Black Narratives and Streaming Platforms w/ DeShuna Spencer & Sean B.

it's it's distinctively unique. There's only one UM and this is why I like, I'll say this, certainly within n f t s, there's a lot of noise, a lot of attention to big money projects, PfP avatar projects that you're like, why is this picture selling for this amount of money. I can't say that all of this UM is going to be standing the test of time in ten years from now, in five years from now. The technology is new and exploding, and so there's a lot of noise in the midst of it. Two. But it

doesn't mean that the foundation of it isn't significant. And I do when I wrap my head around it, fundamentally, I do believe that it's going to be disruptive and transformational. So I'll add like why um, On top of it being one of one, it's also because it's written on blockchain, right, there's this ledger. It's a really easy way of seeing you know, transactional history of ownership of and and many other details. The blockchain don't live and people will get

caught on that. So like, UM, it can tell any n f T. You can tell who has owned it, how it was, how hands were traded, what it was ever offered for, what was ever been on it for, how it was sold, dates and time. Um. So because of that, I could see the technology itself being very useful for industries like you know real estate or you know deeds and titles, and you know, there's a number of streies that it can be disruptive for. Certainly you

look at the music industry. Let's go to the idea of it being like for creators, whether it's an artist or myself as a broadcaster, or a celebrity, or an athlete or as we're starting to think of ourselves, even you when you are creating anything, UM, it can eliminate middlemen, you know, and it will take you directly to your audience, to your consumer, to your fan base, and allow you to create something that Now you're creating a more engaged

fan and consumer because once they buy this, they're now more invested. They have something that they own that as you rise, so does the value of their peace. So now they're sitting here super engaged with you and and invested in your rise. It also creates communities that are strong because you're tighten it together. We are all part of this n f T group, so we are now collaborative. We are working hard to build it together. So now you've got a more engaged community, You've got a better

engagement between consumer and producer, fan and and creator. I feel like these are all really like important reasons for enmcies to be revolutionary. Um, and I'm excited about it. Oh and I'll say this too for artists, and I'm sure you might have heard this too, Like I think for creators, it's important because it protects you over the span of your trajectory of your career. So like let's say Bosciot or any artist at the beginning of their career was selling at a hundred bucks for a piece.

You know, that's it. You never see it again as as it trades hands over the course of time, but because there are royalties built into the blockchain which can never these smart contracts hold forever, like you're constantly being protected and rewarded over the course of time and career. So I think there's a lot of things here that are exciting about the technology itself. I'm well Lucas, Mrs

Black Tech, Cream Money. I'm gonna answer this you to some of the biggest names, some of the brightest minds and brilliant ideas. If you're black and building or simply using tech to secure your bag, this podcast is for you. The Shanna Spencer's founder and CEO at Quality TV, the streaming platform featuring five hundred plus undiscovered, award winning indie films, documentaries, web series and kids shows celebrating global black stories. Sean b is creator Connect the series one and two now

streaming on Quality TV. I'm talking with the platform developer and content creator about the need for our ownership of the black narrative and how media constructs our worldview when it may not be what is really happening on the ground. That's one of the reasons why I started Quarly TV. It really started with me not feeling like I saw myself represented and not seeing enough stories about black life

beyond black death, black suffering. I'm a former journalist and one of the things about working in daily news is

you spend so much time writing these narratives. And I really started with some research to understood the correlation between in place a bias in me representation, and so when I started to Clay TV, I really wanted to use our platform to change that, and not just from an African American lands, but from a global lens, because, um, if you think about I would used to do these pitch competitions they Alwauls say, you know, we think about black fathers when you think about UM people on weal

for all these negative stereotypes, UM, this media sometimes since you set as like there are no black fathers. We know black fives are more likely to be engaged with children than than any other group. We know that white black women don't represent the welfare right you know, Um, but that's kind of what we've been fed and even outside having us as a kid, I used to watch these these um like I guess commercials and you would

see Africa and the only thing you would see. It would be children with flies and their faces, people poverty or or or child soldiers and and it's like a very negat view about Africa. And it wasn't until I started doing my own research and learning about, you know, but what life was like on on the continent. I was like, well, that's doesn't represent what I've seen, and

