Meet Andre Savage | Filmmaker & Entrepreneur

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

Hi Andre, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up on the west side of Detroit, Michigan. My parents never wanted me to be influenced by some of the activities going on in our neighborhood. To keep me on the right path, they always made sure that I stayed busy – whether it was playing sports, going to church, or spending time with family.

I’ve always been more of a loner, so I spent a lot of time indoors during my adolescent years – reading books, writing, recording music, and making short films. I came up seeing a lot of people in my environment who had big dreams and an undeniable work ethic, but their circumstances or a lack of opportunities often hindered their dreams from coming to fruition. I never wanted my story to end that way. It became clear to me how important it was for people who looked like me or came from a similar background to see and hear stories of success and beating the odds. I not only wanted to embody that in my own journey but also portray those kinds of underdog stories in the media. I’ve always seen beauty in the struggle so typically everything that I write and film is gritty at the core but always makes light of the situation.

A big turning point in my life happened during college. I received a scholarship to do an internship at a production company in Los Angeles for a few months. That was my first time really seeing a world outside of Michigan and all the opportunities that were out there waiting to be seized. I knew from that point that I wanted to move to Los Angeles, and I was confident that being there would put me in the best position to find success in the entertainment industry. I spent my final year of college working a few different jobs to save up and a few months after graduation, I made the move to Los Angeles. At the time, I barely knew anyone out in Los Angeles. I didn’t have a job and very few resources. I didn’t have much of a plan either. But I was confident that I would figure it all out in due time.

For me, it’s always been “go all in” and never losing the faith. My workaholic nature stems from my background and always having to work my tail off to achieve things that didn’t seem possible. My sports background bred my competitiveness and instilled in me a propensity to push myself to the brink. While my faith in Christianity has always kept me grounded and given me strong morals and discipline. A lot of the decisions I’ve made in my life haven’t been logical and I’ve found myself in a lot of bleak situations. But I’ve always led with my gut and a steadfast belief that everything will work out. And so far, it has.

Although I’m in Los Angeles now, it’s important for me to give back to where I came from in a significant way. I fully intend to shoot some of my films in Detroit, work with some of the youth there who are interested in my industry, and have a physical presence there – whether it’s a production company or a studio.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from my peers is my diverse range of work experiences both within the entertainment industry and outside of it. Pretty much every job out there I’ve had at some point – from customer service to administrative. On the film and television side, I’ve worked at several major television networks, production companies, and studios. I’ve worked with some of the biggest talent and even had a few opportunities to be on-camera talent myself.

I’ve helped write and develop shows, package them, pitch them, and sell them. I’ve also spent a lot of time in production. All these experiences gave me a thorough understanding of every aspect of the industry. It taught me how to wear many different hats. Most importantly, my varied work experiences have taught me how to relate to people. Being able to handle and work with different kinds of personalities is crucial in this industry.

What’s got me to where I am so far is my willingness to learn. I’ve never thought I was above any job. Some people go and get a film degree like I did and think that qualifies them to get a certain position. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. You have to get rid of any ego and just get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Nothing about this journey has been easy. Too many late nights to count. Constant pressure and deadlines to meet. Most people I know that came into this industry when I did have quit and gone on to do something else. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But my advice for anyone coming into the film and television industry is to be prepared for the long haul. I’m talking more than a decade for most. There’s no right path. Anyone you talk to who’s found success in the industry has a different story. So instead of focusing so much on the end result, embrace the journey that you’re on and soak up all the information you can like a sponge.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that as a creative/artist type, you can’t lose sight of what your primary job is to do every day: create. If you want to direct, you should be out directing everyday – even if it’s on a smaller scale. If you want to be a screenwriter, then you should be writing every day and reading scripts. If you want to be an actor, you should be regularly auditioning.

To make ends meet, a lot of creatives will take entry-level assistant jobs – whether it’s at an agency, a network, a production company, a studio, or working under a high-profile creative (i.e. director or executive producer). The hope is that by affiliating with people in a similar role that you aspire to have or by being in the same environment of those with coveted positions, the doors will one day open and that seat will become vacant for you to claim. A lot of people take that route but it rarely works. They end up stuck in a position they don’t really want.

Starting off as an assistant is something I recommend for anyone looking to get their feet wet in the industry and make some contacts. But the problem is if you become an assistant for too long and become good at it, people will only see you as an assistant. That goes for any position. If deep down you’ve always wanted to write but you become a manager for writers, people will only see you as a manager and won’t take you serious when you express an interest for writing.

You have to really get out there, forge your own narrative, and create your own opportunities. That’s the journey that I’ve recently started now. I’m taking everything that I’ve learned from working in Hollywood and starting my own production company.

The brand that I’ve been building for myself takes an in-depth look at the experience of being an introvert. I’ve always been labeled a quiet guy which is a common trait among introverts but at its core definition, an introvert is simply someone who gains energy by spending time alone vs extroverts who gain energy by spending time with others. It’s a topic I’ve always been passionate about but always used to struggle with because we live in a world that praises extroverted traits and minimizes traits that many introverts offer (i.e. observation skills, listening skills).

I’ve dabbled on the subject a few times in the past, but I didn’t fully embrace it until this past year because I reached a point where I was sick of being misunderstood and tired of seeing introverts misrepresented in the media. When you’re a quiet person or loner, people tend to come up with their own narrative and assume you must either be sad or angry. Mainstream media often portrays introverts as psychos, lacking social skills, or lacking confidence – none of which is true for myself and a lot of other introverts out there. Furthermore, while being an introvert is one thing, being a black introvert adds a whole another layer of complexity that needs to be explored.

So my brand is all about empowering the introvert – showcasing the awesome traits that we have and how to leverage those traits to find success in your life. A lot of introverts start to believe all the negative things they see in the media, so I’ve taken it upon myself to destroy those stereotypes and flip that narrative on its head.

So far, I’ve built a massive audience online with the short-form introvert content that I make. I’ve had plenty of viral videos and I’ve been a big catalyst in bringing the introvert community together online. I’m now in the process of building my own media site for introverts and I’m working everyday towards writing and producing my own TV show exploring the introvert experience.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to show love to my parents. I wouldn’t be here without them. They sacrificed a lot to make sure that I had more opportunities than they did and didn’t make some of the same mistakes.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers will always stick with me. That was the first book I read that had a profound impact on me when I was young. I could relate to the protagonist and the urban world that he was a part of. It was like wow…I can be a Black guy who write stories and films them.

I also have to give a huge shoutout to my wife. She’s been my rock out here in LA through all the battles I’ve fought. She’s my biggest cheerleader and inspires me everyday to keep believing in everything I’ve set out to accomplish.

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdoj4GnD/