"My only Mecca was, is, and shall always be Howard University."
- Ta'Nehisi Coates
When it comes to the importance of HBCUs and the experiences a student could have at one, too often mainstream media will have us believe that they are defined by marching bands, Greek Step Shows, hazing practices, or Homecoming.
As a graduate of the illustrious Howard University, also known as "THE MECCA," I myself know the HBCU experience to be much more nuanced than that. It is truly a one of a kind experience when you have the opportunity to find yourself while being surrounded by endless variations of young, gifted, and black individuals whose existence mainstream media never told you about.
I believe the experience is so one of a kind, the world needs to see it.
I, Tevin Scott (HU Class of 2016), along with my producer, Kiah Clingman (HU Class of 2015), plan to highlight the quintessential HBCU experience with our short film, THE MECCA, and we would like your support to bring it to life!
We realize how imperative it is to create our own content and be the designers of our own images, especially in film. Having graduated from Howard's School of Communications, we were taught not to wait around for an opportunity to come, but to create the opportunity ourselves. In the past five years, I’ve written and directed nine short films and an eight episode web-series, all of which Kiah has either starred in or helped produce. The shorts were a massive success on campus, cumulating thousands of views and generating tons of buzz in the Howard community and on social media. The success of those projects led to our discovery by Black & Sexy TV, a popular online network that offered us a distribution deal to air our college web series, Doing It Wrong.
Our previous work, which you can view at the links provided below, has more than prepared us to create THE MECCA, our most ambitious project yet!
THE MECCA will be the most authentic and compelling depiction of HBCU life since “A DIFFERENT WORLD” and “SCHOOL DAZE.” We want to inspire a new generation of black excellence, both creatively and socially by displaying aspects of HBCU life, through a positive and realistic lens.
In addition, The MECCA will enhance and concretize relationships among millennials, HBCU students, and graduates in the film and entertainment industry, both behind and in front of the camera. We have offered the opportunity to students in Howard's School of Communications to be a part of the production crew so they can gain real-time, first-hand experience on a professional set that will be used for course credit.
Upon completing the short film, we will take it to some of the biggest film festivals in the country, including South By Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) and The American Black Film Festival (ABFF). From there, we will then use the success of the film to help turn THE MECCA into a TV SERIES!
This is a roll out plan that has proven to be successful in the past, and with our hard work and industry connections, we are more than confident it will be successful for us.
But of course, we will need your help to make it happen! We would like to ask for your financial assistance in funding this project.
Our prospective budget for the film is $25,000, and it will cover the following:
- Equipment Rental (camera, lights, sound etc)
- Transportation (flights from LA/ATL to DC for crew and talent)
- Cast/Crew Lodging (for a 5-day shoot)
- Talent Wages (at SAG minimum rates)
- Music Licensing: F.L.Y’s Swag Surfin’
- Craft Services
- Wardrobe
- Editing Services
- Film Festival Fees
We are asking you to invest in us by investing in THE MECCA.
To Donate, please make a pledge to your right or you can support us using PayPal:
We have a big vision, along with a strong work ethic that will ultimately push this project past its potential. But we do need your help to bring this project to fruition and raise the profile of our beloved university to an even higher level, as it already is the leading role model and example for HBCUs across the country.
We thank you in advance for your support, your dedication, and willingness to see the vision for this project the way we see it. We look forward to creating this special piece of art about the one place that has captivated our hearts: THE MECCA.
Best Regards,
Tevin Scott, Creator
Kiah Clingman, Producer
Introducing Tevin Scott @imtevinscott:
Tevin Scott is director and writer from Charleston, SC. A product of Howard University, Tevin honed his skills as a filmmaker while in undergrad. He is the founder of Raise The Stakes Entertainment (RTS), a film company that specializes in producing content for Millennials. He's directed, written, and produced 9 short films under the RTS brand, which have amassed over 100,000 views and counting.
In 2015, Tevin signed a deal with the popular online network Black & Sexy TV, to distribute his newest web series, Doing It Wrong. The series premiered on Black & Sexy TV's paid subscription service as apart of their new HBCU initiative. It was also Black & Sexy TV's first series to launch multiple episodes at once to allow for binge watching.
Now as an alumni of Howard, Tevin has taken his talents to Hollywood to continue on his promising film career. Tevin aims to continue to deliver highly entertaining and compelling content that the masses will all enjoy.
Kiah Alexandria Clingman is an actress and producer from Cincinnati, OH. A 2015 summa cum laude graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., she received a degree in Communications with emphasis on Advertising and a minor in Theatre Arts and History. During her time in undergrad, she had the opportunity to study theatre in London, England and was selected to play Laura in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Her love for acting took her to New York where she completed a summer intensive at the Maggie Flannigan Conservatory Studio.
Kiah is well-known for her lead role, Chanel, in Black & Sexy TV’s newest web series, Doing It Wrong, which premiered on Black & Sexy TV’s paid subscription service as a part of their new HBCU initiative.
Not only does Kiah thrive in front of the camera and stage, she loves working behind-the-scenes. She has cast actors and actresses for two short films and has also produced 7 short films. Having completed multiple internships at FOX Sports, HBO, Viacom (MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Spike & Logo), and Weber Shandwick, she has acquired a vast array of skills that have prepared her to take on the entertainment industry.
She ultimately aspires to combine her writing, performing, and speaking abilities in preparation for a career in film and television.