BP: Looking back on your time at SCA and the Peter Stark Program, can you share some standout moments or experiences that you believe played a significant role in your recent success?

SL: Some of the most impactful experiences during my time at Stark were not structured or planned, but rather the organic bonds built across disciplines at SCA and USC at large. I met so many of my early collaborators either chilling in the courtyard, or grabbing tea at Coffee Bean, or while doing work in the grad lounge. Or while racing last minute toward a deadline in the lab. Steven Caple wrote & directed the first feature film I produced The Land. But I met Caple through our late great friend Tarik “ReekSpeaks” Jackson while being an extra on a student set they worked on (and then again when I needed a haircut recommendation). I met Juel Taylor, the director of our most recent release They Cloned Tyrone, because he literally worked in facilities operations at SCA and popped up at all the Stark functions. And the list goes on…all of these organic bonds that formed from just being in the vicinity of greatness is something that’s hard to describe and impossible to duplicate.

BP: What inspired you to pursue your current career path. How did your educational or life journey influence your goals? Did you always want to be a producer?

SL: I always wanted to be a producer…since middle school, albeit in rural South Carolina. A little after-school program taught us how to use camcorders and edit the footage on iMovie. A depth of curiosity led me to fall in love with the idea of identifying the best colleague for each production role, and helping steer the team toward a finished product. Once I learned that people got paid to make cool films with friends, I was hooked! But it wasn’t until undergrad at Morehouse that I came across a book called So You Want to Be a Producer by the late great Larry Turman that I fully understood what my path could be. He wrote about his travels through the industry, but even more proudly about his prized Peter Stark Program.

BP: Success often comes with its fair share of challenges. Can you tell us about some of the hurdles you faced throughout your career and what valuable lessons you took away from those experiences?

SL: I think the biggest hurdle initially was just staying steadfast to the independent path despite so many examples of a typical, more financially viable, way forward for aspiring producers (development executive track, agency track, etc.). What I learned immediately was the power of community. For example, USC-grad Malik Vitthal (Imperial Dreams) reached out when he was starting to direct commercials to see if I wanted to produce, and those proceeds kept me afloat over the next few years while I chased the dream of being a studio film producer.

BP: Can you tell us how They Cloned Tryone came about for you and what that experience was like?

SL: In 2017, he director and co-writer, Juel Taylor, basically shared a logline about this crazy idea he and Tony Rettenmaier had. They trusted me to help make it happen when I was still very new to independent producing. We took the pitch out in 2018, and a studio bidding war ensued. We sold the pitch to Macro, where Starkie Mark Wright was an exec at the time. We developed the script, attached talent, and took the package out in 2019 to a renewed bidding war, which Netflix won. And finally in July of 2023, the film releases to a massive audience and critic reception. That experience is a ride I’ll forever be grateful for because we did it with family. Having a tight-knit bond to wade through the creative battles together was priceless.

BP: Building connections and finding mentors can be instrumental. Were there any special individuals—professors, mentors, or fellow students—who made a significant impact on your life and career choices? How did they contribute to your success?

SL: Producers Debra Martin Chase, Todd Black, and James Lopez, and professors Jeffrey Korchek and Bobette Buster were all instrumental during my time in Stark to shape my perspective of possibility. And Len Amato, the President of HBO Films, my final internship before diving headfirst into independent producing. He’s the reason I even knew there was a “road less traveled by'' to produce studio films—starting with small indie films and grinding to the top.

BP: Lastly, any tips or advice to those considering applying to the Peter Stark Program? What about recent Stark grads?

SL: If you are considering applying to the Peter Stark Program or if you are a recent grad, my advice would be the same… Just Do It. And do it earnestly; be You. Stark is a special program for special people inside a special school. You have something to say, something to add to history…never let anyone dim that light.