Today we’d like to introduce you to Blake Farris
Blake, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story begins with a fascination for cars, influenced by my brother. He had built a 2000 Honda Civic and it was the first car I had ever gone over 100mph in.
Fast forward to my teenage years, as it happens very often, I had lost the super close connection with who I looked up to and realizing now, I had found that in the Fast and Furious movies.
The bond, the connection, & the brotherhood, that Paul Walker and Vin Diesel created on screen amongst their characters, Brian OConner and Dominic Toretto, pulled me in. People to look up to. Something that immersed me in a world that wasn’t reality.
Looking back at that now, it was probably an unhealthy relationship, watching the movies EVERY SINGLE NIGHT for 8 years straight (roughly 2009-2017).
When Paul Walker had passed, it felt like I had lost a long lost brother. It hurt, I remember the day like it was yesterday.
Fast forward to 2021, I went to see Fast 9 in theatre’s with my friend, Cody.
During that movie, an interesting thing happened.
Jack Toretto, Dom, Mia, and Jakob’s father, appeared in flashbacks, alongside the rest of the young versions of Dom’s team (excluding Leon).
Seeing those scenes, a palpable question came into my head: with a franchise that has been about family for 20+ years, where the heck has the Toretto Mom been this entire time?
I dont know why, I never thought I’d ever write anything, but that prompted me to write a pilot episode for an origin tv series of why and where, Olivia Toretto, has been.
Fast forward three years later, I have transformed that pilot episode into a 7 season pitch deck/story bible, from direction of a prestigious writer in Hollywood, taking Dom, Mia, & Jakob, and putting them in high school in 1986, and tells the tales leading up to the 2001/2004 film, The Fast and the Furious, when Dom and Brian OConner first meet.
From the start, I knew this project was more than just an idea—it was a passion I wanted to bring to life. I dedicated every spare moment to writing the series, shaping the narrative, and outlining those seasons with events that would force those characters to change and transform into who they are in the first film.
As I’ve worked to gain traction on social media, with 30,000 followers on TikTok & gaining well over 1,000,000 views off of one video, I have been preparing for a trailer for the show.
I’ve realized how special this project is—not just for me but for the entire Fast & Furious family, who crave a return to the franchise’s street-level roots. Something the original cast has promised, but have yet to fulfill.
Today, I’m collaborating with industry leaders, exploring partnerships, and connecting with the car and entertainment communities like Craig Lieberman, Vaugh Gittin Jr, and others. With every step I’ve taken, it has been about making, Los Angeles: The Toretto Story, authentic, thrilling, and meaningful.
And with the aspirations of making this show, how could we forget about our beloved Brian OConner, Paul Walker’s character.
Right alongside the world of the Toretto’s, leads another story, with Brian OConner & Roman Pearce in high school, with his mom, Elizabeth OConner (Brian’s mom), and Brian’s estranged father, Matthew OConner.
Which is the plan. To bring both these stories to life to pay tribute to Paul’s legacy within the Fast Franchise, and with his foundation.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think with my mindset, I didn’t necessarily look at obstacles as obstacles, or even setbacks for that matter.
For a project like this, with the amount of passion I have, nothing has deterred me from continuing this journey nor will anything. Im going to see this project through, regardless of any “no’s” I get or any complications.
I think you could say my biggest struggles were learning new skills and coming into a huge industry with little experience, the film industry. From negotiations and pitching, to just the inter workings of how the industry works, it’s a very big web of moving parts.
Overcoming that has just been determination and knowing that I am going to do whatever it takes to see this through.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I started out as a fitness coach in Ohio then switched over to Automotive Acquisitions. I absolutely love helping people achieve their goals in and out of the gym, but i enjoyed acquisitions just as much.
After starting writing my tv show, I dabbled more into the creative of writing and stories.
I have found that I enjoy writing very much, with a newly published short story on Amazon as well.
Through all of that enjoyment, I have realized, after organizing and co-hosting some automotive events, and “directing” a team for filming, I felt more alive than I have with anything when I was, in a sense, controlling a high end team of amazing people, to capture a story on film, to bring a story to life.
So, I would say that directing or managing a team to bring a story to life, is what I aspire to do every day.
Im most proud of how far I have come with bringing this story to life, from basically zero to where we are right now. Like I said, just from posting organically on social media, which is still growing, but over 30,000 followers and well over 2,000,000 views, proves that what I’m trying to do is slowly coming to life and has substance, a proof of concept.
What sets me apart is my dedication and determination to seeing this project through. I’ve worked on this for over 2 years by myself, but in the last year, I have been building a team and a board that sees this vision coming to life just as badly as me. Dedicated fans and now, people I call my friends.
Having a dedicated support team that wants to see it come to life like me, has brought me even further.
Networking is huge and we have no plans on slowing down.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I like the amount of opportunity that Atlanta offers. Just from the short period of time that I have lived near the city, I have seen nothing but growth.
From networking to seeing the potential for the show to grow, Atlanta has a lot to offer.
So far, I haven’t found a reason to not like Atlanta, only that I don’t live as close as I would like to.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blakefarris__
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@blakefarris_
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@blakefarris__
Image Credits
Jacob Stewart