I really want to change that. And it literally just started with me doing my research talk with Currencent creators single was out there and saying, we're not seeing these stories. The mainstream media is sort of packaging this view about the black experience without I would say, people who look like us green lighting those experiences are not enough of us. And so I really wanted to have a space in

which we are the want to control the narrative. We give controverts like shun Being opportunity to show what it really means to be a millennial in Atlanta authentically without some of the lay stereotypes we sometimes see the mainstream media. So Sean, I want you to chime in on this too, because you know, even domestically this happens. You know, people have a perception of Atlanta that you know may not

always be true. In many playing cases it might be true, but in not all cases that were fed by media. So talk to us. How about a little bit about how you introduce people to the culture of a space that you know, you develop content around. Yeah, you know, I'm sorry, said Sean. Sorry, Sean, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

It's all good, All good, all good. Yeah. I mean really, with Connect, it was more so just kind of like what the Shauna just said, like showing stories that I'm not seeing myself represented, right, I didn't really see a lot of young early twenties stories about being black and being Atlanta still just trying to figure it out right and figure out what it means to balance life and work in relationships and you know, really trying to figure

out what do you want to do in life? And I was like, well, I'm in Atlanta, you know, where a lot of black cultures at. Why not just show my experiences and some of my friends experiences and create a story out of that and see what it turns into, you know, for both I want both of you guys

chiming this and I'll start with you audition on it. So, um, We're not monolithic right as a people, and but it can it can be additionally hard for us to accept ourselves when we our kids or others in our culture. Don't you know, have prush Usty as our favorite rapper? You know? Or you know there are other stereotypes that we may not adhere to. So how how can we gain traction with content that may not be mainstream for black folks? You know? So? Or is that something you

have to focus on? So let's say I'm into science fiction, Like, how do we create content and build business models on that content when not all of us you know, like a specific thing as a as a distribution channel. I'm asking. It's interesting because like I remember initial starting clearly TV investors with say black people only want to watch ratchet Black people, you need to partner with world start hip hop.

That's the only way you'll be successful. Like, well, there is a sex of our community and me like you know, what's hip hop or Real Housewives or whatever, But it doesn't represent all of us. And so I think the beautiful thing about having a platform like Clay to be so that we're able to show different sizes of of the black experience. So give mento science fiction. There are black people love science fiction. There are black people who

like documentaries. They're black people who want to see history. They want to see um historical fiction like that. There are there are so many um, there's just so so many types of stories that we can tell. And so for me, I think that I didn't really think about, like, I didn't adhere to stereotypes. I know, the type of content that I like. I know they're I know my friends and my plane members weren't monolithic any type of

content that they wanted to see. And I just said, I'm gonna show the content that we may not see a mainstream media because mainstream me and things we don't want to watch it, right, And so, um, if you look our data documentaries sci fi, that's that's the number one arm where children's programming, right, I mean, those the type of stuff you lot sometimes don't seeing other platforms. That's what people are more likely to watch on quickly TV.

And so for me, it's really important to show the dispel those myths about what black people want to watch. And I'm always excited to share that with investors, a potential investors to who all macally assume that you know, we only want to watch one type of thing. And I think the challenge for content creators is and sometimes I speak at events, they want to say, well, what does your audience want to see? Like, no, I tell them,

what do you want to make? Like what you know what Sean b did right like he saw me he wanted he created something that he wanted to build, versus saying I think this is what's cool and hot right now. Everyone's watching this particular drama, So I'm gonna make something based off who I think a lot of people want to watch. And for us, a lot of the content that we end up picking on quick TV is because the creators said, I want to tell the story. The

stories has been in my heart. This this is something I really wanted to see and I created, whether it was a documentary, historical fiction of some sci fi, some interesting sci thought that they created, even a horror right, And I think that's how a content creator. That's what we want to see from content creators. Yeah it Sean, you know, chime in on this because I'm interested in you, York from a perspective of a content creator, like what kind of what is it content creators like you need?

