Targeting the Urban Audience
Jeff Clanagan and Codeblack Entertainment want to reach not only African-Americans, but the church crowd too—starting with their deal with Fox Faith.
By Dan Ewald | posted 3/25/2008
 1 of 3
Jeff Clanagan doesn't put his name above every movie he releases—like Tyler Perry, for example—which is why you've never heard of him. But like Perry, Clanagan releases films targeted to the same middle-class urban market.
Jeff Clanagan
His company, Codeblack Entertainment, calls itself the first African American-owned film studio. "Tyler is more of a production company, same thing as Oprah," Clanagan tells CT Movies. "[We're] different because we're an actual distributor. I can actually take the product and physically distribute it."
With titles like Divine Intervention (releasing to DVD today) and Don't Trip … He Ain't Through With Me Yet, Clanagan also taps into the "faith-based" audience. His work so far has led to a five-picture deal with Fox Faith, a home video division of 20th Century Fox formed specifically to appeal to Christian audiences. But Codeblack is more than just a straight-to-video company; this fall, Clanagan will release Mama, I Want To Sing! to theaters with a high profile performer in the lead role—pop star Ciara.
We interviewed the hardworking Clanagan to find the mission driving his groundbreaking company.
You're incredibly ambitious. Where did you get your start?
Jeff Clanagan: I grew up in San Jose in an upper-middle class family. So I don't have any stories about coming up out of the ghetto or anything like that. [Laughs.] Both parents were in the household. My mother was a nurse and my father was in marketing for Silicon Valley.
So did your marketing skills come from your father?
Clanagan: I necessarily wouldn't say he gave me marketing advice. My world is kind of foreign to him because he worked for a new computer company—a whole different world from where I was at. But he gave me business advice with money and management.
My dad was always the voice of reason. In terms of asking questions and pointing me in the right direction, he was always that voice of logic around me. He kept me grounded.
Before filmmaking, you were a promoter. How did that start?
Clanagan: When I was 14, I was actually a national champion [in the triple jump at the Junior Olympics]. I was an athlete—football and track. A friend of mine was having a party, and I was at the most popular school in town. As an athlete, I could get a lot of people to come to the party. I was basically there to bring people in. It was a favor.
So that was the start. It wasn't a pre-meditated move on my part to become a promoter or even an entrepreneur at that point. But once I saw how it worked, the parties turned into concerts.
You got your professional start promoting concerts for everyone from LL Cool J to Martin Lawrence, a far cry from the Christian audiences you're currently wooing.
Clanagan: I also promoted gospel plays. It's not like I just popped out of Def Comedy Jam or rap concerts and stuff like that. I was also doing faith-based gospel plays as a concert promoter back in the '80s—A Good Man is Hard to Find and Mama, I Want To Sing!
I was already in that world because when you're promoting plays, your primary place to promote is in the church. You have to get the endorsements of these local places.
Browse More Movies
CT Movies Home Page | Now Showing | New on Video | All Reviews
Coming Soon | Discussion Guides | Interviews | Commentary
News & Misc. | Special Sections | About Us
Your Feedback | About Us | CT Mag Home Page
| 
