CeCe Tyshay, a creative from Philadelphia, Pa, is an actress and producer of two bodies of work, “Friend Zone” and “Young Ballerz”. In this Q & A, CeCe Tyshay chats about what it is like to be a woman executive.
Q: What inspired you to be an executive producer?
Being able to control the creative direction but seeing Aaron Spelling’s name at the end of all my favorite TV shows as a kid was a light bulb moment for me.
What motivates you when you are told, no?
“The fact that it only takes one yes.”
CeCe Tyshay
Q: What is one of the biggest challenges of making a movie or short film?
The 1st thing they teach you in film school is that whatever can go wrong will go wrong and it doesn’t matter if it’s low budget or big budget. You have to know how to deal with different levels of skills and dedication and roadblocks.
Q: What is the biggest reward of doing the type of work you do?
I can be creative, express myself and also allow other people to feel good.
Q: Why did you decide to work on your latest project?
My now husband, Shanté 2Cool came to me with the idea for Young Ballerz when we were in production for the first film we worked together on called Friend Zone and asked me to co-write and co-produce with him. I agreed as long as I had an acting role lol. I’m an actor first.
Q: Who wrote, produced and casted your last two projects?
Young Ballerz stars Fredro Starr and Irie Soulé. Young Ballerz and Friend Zone directed by Shante 2Cool. Young Ballerz and Friend Zone executive produced and written by myself and Shante 2Cool. I wrote Friend Zone and led casting on both films. Our film companies are 2Cool Films and Love Amor ENT.
Q: Why do you think there are so few women in the entertainment industry, compared to men?
Men tend to dominate most industries so like everything else there’s a dominance and bias that puts women somewhat at a disadvantage but people don’t realize that when the men went off to war during World War II women were running Hollywood and kept it afloat but men took it back. The percentage has gotten better in recent times but it still has a long way to go. Women need more chances to make their mark which is why my husband and I like to hire women for different roles in our films and want to keep that going as we move forward in our filmmaking careers.
Q: How has expecting a child changed your view on life and your career?
It makes the grind harder in the sense of trying to get more done so we give our child more but more exciting as to all the avenues we can bring into our child’s life. It’s important to show her that her parents fought for their dreams and a better life and that her mother did things in a positive way as a girl who will look up to her mother.
Q: What was the hardest thing you had to learn about production?
Nothing goes as planned so you have to know how to be quick on your feet and adjust on the fly.
Q: What part of production is the most natural for you?
Casting and acting are the most natural for me, knowing what to look for in the actors, what they can bring to the roles. It also helps that I wrote the projects and I know the characters inside out. On the acting side of things, it’s the most fulfilling and I’ve studied it the longest but that also helps me with the casting aspect.
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