Is it you know, that courage or is it that support that resources to go create that content that might play on the edges if that's what you designed to do. Yeah, I mean it's it's a couple of things, right, Like one, it's that courage, right is to take that leap of faith to just go out and make something. Because I have a very you know, pretty big production background and was always doing music videos here and there. But you know, my end goal was to always get into narrative, narrative work,

into some type of scripted storytelling. And I remember it was like seventeen. I was like, all right, Sean, it's time to stop doing that, stop doing the music videos, and really just write something and just put it out there. I don't care if it's a hit, I don't care if it's trash. Like, just go out and make something because who knows where it could go. Right. So came well into Seen, came around, wrote a script and I was like, Sean, your one goal for is to make this,

just make it, like, just do it. And did that and it was completely self funded by me, so you know, resources is kind of like I have this thing where I don't like to rely on people like too too much, you know, especially when it's my baby my d M, my project. I'm like, okay, you know, because I don't want to blame anybody else but myself if it fails.

You know, so resources a big thing, you know, having the money to actually do that, and of course you have family members, you know, you do some go fund me here and there to have people support you, which every little bit helps, but it's really just that determination, encourage and perseverance just to keep going, um and do it.

And you'll actually be surprised the amount of people that will support you when you maybe not financially, but you know, we'll encourage you to keep going and we'll actually watch your content. And once you put it out there, it's very scary, you know, because you're like, dang, what if what if? What if it's trash? You know, and um, you just have to trust in yourself and believe in God and do put your best foot forward and just say, hey,

you have to start somewhere. Because I think when I was writing Connect, one thing I saw was like Game of Thrones and Insecure, Like those original scripts is not what you saw on the TV screen, right, The original scripts were completely different. You know, maybe some things are the same, but you know, you just have to trust in yourself and just put it out. And so talk to me a little bit about you know, ownership of content.

We'll start with you, Deshun. So, you know, talked about how you as a platform think about you know, the social commerce, the mainstream conversation we're having about you know, being able to own what you create, right, So especially when so many artists can you know, go directly to their you know, audience as a platform, Deshne, like, how do you think about creating a space to where they can be a coordinated effort around you know, amplifying our

content for us, our creds and curators to them as partners. Um. And if you see you see some of the mainstream platforms or some of the headlines you've seen many of some black creators who left I want name the platforms but didn't take certain deals because those platforms don't want to give them any cut of ownership, right. They just wanted to basically wanted to write the script and say

we own it, right. And so the difference between us, like you know, the current were to owns the content, we're just getting the licensing deal to to stream it on our platform. And so the reason we do that is because we want our filmmakers to be successful, and success for us means ownership. And just like I want to own my streaming service, and I you know, we don't have a lot of investors, so own majority of

my company. I think it's important for our crtoon crease so also be able to have that option to say I own this. Wherever money comes in, we that we get a big chunk of it. And so that's so important to me. And I think for a lot of counting creators who are really focusing on trying to get those deals sometimes will compromise ownership just for the sake

of being on a platform. And that's kind of what really makes us different from from a lot of streaming services in which we say, no, this is your baby, you own it. Um. I know from our business perspective, it may not be what you know, A lot of platforms thinking you know, maybe smart, but I think you know because for us, we're about collective ownership, you know when it comes within the black community, and collective means

sharing our wealth and and that's what we do. It collect to be sixty percent of our revenue goes to our clantent creators we pay. We pay them every single quarter faithfully, and and I show them what our six percent ever gonna looks like. They see how much we make and they can calculate, you know, they wanted to there. You know, we keep open books. We want to be very transparent with our counting creators about you know, the health of our company. And as we grow, they they grown.

