Today we’d like to introduce you to Caleb Suggs.
Hi Caleb, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m Memphis born and raised. I got really interested in TV and film through my childhood cartoons. Growing up, watching TV, especially superhero cartoons, was pretty much my favorite pastime, and so I’d be glued to the screen for Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and Animal Planet (Cartoon Network the most though).
I used to think about what it would be like if I ran my own TV channel and what shows and commercials I’d put in. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was really being a TV producer in my mind.
Speed up to when I attended Germantown High School where they have this amazing performing arts program where the theatre and television production programs operate as one. So, it was doing choir and musicals there that I met Leonid Mazor, the director of Germantown’s TV program, GHS-TV. He’s the one that got me to join the program―my first exposure to TV production―and it was life-changing.
I decided to major in broadcast journalism and dove right into learning the technical things at the University of Memphis. There, I met Dr. Roxane Coche who took me under her wing and got me involved with UofM’s TV news program, Tiger News. While I was beginning to thrive there, I fell in love with radio at UofM’s jazz radio station, WUMR, and I met general manager Malvin Massey, who happily let me become a DJ.
I started writing a bit for the campus newspaper as well and within a year, became the executive producer of Tiger News. I was loving the opportunity to create and entertain so freely at Memphis, but I knew deep down that what I wanted in my production dreams wasn’t news but something more creative, so I took the leap of faith into film and got a second major in Film/Video Production.
That’s how I met Prof. Roxie Gee and William Johnson who both helped to mentor me through the rest of my college career along with a few other faculty like Prof. Jay Gilmore, Dr. Joe Hayden, and Dr. Matthew Haught.
My first film exposure came in 2018 through Drs. Coche and Hayden when they asked me to be a producer and lead videographer for the Memphis Civil Rights documentary, Once More at the River: From MLK to BLM. My next time would come in 2019 when I made a documentary myself about UofM’s recording technology program, Rec Tech: The Student & The Studio.
From there, I was off to the races directing my first narrative short film UNO OUT (which was total hilarious chaos to make by the way) in 2020. (Side note: that’s the first real film I ever made with my go-to director of photography, Blake Carlisle; my composer friend, Jacob Loreant; and the first film I did with my brother, William, as an actor.)
I’ve continued to make more films since then, and I’ve gotten some great job opportunities that helped me to build on those skills. Most notably, I worked as a video intern for the Peer Power Foundation (which is one of the few places in Memphis where a young person can get hands-on camera experience).
Under the guidance and support of my bosses, Andrew Paslay and Cortney Richardson, I was really able to develop my production abilities and explore new skills. I currently work for the video team of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where I’m picking new skills every day from teammates who have decades of expertise.
But I digress. I graduated from the UofM with two degrees and 5 films under my belt in Spring 2021. It was that summer that my brother approached me about the idea of starting a film production company, something I’d been mulling over for a while as a precursor to the TV network I’m running in the future.
After a bit of thinking, I said “let’s do it,” and on October 11, 2021 we launched Studio Suggs at the Malco Forest Hill Cinema Grill with two new comedy short films Homeboys Haunted 2 and Loveshake. Since then, we dropped a feature-length faith-based film―Free Indeed―on Easter Sunday 2022, and another romance short called Friend•Ship in June.
And there you have it: ALSAC/St. Jude video specialist by day, indie film director by night. I couldn’t do it without the support and encouragement of my family or the guidance of God.
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?
Hey, the hardest part’s just pushing through to the end of whatever you start. College is hard.
Creating something worthwhile is hard. All the little things that go into making movies—the writing, the editing, the scheduling, getting each shot—takes time and meticulous effort if you care about it.
That’s why I’ve got mad respect for film people and anyone for that matter who gets out of bed each day—at a time when even that’s hard—and says “I’m going to do something worthwhile” and they see it through.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Studio Suggs?
Studio Suggs is an independent Memphis production company that creates family-friendly content to entertain, uplift and inspire.We specialize in comedies but any positive story’s fair game.
I think what sets it apart from other companies in the area is not only the genre we occupy, but also how people-centric we are. As professional as I keep each set, we also go out of the way to make it a place of warmth and openness where laughter after each cut certainly is the norm.
People end up having a lot of fun with us and meeting new people, and it’s not uncommon for people to walk away with tokens of appreciation after everything’s wrapped. We also try to operate as a conduit of opportunity for our actors and crew trying to break out in the industry by promoting them individually and giving them the means to make reels and headshots if they ask.
Another thing that sets us apart is presentation. I try to give Studio Suggs this very professional, recognizable, and grand way of presenting new projects for the public with trailers and posters and specific marketing/branding. I’ve got to give special credit to Joshua Yarbrough who designed our logo and Arielle Morris who’s created our website―two amazing people.
Not to mention, fostering a standard of professionalism and quality that pervades the set. The whole thing’s set up to become iconic and synonymous with positive content with great quality.
And that’s one last thing that makes us different from other film companies in the area: our focus on narrative films and the quality of those films. We’re blessed to work with a lot of talented friends who just bring everything to new heights.
There’s a lot of intention I put into crafting the story and visuals of each project and actors like DanE Henderson, Alexa Christian, Darious Robertson, and Jonathan Stewart (just to name a few) really bring those scenes to life. And with Blake Carlisle and Morgan L. Bell working behind the scenes, we always end up with a visual quality for each film that just blows me away.
Plus, William heads up the music, and with our musically gifted friends Sean Crocker, Nicolles Hamilton, Dajsha Johnson, Jacob Loreant, Tracy Mills, and Tommy Arnold, each movie gets a pretty dope soundtrack. Put all these together, and you’ve got these fresh, attention-capturing films that we roll out like hot cakes.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The film isn’t easy, and it’s not a pursuit for the lukewarm or lazy. You gotta go all-in on the things you want to create because that’s the only way you’re going to get something worthwhile within a decent time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.studiosuggs.com
- Instagram: Studio Suggs (@studiosuggs) • Instagram photos and videos
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StudioSuggs
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/StudioSuggs
- Youtube: Caleb Suggs – YouTube
- Other: If you’re interested in being a part of Studio Suggs, email here: studiosuggs@gmail.com
