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

Hi Yolanda, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started my own business twenty years ago. Buggsy Productions, Inc. is an independent film and television production company. We write and produce films, television shows; and most recently, we have expanded our venture into children’s books. The first book series is called LondonandLollipop. It will launch early summer. Be on the lookout for it! London and Lollipop is a graphic novel style, rhyming picture book. It has vibrant, eye-catching illustrations and is a fresh new look to picture books! The captivating and adventurous stories feature a multicultural cast of characters who promise laughs, thrills, and universal lessons. My motivation for starting my own entertainment production company stems from my need to be self sufficient and the captain of my own destiny. I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and I find myself encouraging those around me to adopt the same outlook.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a writer and director of stories for film and television, I strive to use my art in a way that helps build a more diverse landscape in entertainment and media. When there is an expansion of diverse representation to include various genders and non-gendered persons, races, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, I believe inclusiveness is created.

The foundation of my storytelling revolves around social and racial topics, class structures and injustices. This perspective has helped me to form a more sympathetic narrative voice to which I can bridge marginalized communities with the larger majority. My primary objective as a storyteller of color is to entertain by injecting humor and igniting social consciousness into the world via positive, multi-dimensioned characters that typically express the views of disenfranchised voices. My projects tend to mainly focus on themes of unconditional love prevailing over emotional pains that unmask the flawed truths about human nature and desires.

My latest project, “In The Gray,” is one that I am very excited about. It is a short film that spotlights gender diversity. Being an independent filmmaker that strives to push cinematic boundaries, I wanted to explore a dynamic and compelling storytelling approach to the making of “In The Gray.” My artistic stance places an emphasis on humanity’s fixed ideals of what is supposedly “normal.” In society, generally speaking, we see things as “good or bad,” the answer is either, “yes or no,” a person is either “gay or straight,” and the world must be either, “black or white.” There are no gray areas; but that is not reality. The truth is: Most of life is lived in the gray.

As a director, I sought to express these traditional views via the integration of black & white and color imagery within the same frame. Our color palette is accentuated using real time color saturation and desaturation. This visual mergence illustrates the dissimilarity of how Kasey, our main character, views themselves versus the binary world around them. Most of the film’s visual execution is shown through Kasey’s first-person perspective as way to emphasize the harsh treatments that they feel the world has inflicted on them for being “different.” Glimpses of Kasey’s emotional states are captured through their voice-overs, reflections in mirrors and objects, FaceTime calls, selfies, and vlogs. Further access into Kasey’s vulnerabilities is granted when they feel judged by others. When this happens, our cinematic rules allow us to see Kasey through the lens of the judger.

I have always been a person to take risks, and certainly making this film has been no exception. In a lot of ways, “In The Gray,” is experimental in nature; and while taking this risk as a director has been both scary and uncomfortable, I felt it was appropriate to take a bold and daring artistic approach to a narrative that addresses a critical yet often misunderstood topic, such as gender diversity. For those courageous individuals living in the gray area of gender expression and facing ridicule and judgment every day, I hope this story not only sheds light on their journey but also ignites a much-needed conversation on the subject. If either of these things happen, my job as a storyteller has been successfully accomplished. A secondary goal is to use this short as a proof of concept to pitch as an episodic series to streaming platforms, such as Apple TV.

As I reflect back on my filmmaking journey to where I am today, I can say it most certainly has not been easy. I have been knocked down more times than I can count. But what I know for sure is there is power in getting back up. In this entertainment industry, the resilient will win. If you can endure what may feel like an endless storm of “no’s” in order to get to that one life changing “yes,” it will have all been worth it. I believe the keys to success are simple: keep moving forward by putting one foot in front of the other, never give up, celebrate the peaks, and persevere the valleys! That is my philosophy, and it gets me through the storms. As a college professor, these are life lessons, I also strive to also teach my students.

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.
I would take a friend to hike at Fryman Canyon or Griffith Park. For some great pizza, I would take them over to Larchmont Village to Village Pizzeria. Steve makes the best New York style pizza in the city.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to send a shout out to my mother. She has been my confidant, my supporter, and my rock as I endure the peaks and valleys of the entertainment industry.

Website: InTheGrayFilm.com

Instagram: @InTheGrayFilm

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yolanda-buggs-196b8458/

Twitter: @InTheGrayFilm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inthegrayfilm

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ZHmbX-8B4A-PXdP8D4h1A

Other: Yolanda Buggs’ personal IG: @therealbuggsy Yolanda Buggs’ personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yolanda.buggs.9 Yolanda Buggs’ personal Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealbuggsy

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.