Check Out Chad Newsome’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Newsome.

Hi Chad, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I never realized it, but it all started when I was a kid, I loved watching movies. We had a few movies on VHS and my favorites were The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Aliens and Friday the 13th Part 6. Even though we had cable, I would still pop those tapes in all the time.

I was always drawn to Greek mythology and warrior classics like Conan the Barbarian. Moreover, I LOVED all the Shaw Bros Kung Fu flicks; I thought the stories were amazing and loved the fighting scenes. I just love it when the under-appreciated and under-estimated would rise up with committed training, to recognize their true power, and get revenge. And they’d do it so dramatically with all the floating and acrobatic stunts – all of that blew my mind as a kid. And even though I knew they were on wires, I still wondered “How did they do that?”

Fast forward to late 2006 when I accompanied a friend to a movie shoot in NYC. I got bit by the acting bug to a degree, but when I got to talking with people behind the scenes and they really started breaking it down, I was so impressed that I decided I wanted to be a part of this industry…and this is when my filmmaking journey began.

After a few acting classes and some networking, I met some interesting people. From these introductions, I chose the role of Executive Producer for a flick called Lost Money – the filming/production experience itself was like a movie, a reality show actually, and yes, I did lose money. However, it was a huge learning experience that had a huge price tag attached…moving onward.

I met my fiancé Tanya O’Quinn in 2010 during an extended trip to LA and she had a ton of scripts that she had written that just blew my mind. The first one I read was Realm, a teen thriller with a Final Destination feel…well more like The Sixth Sense meets Final Destination. Not only was I thoroughly impressed, but also extremely inspired such that I started creating concepts and writing my own stories.

In 2017, I moved to Southern California to be with my fiancé Tanya so we could make films. I drove from the East Coast to the West Coast in a Mitsubishi two-door sports car with many of my belongings, my passion, and my focus for over three thousand miles to invest in myself and the film industry.

With co-ownership in a production company, 2nd Childhood Productions LLC, I had produced some videos focusing on ‘informal child support agreements occurring in the ‘hoods, barrios, and trailer parks’, aptly titled Child Support, and produced a few music videos. But it wasn’t until 2019 when I met two specific guys at an Industry mixer that I shifted into 5th gear.

These 2 individuals are Bron Theron and Chris Brown working on the former’s project Real Acting. Bron cast me in a small part; while on set, I met a crew of people who would become instrumental in my life changing dramatically.

The cast and crew of the show are an amazing group of talented individuals. With their support, I was able to produce six short films in a little over two years. During the filmmaking journey of the past two years, I’ve learned, grown, acquired and achieved. My first project shot with anamorphic lenses, which I’m very proud of, is The Store (A Covid-19 Comedy). In the past five years, I’ve established, decided, prepared, and progressed.

The past two years specifically have been like a dream unfolding. I have met some really cool people whom I have grown to know and love; and some who have even agreed to work together consistently as a team. I’ve been able to produce some cool films written & directed by Tanya, gained valuable experience while on my set or those of others, and acquired all of the equipment I need to film a feature. I won big time!!!!!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
No, it has not been a smooth road. The entertainment industry as a whole is filled with heartaches and heartbreaks. It’s a very competitive industry that has no basic structure; there aren’t really ‘rules to follow’ or ‘keys to success’. It’s not about ‘who you know, but who knows and responds to you’. Familial support is a great ‘tool’ to have. We all want support from family and friends during dream-building, yet many times, such support is pretty hard to come by. We all want our family and friends to read our scripts and give accolades or ‘positive feedback’; yet most of the time they like to talk about what’s missing, what’s wrong, supply unrealistic suggestions, offer unsolicited advice, etc. They like to criticize yet don’t like to simply support. PSA: FAMILY & FRIENDS – This is one of the most difficult industries to break into, achieve success and maintain it, we need your support!!

