Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryant Berry.
Hi Bryant, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am an 80’s baby, the 3rd son of my parents’ loving marriage that has endured over 50 years and counting. I grew up in the scenic beauty and complicated history of Charleston, South Carolina. From an early age, my parents taught me pride in self, family, and community, as well as the responsibility to uplift and support others when possible. As I grew older and more aware of myself, I started to express my feelings about belonging, community, and personal identity in sketches, paintings, and sculptures. My art has grown into a craft that reaches beyond what I could have dreamed of as a child. What has been constant is my experience as a Black boy from the South, now a Black man on the West. Coast to coast I have been honored to have the opportunity to tell the stories about our communities. I have been welcomed because of who I am and I consider that a privilege. I love to see us win but is not the sole tenor of my voice. Everyone can eat, there is enough; we just need more lines to the grub.
Growing up, the words “exposure” and “education” came up a lot in our house. I was always involved in activities that expanded my view of the world and with folks that exemplified Black Excellence and leadership. These examples came from the church, business leaders, government officials, philanthropists, and artists of all kinds. To this day, I thank my parents for the truth that people can be boundless by finding their meaning and sharing their gifts with others. My parents are phenomenal examples of faith, dedication, and decency. (Mom = North Star)
In the early 2000s, a McNair Scholarship took me to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia to study Psychology. There I also started my first production company with my best friend. We did dance parties, fashion shows, small (seriously claustrophobic) concerts, and street shows. I was just trying to survive and live life boldly with constant experimentation, and Atlanta was perfect for that. After college, I grew into Creative and Producer roles while working for the historic Atlanta Event Center at Opera. There I managed events with countless brands, musicians and production companies. This transitioned into film, later on.
Currently, I am a contract Creative Director and Video Producer for a record label through my company ‘Art Department’, as well as a Set Decorator for narrative features and episodic television. We are a boutique production service company specializing in creative strategy, art direction, and video production. Our primary focus is on music videos, commercials, and experiential live entertainment that have a throughline of inclusion, advocacy, and community engagement.
Our creative process is guided by four pillars: Methodology, Creativity, Quality, and Hype. I regularly work between Production Operations, Sales, and Creative departments on goal strategies that pivot around the best application of resources and partnerships. Being solution-oriented is at the heart of the process; we embellish only after we have a path to success. That is how we develop results that respect our scope and resonate with the audience. It’s not the client nor I that decides if our work is good, it’s the audience. The communities inside the conversation decide what is fierce and what is fluff. All I do is guide the team to be thoughtful and deliberate with the resources we have.
Starting with community is the sauce, but we shy away from putting people in boxes or reducing a group to characteristics that redact their cultural vibrance. As a person who spends a lot of time developing spaces, I tend to favor destroying those boxes. Instead, I attempt to breathe life into new systems of organization for those who want to exist beyond those bounds.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think the major lesson I’ve learned along the way is that even though altruism doesn’t support the bottom line it still pays to be philanthropic with our service when we can.
The past few years have been hard on boutique businesses like ours. There have been multiple factors that have caused us to adapt our strategy. Economic volatility, justified workforce unrest, and post-pandemic recovery all presented major challenges. On top of that, we must stay agile. Innovation costs, operational cost, marketing costs, and general cost volatility across markets and sectors has made it hard for everyone in the creative, media, and marketing industries right now. A Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa line from 1958 maintains its relevance: “Everything must change for everything to remain the same”. So we adapt to the times and identify market opportunities that align with our values.
That means a lot of evaluation, re-prioritization, and compromises. I’m more cautious now about committing to new projects if the key stakeholders are not genuinely engaged or if there are deep operational obstacles with cross-functional partners. These growingly common issues can significantly affect the economics of a job by over-consuming existing resources or out-of-scope requirements to facilitate the work. At times accepting scope-creep is necessary due to the nature of the work. Still, I believe that this can be largely avoided by effective communication, planning, and trust. This is needed early and as often as necessary. This approach has helped us mitigate risks while promoting solidarity and fluid creative conversation, particularly between Sales, Creative, and Production. We must understand each other’s capabilities, strengths, and the areas that present partnership opportunities. It’s the only way to develop better solutions for all involved.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At the core, we are a production company that offers creative services. We collaborate with brands, visual artists, musicians, studios, and partners to bring our projects to life. We enhance our clients’ resources with thoughtful partnerships and our approach to producing content with intention.
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, but building businesses was never my primary goal. Instead, I was always in search of opportunities to root, grow, and flourish. I spent years cycling through seeking and carving out spaces where I could experiment, fail, refine, and redefine the integration of my artistic expression and passion into my profession. I applied the lessons taught by industry experience and amazing mentors to my visions of how a supportive work environment functions. I continue to strive towards that vision, and I get a little closer with every project and client.
Readers may be familiar with projects like “Bad Trip,” featuring Eric André, Lil Rel, and Tiffany Haddish, where I led an integral team responsible for producing the situations in which the cast could play, resulting in a Netflix Number 1 movie when it debuted, or “Lovers’ Roulette,” which was the first short film of our partnership with PPL Pleaser Records. As a union decorator, I’ve had the opportunity to create sets for amazing artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, Beyoncé, Janelle Monáe, and Ava DuVernay.
I vehemently believe there is enough for us all to win if the game is collaboration no domination. Throughout my career, I want to allow others to win the same way those opportunities were given to me. I help who I can when I can and hope that others do the same in their lane. I continue to hone my business skills and push forward every day for my team, family, community, and myself.
Any big plans?
I’m just trying to be G.R.E.A.T.
That is by focusing on Growth, Resourcefulness, Education, Audacity, and Thanks.
All of these principles help me to achieve balance, but Growth and Thanks are the poles that guide me back if I get lost.
Contact Info:
• Website: https://www.art-dept.
• Instagram: https://www.
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.
• Other: https://vimeo.com/
Image Credits
Photos by: Teron beal https://www.teronbeal.com
