Giving kids some direction

By Tiffany Cuddihy | Citizens staff

Official Entertainment Inc. was awarded $15,000 through the Citizens Minority-Owned Small Business Grant program.

Courtland Kenley, owner and Program Director of Official Entertainment Inc. in Pittsburgh, didn’t set out to run an after-school scriptwriting program, but the unexpected opportunity was a welcomed plot twist.

After their school days end, elementary school kids from some of the city’s toughest neighborhoods walk into the Official Entertainment film studio, and set about creating worlds of their own through film.

While the children seem most excited to try out the camera equipment and play around with the lighting, they’ve also become serious storytellers under Kenley’s direction. He gives them prompts like asking them to take a real news event and explain what they think is happening, who they think the characters are, and what they imagine would happen next.

“Before they know it, they’ve crafted a whole script,” Kenley said. “The kids have so much creativity, they just need the right outlet for it. I related to that.”

Where the story begins

Back in 2003, Kenley was searching for a new creative outlet. He loved music and had connections to the music scene in Pittsburgh through friends and family, although he wasn’t a performer. As he observed how the industry worked, he saw that the business side was much more stable and lucrative than the performance end. So that year, he founded a record label, Official Entertainment Inc., as a way to make money — and his mark.

“I don’t play music, but I do love to create,” shares Kenley. “The music business was booming at the time (he started the company) with club promoting, talent booking, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Related: Learn More About the Citizens Minority-Owned Small Business Grant

As the 2000s wore on, the music industry changed more rapidly than anyone, even Kenley, could have anticipated. Everything went online, and instead of handshake deals and paper contracts, there were emails and downloadable files. The Official Entertainment record label was not set up to succeed in this digital world, and Kenley had to figure out what to do next.

“I had some other business ventures I was working on, but it all fell through and I was left in an even more difficult place financially and emotionally,” Kenley shared. “I needed to refocus my energy, but I didn’t know on what.”

Around this time, an old friend suggested that Kenley download scriptwriting software, because he had an inkling Kenley may find the creative outlet of writing to be therapeutic.

His friend was right.

Kenley took to writing as if he’d been doing it his whole life. He was in a dark place when he started, but the screen soon became a light of hope. He wrote screenplays using the scriptwriting software and headed to YouTube to learn how to structure his stories, develop characters, and even how to get his work noticed by potential buyers.

While already quite business savvy, he knew he had a lot to learn when it came to production.

Kenley was able to find plenty of free tutorials and educational videos online, which helped him get started with his screenwriting and camera work.

“I found something I loved and I became successful at it,” said Kenley.

Same title, new role

Kenley had formed an extensive network in the entertainment industry through this record label, so tapping people to read his scripts only took a few calls.

“The music industry and the movie industry overlap quite a bit, especially locally, so I was fortunate enough to have those connections and resources to help get me started,” Kenley shared.

The response to his scripts was overwhelmingly positive, however, there was a lot of talk and not a lot of action when it came to getting his screenplays on an actual screen. There were investors who told him they were interested in making his films, but nothing would happen.

His months of waiting turned into years of disappointment. But as his impatience continued to grow, so did his passion for writing.

“I got sick of all the empty promises to shoot my films, so I decided that instead of waiting for investors to make my dreams happen, I’d invest in myself,” declared Kenley.

Related: Pittsburgh's La Dorita Cooks Takes Home $15K Grant

Kenley took the remaining money he had from his business ventures and bought a camera, lights, and whatever else it would require to turn Official Entertainment Inc. from a record label into a film studio. He rented out a space in a local Pittsburgh building, and has been creating, learning and making short films ever since.

Over the years, he’s gotten so good at his craft that many of the actors who came in for script reads, told him he should be an acting coach. He had developed a knack for breaking down dialogue and scenes in a way that made sense to them. So much so, that these actors would come back and ask for help with their acting reels.

“I started to really enjoy being the person who people turned to for help,” said Kenley.

Building character(s)

The Pittsburgh office building where Official Entertainment Inc. is located is filled with many different types of businesses: youth programs, a fitness club, and a transportation company, just to name a few. There is diversity of race, culture, and thought around every corner.

