A DIY Diva and AI Auteur | "DENIM" (TT the Artist)
- Feb 6
- 41 min read
Updated: Feb 10
Episode Description: Brandon Nick sits down with Tedra Wilson aka TT the Artist to talk DENIM, her genre-bending, SXSW award-winning doc celebrating LGBTQIA+ creativity. TT lifts the curtain behind the films’ journey, which includes a thieving, sabotaging producer. Then it’s DIY grit vs. mainstream polish, a riveting kiki on the intersection AI and art, festival stories, and a lesbian love-story starring Queen Latifah and Vivica A. Fox.
Festival Mentions: SXSW, Best Director at SeriesFest, NewFest 37, Bushwick Film Festival
About our Film Festival Friend, TT:
TEDRA, best known as TT The Artist, is an award-winning, self-taught film director, Founder of the women-focused label Club Queen Records, two-time platinum recording artist for her contributions on Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Booty’, and Chloe Bailey’s ‘Have Mercy.’ TEDRA is a creative visionary whose work celebrates Black cinema and merges music, film, fashion, and culture into bold, original storytelling. Dedicated to representing BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and women-centered stories, she made her feature debut with Dark City Beneath The Beat (previously seen on Netflix) produced by Emmy-nominated media mogul Issa Rae and producer Deniese Davis. She also directed projects for the multi-Grammy award-winning musician Alicia Keys Noted: Alicia Keys The Untold Stories in collaboration with YouTube Originals ad Will Smith’s production company Westbrook.
In 2025, her groundbreaking docuseries pilot, DENIM earned the Special Jury Award at SXSW, Best Director at SeriesFest, and a Vimeo Staff Pick, establishing her as one of the most innovative voices in contemporary storytelling. As founder of Artistland Studios her creative production house, TEDRA continues to redefine independent cinema unfiltered, unstoppable, and self-made.
Catch Up with TT:
instagram @tttheartist
tik tok @clubqueen
Transcript:
Brandon Nick: What's up everybody? I'm Brandon Nick, and this is Film Festival Friends podcast. Today I'm chatting with T T the artist about her genre bending short doc DENIM. Be sure to get your notes app ready, 'cause this is going to be a conversation and a kiki that you will not want to miss. Starting now.
Hello. Thank you for joining me. I am here with my film festival friend, TT the Artist. How are you feeling today?
TT the Artist: I'm good. How are you?
Brandon Nick: I'm here, you know, practicing gratitude, doing my best to stay alive in a world that does not give a fuck about us.
TT the Artist: Hello. Hello. Say it loud,
Brandon Nick: Right? But yes, so my very first question, I love, I love game shows.
One of my favorite game shows is 25 Words Or Less hosted by Meredith Viera. So my first question to you, which I think may be a fun challenge is, describe your film DENIM, in 25 words or less.
TT the Artist: So, DENIM is a Fantastical Doc series that celebrates the brilliant minds of LGBTQIA creatives. I think I got that.
Brandon Nick: No, you did. You did. And I make the mistake of sometimes counting syllables, but no, you did that. okay. So tell me about, well, actually, before we get into the origin, 'cause I know DENIM is such a very mixxy such a mixxy film that I actually really loved. And context for the viewers we were at, NewFest twice this year together, the first time at NewFest Pride, and then again for the official NewFest festival, NewFest, 37.
So, before we get into the origin story, I want to know how did you fund, how you funded your project, what support you got, and from concept to completion, how long did it take?
TT the Artist: Okay, so I'll start with the funding aspect. My project was funded by the Pop Collaborative Culture grant, which is an amazing organization that supports artists like myself and just different, creatives in different areas that are, you know, literally trying to push messages around inclusivity, diversity in our world and how we're shaping our world.
And they were very supportive. And it's a pretty competitive grant because it's invite only, so you gotta get the invitation first. In this grant, they gave each of us $50,000. Well, my grant, my category, I got 50K for, my project.
Brandon Nick: Oh, that is so fab.
TT the Artist: So that's why when people ask me for work, I'm like, well honey, if it ain't 50 k, I dunno what I can do for you.
Sike. So once I, you know, applied after the invitation and then I found out that they were going to fund DENIM. And really the funding went for us shooting, a pilot. 'Cause the bigger vision for DENIM is to make it a doc series. And so we've been running this pilot episode slash short version of it to generate the buzz.
And so I was very excited because, you know, I'm a true DIY girl, like I come from the DIY space. Every film that I've basically done, that's been my own project, has been funded through grants. And so what that has allowed me to do is really just take full creative control over my ideas. And I don't ever have to wait for someone to give me notes or tell me what's good, what's bad.
I rely on just my own inner compass and intuition these days even more. And we'll get into that. We don't really encourage you in the industry of Hollywood, to do that. But yeah, so DENIM, to enter the second question.
So the origins of, you know, the idea was 2018 and then, and the fun fact is one of my old mentor film mentors that I had when I was in this one grant program, when I told them about DENIM early on when I first started developing it, she was like, I hate that name.
