Today we’d like to introduce you to JT Johnson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started in Radio as a board operator on the overnights. I would stick around after to talk with the Production Director because commercials fascinated me. Later, I went freelance handling 12 radio groups from home. Eventually, after the market dropped out in 2008, I had to get a real job so I went to a growing automotive dealership ad agency. Three months in the Creative Director up and quit to take a better job and after 45 minutes of everyone looking around, I walked into his (now vacant) office and started handing out the assignments he had left behind. Two weeks later, the owner (who was often out of town seeking new business) came back and sat down, put his feet on “my” (sic) desk and asked, “How do you like the office?” I told him I liked it, just fine. He nodded, got up and said “Good. It’s yours until I find someone more qualified or you really screw up.” Like that, I was the creative director of an ad agency. In almost five years that I was there, I saw us grow from 43 dealerships to 195. At that time, I got burned out and left the business entirely. I left the creative industry to work at my family’s auto repair shop as a manager.
In 2016, I decided I was ready to go back to my passion. I began doing videos for my church, one of these I posted to LinkedIn and someone I know sent one of these to a place up here. I was offered a job and in July of 2017, I moved to Georgia. I started as a Senior Video Editor and after six months, I was promoted to Production Coordinator. For various reasons (mostly poor budgeting), I was let go no less than six times but every time within days, I was asked to come back and given a raise and title bump. We produced infomercials disguised as talk shows and eventually, some opportunities arose where I thought we might explore going into “real” tv. They were gun shy, I don’t blame them, they were just happy being a big fish in a little pond. I wanted more. Eventually, the disparity in our goals became too wide and we parted ways amicably. That was in April of this year. When I left my wife and I decided to give my crazy ideas a try. I figured with contacts I had made networking in the area, I would get into the “brokering meetings” business. “Oh, you want to meet with Discovery Channel? Cool, give me $2500 and I’ll make it happen…” the Lord had other plans. Those ideas didn’t pan out and a close friend not only had faith enough to invest a little bit of money in us to keep our bills paid but also introduced us to someone who wanted to make a TV show. Turns out, it was a talk show. Literally, it was a safe bet and we filmed our first TV pilot in July of this year. The show is currently being shopped around and we are confident it will find a home by early 2020. Next, we were engaged to develop a scripted comedy which brings us to today. We pitched our plan and went into pre-production on October 1. We cast the entire production here in Atlanta using local talent. Our entire crew are professionals and we also were blessed to meet Vashmere Valentine as our Director.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Early in our move to go independent, we needed to enlist the aid of a dear friend of ours and she lives in Jacksonville, FLA. We had literally $300 to our name. Knowing the road forward went through her, we made the trip and after a great meeting, I asked her “How fast can we make some of these moves happen?” She looked at me quizzically and asked, “Why? What’s going on?” Reluctantly and somewhat abashed I said to her, “Well, to be honest, we can make it home but this trip was our last $300 and after this, it’s in God’s hands.” She looked me dead in the eyes and asked, “How much do you need to get through the next month or so?” I gave her a number and she took out her checkbook, stepped out in faith and said, “I believe in you, I want in.” Right then and there, she stroked us a check for the amount with no questions asked. It was a humbling moment and we know we would not be here had it not been for that moment of true faith. That was the first of MANY times that God has delivered us a blessing that was perfectly timed. I am told by many, we should not be this successful and having this easy a go of it. Plus, moving as fast as we have is unheard of. It has been said “There’s no way, they could do this alone.” and to that, I have had to say “Absolutely! I’m good, but I’m not THAT good. God has closed doors and opened others and His time has been shockingly fast.
Please tell us about THEBiGJAY Productions – what should we know?
When we started THEBiGJAY Productions, it was as a Production Company. Many people confuse Production Company with Production Studio. We have no facilities other than the ones we secure for our projects (when necessary). We believe that we are storytellers first. Our philosophy is “Dream BIG”, we have the luxury of working with industry professionals who also happen to be creative forces in their own right. We seek to bring a new voice to serialized storytelling, that offers socially aware, diverse content, that not only entertains but also speaks to the human condition. Currently, our area of specialty is as developers of serialized television (TV), digital series, and other mainstream produced content. Our creative team develops, unique and original intellectual properties (IP’s) for all serialized content distribution platforms. As a company, what we are proud of most is that we don’t fit the mold of “industry types”, we see our people as part of our collective family who we will fight for and they reciprocate that by fighting for us just as hard. The other thing that sets us apart is that we diligently seek to ONLY take on projects we believe are winners. If I can’t see it or don’t believe in it, we don’t do it. Period.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Leanza Cornett is the person we credit most with having faith in us from the beginning. Our parents (of course). Our 13-year-old daughter, Natalee, and 19-year-old son, Patrick, have been so supportive amidst the insanity we leaped into headfirst, never freaking out during our high-stress lives and offering hugs and kind words of encouragement when they saw us feeling down. Our church, Crossroads Baptist in Lawrenceville has been a true blessing to our lives, holding us up in prayer as we stepped out on the journey the Lord has placed us. Most importantly, however, we credit one another. My wife has been a true guiding light and support and even now as she is herself going into the media management and development financing side of the business, which I have been a wholehearted supporter of, we take the time to sit together and laugh, cry, pray and just be together.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebigjay.com
- Phone: 7706095991
- Email: jay@thebigjay.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebigjayproductions/
- Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/thebigjayproductions/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/THEBiGJAY_Pro
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