Meet Messiah Jacobs: CEO/ Four Screens

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

Hi Messiah, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
My legacy and that of my company Four Screens will be one of inclusion in Hollywood. I want to leave a mark through social change within the entertainment industry, to facilitate opportunities for people of color behind the camera, not just in front. I founded Four Screens more than a decade ago to make diverse content, to highlight and celebrate the Black experience. Now, the mission has been expanded. I realized over the years that for a lasting change to take root in entertainment, I needed to pivot Four Screens from simply producing projects, to providing full-service management. The social uprisings of the BLM movement magnified this realization and made people finally start seeing the inequalities in Hollywood. I want to be remembered for giving under-represented talent a chance to realize their full potential and for opening doors that have been shut or inaccessible in the past. It isn’t enough to make diverse content, we have to change the way deals are financed, greenlit, constructed and how under-represented talent is managed. As a management company, Four Screens changes the structure. Now you have a strong, African American management company managing Black talent with the same goals of inclusion and diversity that the talent we are representing have. What could be a greater legacy than that?

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Four Screens is a hands-on management, development, and production company that produces fresh new content celebrating under-represented voices. We strive to amplify diversity in the entertainment industry. With over two decades of experience, Four Screens has worked and closed deals with the most successful names in the entertainment industry. We have worked with the most successful names in the entertainment industry including Tiffany Haddish, Vivica A. Fox, Billy Dee Williams, Monica Calhoun, Robert Townsend, and the Estate of Ol’ Dirty Bastard. As we lead Hollywood in this new paradigm, Four Screens focuses on holistic management. We apply our knowledge and expertise to each client so that we can evaluate their current career path and design the best plan for his or her future. Our knowledge of the business allows us to navigate the industry and close deals. Our company has a fully integrated development approach to all projects. We create original content and help clients fully grow their brand as we develop their content ideas as well as our own. The road to success has not been easy. Hard work is always a must, but more importantly, people are essential. Creating and fostering relationships in this business is everything because content creation is a collaborative process. It has also been a challenge because many of the doors in Hollywood have not been open to People of Color as much as they should be. We are working to foster that change.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Traveling around Los Angeles is a little different in the time of Covid, but if I had to show off the best of LA, I would take them to the beach in Santa Monica or Zuma Beach if I was up for a drive. I also like smaller restaurants off of the beaten path. Chi Dynasty in Los Feliz is the best place for Chinese by far. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Why Should White Guys have all the Fun is a book that has inspired and guided me throughout my career.

Website: https://www.4-screens.com/

Instagram: @fourscreensmanagement

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/messiahjacobs/

Image Credits
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