Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Hicks.
Hi Cameron, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
From a very early age, I have been fascinated by the cinema, being a change agent for diversity and mental health. I think throughout my journey, I can connect all three.
After graduating from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s in cinema film I knew I wanted to be a writer and producer. I had a passion for becoming a change in the entertainment industry while in college. I worked with Kevin Clark who is the founder and executive director of the Dakar Foundation for the Performing Arts, that is committed to providing career and life training to youth in under-served communities by providing access to mainstream entertainment industry tools and training.
I was a part of the Paramount Pictures Page program after college. When graduating, I completed a six-month Paramount Page Program, earning experience by working on the business end of the studio: Production & Development, Marketing, Business Development, Ad Sales, and Digital. Directly after the program, I am currently working as an office assistant at Picture Production Company and was promoted to localization coordinator. My passion on the side has been to help people in the entertainment industry with coping with the stresses of the business. Film and entertainment can be extremely stressful so I dedicated a manifesto that I follow to stay mentally well and practice healthy self-care techniques. I think this can be helpful for anyone who is in this industry and I hope to continue to be a change agent for improving mental health in the industry.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s had its ups and downs. I moved to Los Angeles right at the start of the pandemic. I’m just now getting in my groove in my career. I dealt with difficulty finding a job and networking but during that time, I was able to work on my projects. I recently wrote and produced a project, A Figment of My Exaggeration – a non-fiction, comedy documentary short film that will explore the implications that the pandemic has on mental health, using humor and helping people gain a better understanding of mental health within our environment. The documentary will highlight a group of fictional characters discussing the problems of 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic, relationship struggles, making money, depression, and conspiracy theories. I was honored to work with amazing creatives, narrated by the creative storyteller Chelsea Samuel, sound score by talented composer Julian André Thomas and edited by graphic designer Cheeniee Quinan.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve loved comedy and animation. I mean, I was telling knock-knock jokes in the second grade. It drove my parents crazy to the point where she enrolled me into second-city improv and stand-up. Currently, I’m also taking classes at the UCB. I developed an adult animated sci-fi comedy sitcom. It’s about the experiences of an impulse-driven 8th grader and his bachelor’s father. Really It’s a bromance between a black father and son which is something I never seen before.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
As far as a creative mental health book, I recommend Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me: A Graphic Memoir Paperback. It’s by Cartoonist Ellen Forney explores the relationship between “crazy” and “creative” in this graphic memoir of her bipolar disorder, woven with stories of famous bipolar artists and writers. I recently finished Will by Mark Manson and Will Smith about his life. It was inspiring and interesting.
Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV Book by Pamela Douglas is great for a screenwriter looking to create their own drama series.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: _Camzoe