Well baby, it's now, South By Southwest Special Jury Award for independent pilots. Best director, Series Fest for unscripted-
Brandon Nick: Talk your shit.
TT the Artist: -doc series episodic. Thank you very much. And we got a VIMEO staff pick. So DENIM will be here.
Brandon Nick: It's given DENIM. DENIM. DENIM was the right fabric.
TT the Artist: Thank you. Thank you.
We have a project that is really about celebrating the pure and true contributions that the LGBTQIA+ community has done to shape the world we're living in and in all different areas of industries. I mean, from tech to agriculture, to climate to art, media, culture, music, film. That's what DENIM is about. It's about creating this intersectional platform that would like connect the different worlds.
And also I wanted to create something for young people to have more guidance on what you could do with your life in different ways. Where even if you're not identifying as LGBTQIA+, you can at least be inspired by someone's personal journey or their story who's doing something that you may see yourself doing.
And the title, you know, of course I just thought about how DENIM is a very unisex, fabric, like almost everybody wear has worn DENIM at some point in their life, or, you know, been exposed to it. So I just like the unisext ability of the name. But also my friend, that was one of the first people I interviewed, her name is DENIM with two I's and she's from Baltimore.
She's a hairstylist and she shared her, sexual reassignment surgery with us for DENIM. And I was like, DENIM and DENIM, like, it just, to me it's extra special name because it was inspired by my friend, of course, us knowing all the attacks being made on trans people. So just to have my show named after one of my friends who identify as a trans woman, and also just creating a name that felt like, even if you're like, or at a festival, that one word just quickly, that's like the marketing brain in me.
Brandon Nick: So you were saying that you got the concept for DENIM in 2018. Somewhere along the way you got the wonderful, the wonderful grant. When did you start filming interviews and when did you export the final version of the pilot? For the pilot that we. Got to see.
Yeah. So this story, this is a part of the story where I'm just like, sometimes you don't always get to tell, right?
TT the Artist: So we're pulling open the curtains. First of all, so we got the grant. I filmed it, I wanna say I filmed it, 2023. Like end of the year of 2023. And it was done in, I shot everything in, two weekends as far as all the physical production. The animation though, took a few months to do because I was collaborating with this amazing animator named Namen Basil. He's located in Columbia, so we did the whole animation.
Brandon Nick: Columbia, the country, or Columbia, Maryland?
Okay.
TT the Artist: Columbia, Maryland.
Brandon Nick: I'm also a Maryland girl.
TT the Artist: Yeah, the country. Yeah. So we did all that over the internet, you know. Oh, wow. I saw his work on Instagram and I was like, oh my gosh, I wanna work with this animator.
And I showed him the concept and he was just, he just dived in. Delivered something so beautiful and it wasn't AI. Even though I love AI, I am an AI artist too. I had an amazing crew. My, my DP is a woman. My AD was a woman, my assistant camera person was a woman. It was a very inclusive set all around. I had a terrible producer.
She, you know, I wanna say that was probably the drama and I haven't spoken on it until now. Because lemme tell you something, when you are really locked in on doing something and you self-fund, there are gonna be people who plant themselves in your life and try to take advantage and use. So I had this one, Karen, who had presented herself, and this is somebody I'd known for years.
I had worked for years, but I kind of didn't see this coming, but she started to just insert herself in different spaces that it was just kind of unprofessional. And so I decided to part ways from period working for her. And, I was left with this project to from start to finish, I had no extra support.
You know, like I said, I had paid for everything. And, this lady, I hadn't talked to her for like a year. And the moment I finish this project and I get the announcement that it's gonna premiere at South by Southwest, she comes tapping my shoulder saying, because also she stole from my production. And she just really tried to what's the word? Sabotage our, the crew, our entire premiere. Like I got a call from South By the day, two days before traveling that some woman was trying to sue the festival because she wanted her credits on the website even though she had stole from our production, even though she didn't complete her roles as a producer.
And I was like, girl, bye.
Brandon Nick: Wow.
TT the Artist: You know, either we, queers as we have two sides. You could get the nice side or you could get the girl. I'm gonna have to read you side, right?
Brandon Nick: You can get the fierce side. Yeah.
TT the Artist: I would never let a white person come in my space that I hold for myself and my people and try to bulldoze anything.
So unfortunately I had to get legal, a lawyer. And these are the things you're gonna learn through this process. That's why I wanna show the ugly and the beautiful and I that,
Brandon Nick: And I appreciate this transparency as well. Thank you.
TT the Artist: Yeah. I feel like we don't talk about that enough, right? People don't talk about what goes on, you know, before you get to the festival stages.
And there's a lot that you can be experiencing. Like, I'm literally at my premier, like had to get errors and omissions insurance. What the hell is that? Like, I didn't know anything. I'm just a self-taught film director trying to navigate this space. So, you know, I've learned from that. And moving forward you become more finite, you become more detail oriented.
You, you become more contract based. So people really, know, like, this is your role. You know, even if they're friends, you just wanna make sure that transparency starts from the beginning. Because sometimes we can get a little, the lines can get blurry when you're just trying to help your homie out, get them some, credits.