The industry itself does have its share of vultures, demons, and other ‘misguided creatures’. Some (industry folk) main objective is to expl**t, manipulate, misguide, or destroy. You can’t come into this industry being real, social, giving, light-hearted; these folks will eat that up and then demand more from you. Whether they are industry peers or industry superiors, you really have to watch your back in this industry – this is what I’ve learned. Your honesty and respect may not be matched by others…such is life. I’ve learned, still I am an optimist and a team builder; I have faith in assembling a great crew and I’ve already accumulated very strong ‘building blocks’.

As previously mentioned, I lost quite a bit of money on the first film I was a part of; this experience inspired and motivated me to purchase my own equipment and learn how to use it. If you would’ve told me ten years ago that I’d own a RED camera with various sets of Cine primes including several anamorphic lens, I would’ve responded, “Yeah, right.” And yet here we are.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Truly I am a filmmaker. I say filmmaker as I have acted in, produced, directed, shot and/or edited all of our films. I honestly do what it takes to cross the finish line and bring a project to life. I would say Producing is my niche as I am a techie that has a good relationship with money (MBA in Finance and Marketing from Rutgers University). Learning to utilize the left and right side of my brain simultaneously, helps me to be creative and imaginative while also being grounded in reality and logical thinking. Though I’m a Creative at heart, the higher education (Centenary University – BS in Bus Admin, Rutgers University) influenced structure, honed determination, and polished presentation.

I have managed to spearhead building a fully equipped production company capable of producing industry-standard digital media from start to finish. My specialty is learning what we need to achieve to progress and then achieving or experiencing that progress.

Want to know a secret? I’m rather easily inspired! A friend of mine wanted to use my equipment to shoot some pickup scenes for his film and asked if I had anamorphic lenses. I didn’t…got some…love them!!! Loved them so much that I shot our fifth short film, a comedy about grocery shopping during the early days of the pandemic [The Store (A Covid-19 Comedy)], with my first set of Sirui Anamorphic Primes. I am so proud how this film turned out. We did pull out all stops for the costumes and props; still, the anamorphic shots enhanced the project. Currently, I now own 2 sets of anamorphic primes.

What sets me apart from others is my thinking…I think outside the box; sometimes my thoughts are so outside the box that it’s like, ‘What box?’ There is no ‘obstruction’ to note; only space and opportunity. I go the extra mile…willingly, excitedly. I am a ‘glass half-full’ kind of guy who believes he can do anything, so my attitude and vibe is always, “Let’s do it!!!!” Also, with my projects, I always try to include a good soundtrack. I feel music is the ultimate marketing tool as it can really set the mood and the tone for a film. And having licensing deals in place makes this more ‘natural’ than ‘extra’ for my ‘method of execution’. T-SHIRTS! I’m always thinking…as a way of promoting my short films and creating ‘walking ads’, we design t-shirts with the film’s poster (on the front) and the QR code (on the back), which directs to the respective film posted on YouTube.

To date, I am most proud of our latest film Keepsake, which is Chapter One, from the anthology The Book of K.A.R.M.A., and is a supernatural drama. The Book of K.A.R.M.A. is a collection of karma-themed stories, each title (chapter) of the anthology begins with a letter in the acronym. I wore the hats of Executive Producer, Producer, Cinematographer, and Editor. Keepsake is 95% done and shall be premiering in the early Spring of 2023.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the weather 1st. 2nd is the eclectic mix of people here in LA. I was raised in Trenton, NJ and spent a lot of time in NYC and Philadelphia so I am used to a variety of people, but California weather – more so Southern California weather – is the best! And experiencing the various cultures of LA while indulging in this weather is icing on the cake! Now, the traffic and the 405 freeway…how much time you have?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.2ndchildhoodproductionsllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamchadnewsome/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100072708550546
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chadnewsome
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@2ndChildhoodProductionsLLC/videos
• Other: https://214west.com

Image Credits
1st pic The Store BTS 2 – Keepsake BTS 3 – Half Dead Fred BTS 4- Keepsake BTS 5 – Keepsake BTS 6 – Keepsake T-shirt Front and Back 7 – Keepsake BTS 8 – Keepsake Poster