And I think that's like one of the greatest things about you know, the deals with qually TV is just that you are having that ownership. You are able to see that data and your content is literally out there for the entire world to see. Right, It's not just on you know Netflix, were just cool or whatever, but you know where it's a specifically black owned um streaming

platform for a lot of black content creators. Like when I'm telling people, oh yeah, Connected on quaily TV, you know, go check out Connect, but there are so many other types of stories that are on this platform to support black artists, you know. Yeah, that's that's That's exactly where I wanted to go. So the shoan I was wanting to talk to you about like the engineering of this.

So like if the best way I can give a parallel here is like, if I'm you know, on tiktoking and I'm getting a lot of views, They're going to suggest me as you know somebody, other people who don't follow me should follow the same thing with you know, other platforms. How does it work on quiately where if I'm if I've created good good intin I'm showing and how does how do people find shown if they didn't

come looking for song? So um, for us, we do like social media average supposed to me advertising, and we also we have recommendations on the website. I will say that what makes us different from other platforms that we don't necessarily on an algorithm for people to find content, because to me, that is we we're talking. What I'm trying to I don't want to like people on other platforms, So I'm trying to say in a way it's not

like trying to like, you know, a sociape others. But when earlier on I started Play to Be, I talked with filmmakers and said, you know what's in the pain points you're hearing or seeing or or having on other platforms. Number one was an algorithm, right, And so we know that we really on an algorithm to find certain content on these other platforms. But if it could be a really great film, it's so won didn't watch it, The algorithm won't won't find it, and people want to the film.

So our approach is very different. We don't have hierarchy, we don't show poportism. All of our filmmakers are promoted equally on the platform. We actually have like a little

spreadsheet and in schedule and and the rotation schedule. Okay, this film was was promoted this day, and so we're gonna make sure through from now so like everyone gets seen on what is on social media, whether it's there are emails, so that everyone who's added to the platform gets noticed in their emails, so that everyone seems so they are. We have some called coolly creators in which we promote them on like our social media channels, we have podcasts and blogs. We do everything we can to

promote our continent creators outside of an algorithm. We even take a step further awhere. You know, one of the things we learned from our content creators. We used to have our continent out for order, like by our titles. We changed that because we started to learn the customers are lazy they're gonna get through like effort, g H. We're gonna go to like the you know, Sean Baby cool his his connect right, some of films with the teasing and all that, like, people will not take the

time to scroll. And so what we do every month we rotate all titles, so people don't always see the same thing when they first go to our title section. So we're very conscious about making sure everyone's seeing that. That's super important to us. So did you like when you started this company, because you have a two sided ecosystem or marketplace or I should say, it's like you gotta have the viewers in order to get the Shawn Bees, and you gotta have the Sean Bees in order to

get the viewers, right. And so how in the early days of starting a platform like this where you have this two sided marketplace where nothing works without the other, you know, how do you get those early buy ins on from both parties? Oh my god, I didn't know how I was gonna get anyone right and so and and also like my broadcasts and journalism, I didn't start out in film or television or distribution, you know what I was doing. And so I actually just started talking

with filmmakers. That was like the first thing I wanted to do because if I'm building a streaming service that I know would have these authentic stories that people can't find anywhere else, and I want to get the customers I need the first talk to amazing filmmakers and started literally spent six months talking with filmmakers from around the world asking them what they wanted to see if they had a platform, UM, and then start asking them for

their content, and then they didn't know me from Adam, like um, and they're from there. That's why I started talking with potential customers about what do you want to see in the streaming service, what type of a black Gog streaming service like? And then basically marrying it two together and coming up with the first crop of stories for the platform. We want to start beta and we don't. We had like thirty eight great filmmakers who were nice

enough to give us a content. We didn't know whether or not we're gonna be successful, but we just really wanted to test the wires out with these really unique stories, and that's pretty much how it got started. I think for any company, right, I think that's the best way the way they go, right, you, you talk to customers potential customers and say what do you want to see?