There are also a lot of kids.

In fall 2019, one tenant had seen the work Kenley was doing, and asked if he’d be willing to start an after-school program for the children in the building, so they could learn about film from him. While he had worked with kids through his church and was a father himself, he wasn’t sure if he could take charge of children while also running a business.

But, Kenley has never been one to turn his back on a challenge. So, he agreed.

Kenley became the program director of the Official Entertainment Inc. after-school program. And Official Entertainment Inc. transformed once again, this time into an after-school film program for diverse youth.

At first he was told he’d be working with high school students. It ended up being high-energy elementary school kids.

“I wasn’t prepared for 10-year-olds in my studio, and I honestly wasn’t sure if they’d be able to handle the work,” Kenley explained. “But, I was wrong.”

^{Elementary school kids attend Official Entertainment’s after-school program. Note: Picture taken before COVID-19 pandemic.}

Kenley teaches them how to operate the equipment, and they work in groups to develop scripts and produce their own short films. The community has even gotten involved; there are volunteers and interns for the program who help with the creative process and production, including brainstorming and prop making. The program has become more of a collaborative workspace than Kenley could have ever imagined.

“One of the most rewarding parts of the program is watching kids who didn’t get along in school or on the bus, work together beautifully on a project in the studio,” said Kenley.

He considers himself a strict, but fair, leader. However, he has zero tolerance when it comes to bullying.

“Every student takes a turn being a leader at the studio, so even the most shy child will have the opportunity to be in a position of power,” adds Kenley. “It teaches everyone how to respect one another in and outside of the program.”

Kenley is all business when it comes to keeping the Official Entertainment Inc. studio a safe place for children — mentally, emotionally, and even physically.

“Some of these kids have a tough home life, where they don’t always feel safe, so they pour their hearts into their writing as a way to deal with their fears and anxiety,” Kenley shared. “They get to escape the real world for a little while when they are using their imaginations.”

Stars in the making

In Pittsburgh, as in many communities, often times after-school activities revolve around sports. There aren’t always options for kids who don’t like athletics. When parents of these kids hear about Kenley’s program, they’re excited to enroll their children in a program that is both a safe place to go after school, and teaches a new skill or passion.

“We keep the kids off the street and I make sure to provide a lot of structure with the projects we work on, which I think the parents appreciate,” Kenley remarked.

Once in the program, the children are often hesitant to start writing. Kenley will first show them the equipment and explain how everything works together, and how it all starts with the words on the page. He motivates them by tapping into their curiosity, and it works.

“I’ve had parents invite me out to dinner with their family as a ‘thank you’ for helping their child find direction in life,” Kenley shared. “It means a lot.”

In the spring of 2020, Kenley had the children working on a big project called, “Getting Down to Business,” where they had planned to interview local small business owners and report on their experiences, like a news story. Many of the students in the Official Entertainment Inc. program are girls, so Kenley made sure to include female business owners as part of the program for the girls to interview. The children got to write their own interview questions, figure out camera shots, and develop story angles to a go along with the interviews. However, when COVID-19 hit, the children were unable to do the interviews and the project was tabled.

“I really felt for the kids,” shared Kenley. “They worked so hard getting ready for the interviews, and I know it crushed them to not be able to finish what they started.”

Soon after, the studio was forced to close its doors during quarantine, leaving many of their studio projects unfinished.

Kenley had also planned to host a film workshop for up to 100 kids in the summer. However, that too had to be postponed, and forced him to return thousands of dollars in deposits. He was at a loss, but he never lost hope.

Related: Our Journey for Social Equity

Flipping the script

So, now what? Where does all this uncertainty leave a small business owner?

In the middle of a plot twist, that’s where.

Kenley had invested so much time and energy working on the after-school program that he had put his own writing and filmmaking aside. Official Entertainment Inc. had become all about the kids, and now because of COVID-19, Kenley was back to being a one-man show.

While he has used the time off to refocus on his own writing, he never stopped thinking about what’s next for the after-school program.

