie Night @ Home

Day 2
Breakfast @ Pann’s (Inglewood)
Hike it Off @ Kenneth Hahn Park
Nap (Cause we’re old)
Dinner @ Monty’s Good Burger
Random Bar Hop

Day 3
Beach Day @ Long Beach Beach
Dinner @ La Tarantella Osteria
TV Night @ Home

After Day 3, they’re on their own. I’m tired (LOL)

One of my favorite places to check out is the Black Market Flea. There’s good food, merchandise, and live performances from some talented artists. Recently, I was introduced to a new duo called GAWD. They were amazing, performing original songs, as well as covers. Overall an amazing experience and hands down a Los Angeles favorite.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Support looks different for many people. When I think about my journey as a filmmaker, I can’t help but be thankful for the support of my grandmother, Janice. Taking a risk and leaving my career in education was such a scary thing for me to do. To go from having stability to freelancing and trying to build a company from the ground up can be crippling, but the way in which she’s embraced what makes me happy and encourages me when I’m feeling defeated by rejection is unmatched. I’d also like to shout-out one of my closest friends Gary who is continually supporting me whether it’s proofing material for me, donating to my campaign, talking me off the ledge when things are tough, helping on set when I need extra hands. He has proven to be there and continues to do so. These two have played a pivotal role in helping me to continue when continuing seems impossible.

Website: www.1990pro.com

Instagram: hey.scott

Twitter: alscottwrites

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_pwNp-OB8EKrFVyEXYqoA

Image Credits
Tola Lawal, Philip Johnson