And that's kind of how we got started. So Sean, I want to ask you this same question, like from she says she went out and talked to you know, all these content creators, and you know some of them bought in from your perspective as one of those people developing content, Like, I guess the alternatives for you if if it doesn't get to one of those other platforms that you know we won't name, you know, I guess it's putting it up on like a YouTube or like a video or like. So like for you, what is

the value proposition? I would say, Like one of the biggest things is that you're getting paid off of this. Right, you don't have to really worry about getting ten thousand, one k views on YouTube before making a dime. Right, you want you want for your end game. You want to be on the streaming platform and that's something that Deshawna has already created where it can reach p bowl all across the globe and still get paid for it.

Because while you're getting paid for it, one, you know, we all have bills, so you can pay off those bills. But then also you can use some of that money to fund your next project that you hopefully then gets you on quately TV again. And then you know, you just kind of create that cycle, um where that's money in your pocket and money and the Shawness project product pocket, so that eventually, you know, we can make a huge

quately TV original that you know just goes crazy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, as I think about, you know, one of the biggest platforms, I'm named the show, but I won't talk about the platform. It's already come up. But you know, one of the ways it broke out in recent years was the show like Orange is the New Black. Like that was a show that helped people get aware that there was this

thing out there that can subscribe to watch shows. And so I guess my question for you, it's like, you know, what are some of the challenges you face with attracting attention from you know, viewers. You know, when we live in an attention economy, everybody's fighting for attention. Is it purely about acquiring viewers like users of your platform de shine, or is it about simply creating content that might break

through the noise? So are you looking for that one show that just like blows everything out the water and now there's millions of eyeballs looking for where the heck did that thing come from? Finding customers is challenging, especially in the early days, because people either people don't know who you are, they don't know you exist. Um, and that I was then expectation for customers is super high,

right Um. The major streaming service, the first one you know you mentioned, We'll say the name your Netflix, right, Um. They basically create this bar for for all of us to try to reach. And when I tell people like um, Netflix, like you saying both right like super fast, Like I'm we're running slower than than the saying, but we can still be in the game. We may, you know, not the first place, but we can still we can have

our niche in the market. And so Um, for me, getting customers is all about having amazing content like number one. I think that the approach and Netflix took initially with having like Orange. I think that had too like original shows like Orange, New Black and Breaking is a breaking back. Now Breaking Bad was on a m C. That was that was the one that was the breakout show. It was um the show the the Washington d C show. I can't think of it right now. House the Cards, Yeah,

that was it. They didn't have you know, Tiger King. It was literally those two shows. But they were really amazing shows and so um for us, you know, I

think that's important. Like our goal is not to you saying vote and try to have a million shows out the bat, but really like having and connected and having another really amazing original series that we can really build the build a business auta while also at the same time still having a space for a kind t creators who have been the festivals, who have won awards, they have a home for their films because I think the challenge that a lot of black creaders are having is

the big players start spending billions of dollars pretty much of programming that Now, if you have an ideal for a show, or I have an ideal for a film, there's been a festival, they're not coming for it because they're spending so much their type of energy making their own content. And if they do acquire it, they're not promoting it because they spent maybe fifty million dollars on something else, you know, and they're gonna promote what they

spent their money on. And so, UM, I think for us, as long as we're making sure we're refreshing our content, being fresh, being um authentic, I think that's that will set us apart. But yeah, you're actually right. We are in time where people are looking for the one hit show they're gonna come back to. But also at the same time, you know, with this um having one hit show with all bac with me, you're gonna it's gonna be super success. You And there's someone who has a

dreaming service who's done a lot of research. You look at HBO Max or HBO for instance, once Game of Thrones left, it holds or of their customers overnight, like people like I'm like one of those as soon as the show is like okay, and that's why Netflix, oh oh snap, okay, we just can't have Orange New Black, House of Car personally had this this you know, meal

of content. UM. And so I'm very mindful that before we you know, start really having originals like that, we want to be do want to make sure that we're able to have something lined up that people just don't like. Okay, Well that ended back quickly like no. But also the same time too, like we're looking beyond this content. We want to really build community around our platform, so you know, events in gamification and a lot of chats and all