“All I hear is how the kids miss writing in the studio, so I knew I had to figure out a way to make it work for them even when it seemed impossible,” Kenley declared.

He started taking virtual seminars and talking to actors and filmmakers from around the country to get insight on what others in the industry were doing during this time. As a writer he was sharing his own work, but he would also talk about the program

“When I bring up the after-school program to people in the industry, they get so excited,” said Kenley. “They all want me to figure out how to make it work virtually, so they too could start similar programs in their own cities.”

Kenley admits that if it wasn’t for the pandemic, he would never have thought about virtual learning or sharing. However, he now sees it as a great opportunity to expand his business online.

“It’s been refreshing to connect with new people in Atlantic City, New York, California, and all over,” shared Kenley. “Sure, there are films made in Pittsburgh, but they never hire local talent for writing, directing, or acting.”

While the majority of children have yet to return to the studio, there is one 10-year-old boy who has been able to come on Saturdays. He was one of the children who didn’t show any interest in writing at first, but now he can’t be stopped. He is already working to complete one short film and has two more in his head that he’s been developing during quarantine.

“He was so motivated to keep working and no one else was around, so he’s continued with his studio work,” Kenley said. “This kid is virtually auditioning actors, doing script rewrites and film staging his work.”

“We are just now starting to allow more kids back in the studio, and we are seeing an uptick of males in the program, which is great.” Kenley noted. “Many of the children don’t have the capability of working virtually at home, so they are antsy to get back to their writing at the studio.”

Award season

Official Entertainment Inc. is a recipient of $15,000 through the Citizens Minority-Owned Small Business Grant program, which is part of Citizens' $1.5 million commitment to minority-owned businesses.

“It can be so hard to get funding for an arts program, so this grant is really such a blessing,” Kenley said.

Kenley plans to use the money to help buy more equipment, so that the children don’t need to spend so much time waiting in line to share cameras, lights, and computers. It will also be used to help provide laptops for the children, so they can work on their writing from home.

Right now, the normal school buses are not running and Kenley refuses to make the children walk or take public transportation to get to the studio. So, some of the funds will also be put toward getting the kids to and from the Official Entertainment Inc. office. He has worked out a deal with the transportation company in the building to get the kids safely to the studio when things are back up and running.

“I just want it make it as easy as possible for the kids to stick with writing, because we’ve seen how good it is for them,” confided Kenley.

“They love this studio as much as I do.”

-

Small business advice that works

We asked Kenley to share some tips for new and growing small business entrepreneurs.

• Do it for the work, not the money. Don’t start a business solely because you think you’ll make money off of it. If you first love what you do, the money will come eventually if you work hard.
• Set your business up to succeed. As a small business, make sure you have your taxes in order, especially if you plan on applying for funding since many grants have strict requirements. You’ll need a proper business address and a bank account separate from your personal account. This is the boring stuff, but it’s also some of the most important.
• Make the time. Owning a business is a full-time commitment. Especially for the first year, you’ll need to invest more than you see back. It’s so important that you understand the time it takes to get up and running and that you’re both mentally and financially prepared to get through the tough times at the beginning.

Related: Download the Small Business Guide to Resiliency

Looking forward to 2021

More than most, Kenley understands what a difference a year can make. Check out some of his plans for finding further success in 2021 and beyond.

• Embrace virtual learning and sharing. Small business owners are often told to think locally, but now it’s essential to think globally. Figure out how to package up what you offer and send it to a larger audience online. Not just products, but your services. You’d be surprised how far your voice can go!
• Admit that you don’t know everything. Sometimes business owners get used to being the boss and they refuse to listen to anyone else’s opinions. Especially if you aren’t as familiar with e-commerce or online marketing, you’re going to want someone to guide you. There isn’t just a chance that you’ll need help, there is a certainty that you will!

Citizens: Our journey for social equity

At Citizens, we live every day by a credo that calls for us to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion and to operate with understanding, empathy, and care.

The Citizens Minority-Owned Small Business Grant program is a central part of our multimillion-dollar commitment to creating a culture of inclusion within our company and throughout our greater communities. We encourage you to read more about our plans at the link below.

Learn more