For each day in the month of February, the African American Steering Committee will be highlighting Local 700’s African American members, both past and present, and their accomplishments. We look forward to showing the contributions and influences African Americans have had on the industry.
Name: Fred Brown II aka Freddie
What’s your job? I’m an Assistant Editor by day and Editor by night.
List the credits you’re most proud of. I’ve been able to work on some pretty cool projects and I’m honestly proud of them all. We work so hard to bring them to life. But in no particular order, some of my favorites are the upcoming “Resident Evil” live-action series for Netflix; “The Walking Dead” for AMC; the upcoming film “Blonde” for Netflix; and “Mindhunter” for Netflix.
What are you working on now? Right now I’m working on “The Walking Dead S11.” The Final Season!
Who and what are your influences and/or mentors? Watching TV shows, films, reading books and editorial magazines, going to museums, being out in nature, and taking in and surrounding myself with others’ artwork greatly influences my own way of being. I have so many mentors to name: Shannon D., Mark Y., Evan S., Julius R., Jouvens E., and Carol R.
What books are you reading, shows are you watching and/or movies you’re excited about? I just started reading “Tokyo Ueno Station” by Yu Miri which is great and I recently picked up “The Three-Body Problem.” I’ve been watching more movies lately than shows. This year I’m excited to check out “The Batman,” “Blonde,” “Moonfall,” “Top Gun” and “The Black Phone.”
What would be your superhero name? ACE!
What are your black history month memories and any cultural or historical impacts on your life? I grew up on the south-side of Chicago which is rich in activism and honorable in paying patronage to those who paved paths before us. I attended King College Prep high school and between school, my dad, and my church, they all fostered and instilled a duty to continue along the paths set before us. To go out into the world and dare to be successful, but not just for myself, but in order to have something to pay-forward: community building, a wealth of resources, hope, and change. Story telling is one of the more powerful mediums in doing so.
What’s the best piece of advice you’re been given? Fail big. Fail-forward. Kick all the doors open.
If you could time travel, when would you go and why? April 1991 Madhouse on Madison. Jordan.
What’s a little known fact about you? What are your hidden (or not so hidden) talents? Secretly I still want to be a racecar driver! I’m probably past my prime years but I can dream!
What’s your favorite (Black) television/movie moment? When James Avery aka Uncle Phil consoled Will when his father left.
Was there a television show/movie that inspired you to pursue your career? “The Matrix” played a big-role. My father is an audio engineer and built a movie theater in our basement with a huge TV and a nice surround speaker system back in the day. I watched that movie countless times! Also, “Gone Girl” was a big inspiration for me moving to Hollywood. All the editorial press surrounding the movie highlighted how it was cut on Premiere. And at the time I hadn’t even seen an Avid. So I was excited to think I could possibly carve out a career in LA even if all I knew was Premiere. Little did I know I would end up on that same editorial team several years later. I’ve learned Avid since.
What’s your personal/professional mantra? Less is more. Get out of your way.
What’s the last show/movie that left you speechless? “In Fabric.” Just whoa.
What would be your dream project to work on? “The Rings of Power” & “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”
