Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaron Marquis.
Jaron, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began my career as a theatrical writer and producer. My undergrad was in a small college town with limited cultural entertainment options, so I founded a production company and began writing original live musical productions. This went amazingly well, so much so that the company partnered with the mayor’s office, who became a sponsor along with many of the major corporations in the city because we’d attracted thousands of attendees and even added to city’s attractions. After graduating, I left the city and became a business consultant in Chicago, Indianapolis and New York.
Unfulfilled in corporate America, I missed the art of storytelling, and I had a huge creative void in my life. After selling all of my investment properties, my family and I relocated from Manhattan to Los Angeles to pursue a long time dream of working in the entertainment industry. Since then, we founded Urban Genius Entertainment which has now produced the stand-up comedy series, Laugh After Dark, the stand-up comedy series now on Amazon Prime and soon in production for its third season. We’ve sold an option for an unscripted project to NBCUniversal and now have several new series and films in pre-production and development.
As an African-American producer and director it is my goal to help tell stories that are missing in entertainment today. African-American stories aren’t all based in slavery or crime, we have stories of love and courage —but these have yet to be seen and distributed on many major networks or platforms. As a filmmaker and entertainment executive, I hope to help be a part of that change.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all, it has actually been extremely bumpy, but it’s said that our bumps give us our greatest stories.
My wife and I actually began writing our first script together after the death of our sons. Yes, that’s plural… our two twin sons passed away Father’s Day weekend. My very first Father’s Day at that, it was a bittersweet moment; to have loved and lost.
During this journey, there have truly been struggles. From financial struggles to personal failures, I am reminded of a verse I wrote long ago that says, “bad decisions make great stories.”
I remembered years ago, one moment in particular, I was raising money for one of my companies. I didn’t yet know or understand that I needed to register the company securities and shares with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) until one day out of the blue, I was arrested by eight armed U.S. Marshals guns drawn. During my arrest, one of the agents mentioned to me that he liked my work as a recording artist and that he was a fan of my music. Talk about awkward moments. I had no clue that selling a portion of my own company to a private investor was considered illegal if it was not properly registered with the S.E.C., but the judge quickly informed me that ignorance is not a defense.
However, it was during this moment that my family and friends came together in support and proved in action that I was not alone. From that experience came the knowledge to always make use of my legal team for any business transaction no matter how minor it may seem. Also, during the few weeks I was in custody, I was able to write a script and do preproduction planning for six different unscripted shows-one of which is now available for viewers. As I said earlier- bad decisions make great stories.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Urban Genius Entertainment – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Urban Genius Entertainment is a multi-platform entertainment production company. Not only do we produce and distribute our own projects, but we help others with their ideas as well. I think it is a gift to be able to take an idea and get it off of paper…making it a real and tangible thing.
We have a team of writers and producers to help develop television and film entertainment ideas and concepts.
We film and produce stand-up comedy specials, music videos, commercials, scripted and unscripted television content and films.
We are known for creating high-quality cinematic work that is produced effectively and efficiently-under budget.
I am proud of everything our company has produced—from the short films and commercials to the television series and podcasts. But I am both proud and excited about what’s to come from us.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love that L.A. has the most beautiful locations throughout the city. Not only can I film a desert scene with a mountain backdrop, but I can also shoot a nostalgic 60s time period scene, all in the same city. So to answer your question…what I love is the landscape-the beaches, the mountains, the valleys and the variety of plants. As a cancer, I am a water creature so I’m drawn to beaches by nature. What I hate the most about L.A. is the segregation. Our city is diverse-true, but it is segregated. Unlike New York City, where residents tend to use public transportation more often, in Los Angeles we tend to drive much more. This causes us to segregate more, because neighborhoods tend to look homogenous and people drive to their jobs–where they often cannot control who they with. Then they climb back into their cars and go back to their neighborhoods-where everyone tends to share the same culture and ethnicity. I wish neighborhoods could be as diverse as our city truly is.
Pricing:
- Music Videos start at $750
- Short films and sketches start at $500
- Commercials start at $1,500
- Stand-up comedy specials start at $2,000
Contact Info:
- Company Website: http://www.
urbngenius.com - Personal Website: http://www.jaronmarquis.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Zion Meiko, Syed Rahman
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