these different things. Loyalty like creating, like loyalty programs and stuff like that to keep people engaged so they're like, Okay, if I stick around for the next show, I'll get a free shirt, or I'll give your p access to a film festival. Things like that, to keep people engaged where it's not all about the next project or something that's transactional, you know. Sean, she said something that I

thought was super important. I want to ask you from the position of a content creator, and she she mentioned, like you don't have to necessarily be the fast like the you say bolt to have a thriving you know business, and I think so often in our culture, particularly when you're talking about startups, but in general, you know, what Instagram is such has done is make is make you if you're not the number one person and you can't build a life, So you don't necessarily have to be

your yourself. You don't have to be you know, rescupes like John Singleton to have a really good life. As a content creator, you can make you know, a couple hundred thousand dollars a year, a million dollars a years, whatever, and not have that big blockbuster thing, but still looks a really good life being a content creator. So I wanted you to speak from the perspective of you know, what are you chasing when when you are trying to

develop content. Is it more so about the purity of getting your story out or is it you are trying to be you know that I'm just trying to like to her earlier point, they said, well, what is your audience want? Like, no, what do you want to make? Like? How do you think about that? From the content creator standpoint yourself? Yeah, that's a that's a great question, I would say for me, of course, you want your story to get out there, um, and you want people to

you know, take something away from it. But one thing that's big for me is really impacting the next generation and telling them that they can control their narrative and that they can see me, some regular guy from Atlanta who created something, and that they can do the same thing, and that they can tell their story, and that their story doesn't have to be black trauma, doesn't have to be you know, gang banging or something like that, or an athlete that they can show, you know, being a

black millennial, or you know, a young black person in their certain city achieving. They want to be a doctor, they want to be a lawyer. Oh I'm struggling to pass the bar. Things like that, and showing those different types of story stories, you know, and like you brought up the Monolith earlier to show that, you know, that these kids can do sci fi if they want to, and not just you know, sidlo them into one lane, but that there are so many lanes that they can

get into. So that's another thing that I think about when I'm creating these stories, because I want my characters to have to be multifaceted, you know, and to have all these different layers so that a little kid who's seven or eight, nine to ten seeing that character like, oh, that character actually resonates with me, and I want to now create something based off of the character I saw in Connect or whatever it may be. Yeah, So people want to learn more about quality TV. The show where

do I go? What do if I have an Apple TV? Like, Like, what do I do? So you can go to the website, let me get Uh. We have plenty of shirts too, on the website. But if k w e l I dot TV, if you are on any of our apps or any apps like Apple TV, Real Cool, Amazon Firestick and Joy TV, I U school Play French or just typing k w E l I t V, and you can sell our della Are app. And we're also on social media Facebook, Instagram, uh, Twitter, we have a TikTok account.

We haven't quite uh posted there yet, but that's the future. Yeah, and Sean, people want to learn more about you and your work and what you're working on, like how people are more about Absolutely you can follow me at Shawn Bartley on Instagram and then at Underscore Sean Bartley on Twitter. Um yeah, come come find me. Let's chat. Let's talk about what projects you have going on. Um, you know, if you need any advice or anything like that, and

um yeah, let's chat. We're talking black content. Appreciate you guys, Sean, Sean B. Really appreciate you guys spending time with us. Appreciate you. Thanks for the opportunity. Come right. Black Tech Green Money is a production of blackt the Afro Tech Black Effect podcast Network, and Ihearted Media. It's produced by Morgan Dabon and me Will Lucas, but this now production supported by Love Beacham and Rusa Lewis. Special thank you to Michael Davis, Sadam Sims and the car savon Jan

you know like the wine. Yes, that's his real name. Learn more about my guests and other tech This That It innovators at afro tech dot com. Enjoying black tech, green money. Leave us a five star rating on iTunes. Go get your money, Peace and love