Meet Ja’niyah Blanton-Carter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ja’niyah Blanton-Carter.

Ja’niyah, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I began going to Georgia State University in 2016 to pursue a career in journalism. I originally chose journalism because I love to write. However, I doubted that I would make it as a freelance writer for poetry. So my next option was journalism and possibly writing for a newspaper.

As I went throughout my collegiate career, I began working for the school’s newspaper, The Signal. I quickly discovered that I strongly dislike writing for news. I continued to explore other aspects of journalism. I slowly got interested in videography and video editing because of my digital journalism. I realized that I want to do something involving cameras, documentaries, video editing. Therefore, I began attending interest meetings for my school’s student media organization, NEON (formerly known as GSTV). This organization had a television news broadcasting station, as well as a sector for short films. I was too busy that semester to actually participate in meetings regularly, so I informed the head of the organization to let me know if they needed any help with upcoming projects.

I received an email around Christmas break informing me that NEON was looking for crew members for a short film. I took the job as a sound mixer/boom operator and the rest is history! I continued sound mixing for a few more short films. However, I knew I was capable of being much more than a sound mixer. At the time, I was extremely invested in binge watching shows and movies on Netflix. I was always curious as to how films were produced, and after being on set, my curiosity grew. I would binge watch videos on film production, post production, etc. I saw a quote on Instagram that said something along the lines of, “Go into the career of the thing that you spend all day doing.” Seeing that post immediately made me think of how I am always watching movies and television, so why not pursue a career in that field? At the same time, I was praying to God about revealing to me what my purpose is; what career field was I created for? I thank God that I saw that post because it changed my life. I began pursuing film and I never looked back.

Mind you, I’m in my junior year at the time. Therefore, it was too late to change my major if I wanted to graduate in Spring 2020. However, I am glad that I continued studying journalism because I learn so many valuable lessons and techniques about journalism that easily tie and relate to film. In March 2019, I leaped a faith and applied for the Director and Staff Writing position at NEON. I have no “film” experience, but I do have multimedia journalism experience and I utilized that. In the application, I had to pitch three show ideas. My last pitch is what got me hired. I pitched a show that discusses the reality of college dating at Georgia State University. That is how Dating-ish was created.

I came into senior year with this amazing opportunity to create a show that I’m not only passionate about, but that will take me to higher heights.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It was not a smooth road. I’m used to directing, shooting and editing my short, two minute videos for class. Therefore, when I was blessed with this opportunity, I knew little to nothing about how to direct a production of this level. It was intimidating at first, but I learned along the way.

I had to learn that you have to always be prepared for the unexpected. So many unexpected issues arose like not having the equipment necessary to shoot, or actors not showing up, etc. It has been a test of my faith. I know this is only the beginning, so I can’t give up now.

Another struggle was balancing my time and energy between schoolwork and my production. I’ve been extremely focused on producing Datingish, that my coursework has taken a backseat. It doesn’t make it easier than I’m six months away from graduating and I have a bad case of senioritis.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am the director and staff writer for NEON, a student media organization. I created and produced a docudrama web series called, “Dating-ish.” Datingish is a show where college students share their dating horror stories and their stories are re-enacted with actors.

I came up with the idea datingish because I have had some wild dating experiences while in college, and I figured other college students have had either similar experiences or worse. I decided to create a show that showcased what millennial dating looks like nowadays.

Besides the series, I produce segments for IGTV where we interview students about love, dating, and sex.

I’m most proud about completing our first episode, which will be debuted soon (probably the first week of December) on YouTube, Vimeo, and our Instagram @datingish or twitter @dating_ish

What were you like growing up?
Success is a state of mind. I believe one achieves success when they are so passionate in their chosen career field that they help to lead and empower others to do the same. I believe successful people are leaders, positive, and passionate.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://janiyahcheyenne.wordpress.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/datingish/
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/dating_ish

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