Devin J. Ricks
A Baltimore-born entrepreneur is an artistic force to be reckoned with thanks to his three creative ventures: filmmaking, broadcasting and lifestyle consumer products.
Devin J. Ricks first got into filmmaking at a very young age, starting with home videos, creating a fun TV show style concept with friends and relatives. This love for media awoken Ricks’ entrepreneurial spirit that has seen him found several businesses.
Dev TV! is an online media streaming platform under the Devin J. Ricks Productions umbrella and was conceptualized to showcase emerging talent. The platform started while Ricks was still in high school.
“The ‘Yeah Man I See Everything’ slogan gives justice to Dev TV! by always keeping a close eye of what’s going on in local communities, and or the entertainment business,” Ricks explained. “Dev TV! is known for its unique and authentic creativity and awareness, and we make sure our audience has a voice to be heard with our unique and creative platform by giving them a new way to view certain lanes in music, entertainment and culture,”
Ricks’ lifestyle brand, The DJR Experience caught the eye of Beyoncé’s long-time stylist and friend, Ty Hunter, who was photographed sporting an item from the “No More Apologies” range during New York Fashion Week.
Devin J. Ricks
While the lifestyle and streaming businesses are incredibly important parts of his success, Ricks’ filmmaking is at the helm. He has directed four independent films and is currently in the process of continuing the next instalment to his popular movie saga, Love Cycle. He plans to utilize Kickstarter as a way to raise the funds to propel the project forward.
“[The film series] depicts love in different variations of light—which can range from relationships to friendships to family ties. Love is a complex emotion and can come in several forms & meanings. I tell a story one chapter at a time so my viewers can follow it nicely through cinematic story-telling thoroughly and profoundly,” he explained of the movies.
“I did a sold-out movie premiere for Beautiful Mistake, the third chapter in the series, and the overwhelming support was more than I could have ever imagined. After that project, it propelled me forward into the entertainment business. Many great and exciting things came from that experience and that alone gave me the belief, self-confidence and drive to keep going after my dreams and it’s been rewarding ever since,”
Devin J. Ricks
And with so much to juggle, Ricks says that he stays motivated by reminding himself that the ending result will always be worth it.
“I always have a vision in mind, but you never know how it will turn out in the end; which can be my favorite part of the process. I enjoy the process; waiting to see the final result [and] my clients and movie goers viewing my work for the first time. It’s a fun yet unique process for me,” he commented. “I learn something about myself every time.”
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