And, you know, continue to support their journeys.
Brandon Nick: And I commend you for actually standing 10 toes into like, again, you are not, you person are not serving me and you are not serving DENIM. So respectfully, we are going to, have to part ways. And so wait, and just so I'm clear; the timeline, because I felt the timeline was 2018 to 2023?
TT the Artist: Yeah, I would say from 2018. And then we've, I've wrapped everything up literally, last year, like summertime. And that's what I said, you know, at that time I actually just parted ways with my management company that I was under and I was just like, I gotta get, you know, I gotta get it together. I can't wait for people to do things for me.
So I got my directing reel done. I got DENIM done, completed because, at that time it was just kind of in pieces. I was like, let me put the whole thing together. And then I went to, do, you know, I'm gonna do the festival runs.
Brandon Nick: From the idea, from the inception. You got this grant, how did you then piece together? In your brain what DENIM was going to be? Because I know that you said the DENIM that is circulating in the festival circuit right now is in some ways a proof of concept pilot for a docuseries that you're also working on under the same name. So how did you arrive at, DENIM, the docuseries, and then how did that inform what you shot for DENIM, the short slash pilot that's in the festival circuit?
TT the Artist: Yeah. So it was always meant to be a docuseries. But I felt for people to digest it, doing a pilot just so I can really get out what this could look like. That's how I got to the short that I've been, you know, running through film festivals.
But it was always meant to be a pilot because the world of queerness is so huge. . And global. Like, we're not documenting history and herstory and they-story and our stories.
Brandon Nick: Ooh, yeah.
TT the Artist: Okay.
Brandon Nick: You ate that.
TT the Artist: We're not documenting these. And if I always say we don't tell our stories, who's going to tell them?
Because the people who are telling them a lot of times are doing a watered down version. Like even when you're going and working with a Netflix or working with a big studio, they might want the watered down version. So, you know, I've started to even look into platforms that are, have queer centered, their, the, their mission statement is supporting queer centered stories.
And then when I did the pilot, I also wanted to feel almost like A sampler. Like a charcuterie board. A charcoochie board
Brandon Nick: Yeah, I was about to say, yes charcoochie board!
TT the Artist: Yeah. So, so you don't know what world you're gonna walk into because we're also world building and, you know, my approach to documentary storytelling is that I like to know how traditional docs have been made, but I feel like there's so much room to play.
There's so much who says that you can't have a random 60-second moment that's scripted in a doc series or animation. So the hybrid approach is great for me because I just can't stick to one thing. You know, all my life they've been told you I gotta master one thing, but I like everything. So how do, I fit?
I'm a true multihyphenate. So, I wanted to, feel like I wanna show you one, I do know how to do technique. I can give you traditional interview. We can, set it up in studio, great sound, great lighting, great wardrobe. And then we can give you cinema verite, and we can go make you the flying the wall into someone else's space.
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: We can give you filmic quality. Okay. You wanna go, a little, analog with it and then we can also give you new tech. Sprinkle a little AI up in there. And then we can also give you animation so your senses are constantly triggered.
Brandon Nick: And I'll say, now, I was gonna save this for later, but I think I'm just gonna name it now.
When we were at NewFest Pride, 'cause I don't think we actually crossed paths for like NewFest 37, 'cause I did some traveling, but when we were at,
TT the Artist: No, I don't think we did. Yeah.
Brandon Nick: But when we were at NewFest Pride together, for the Black queer mixtape and I saw DENIM, I was like, oh, TT ate that, one.
But now, like, I feel encouraged and like even challenged to, to push, to like push boundaries.
What I loved about, DENIM is actually the color and the texture, right? And then I think, you know, just looking at, the, arc of the short how we start with kick can and we end in this, the anime, you know, the animated interview with DENIM, and then you said that their name is Bishme in the middle?
TT the Artist: Bishme.
Yeah, Bishme in the middle.
Brandon Nick: And so just like Bishme in the middle, like Kid Ken's like, like setup was just like so captivating, right? And that being the first thing you see, especially with the hands on the, like, you know, all of that was so... and I'm saying, and I'm saying this for me, like it was so, expansive and it was so eye-opening.
And like what I've been enjoying about the festival circuit and like, honestly the impetus, the, like, the origin of like Film Festival Friends is literally because like I've been seeing so much great work in the festival circuit, that is just like giving me permission to just like imagine bigger.
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For me, this is like a Brandon thing. You TT you are somebody who I feel like exists, in the, you feel very much like a, a celebrity like you are in the industry for me, right? And so in some ways, you know, it is like it was honored to stand on stage with you.
'Cause it's like, oh, this is like, this is a celebrity from back home. I, don't know TT but like, I know TT right? So to stand on stage you and, to have conversation with you now. So again, I say all that to say, can you talk to me a bit about in your experience-- and I'm now I'm just speaking in drafts-- can you talk to me a bit about, and existing at this intersection of like DIY-ness, while also having like a footprint within, you know, like the industry and having so much, maybe not so much, but from my vantage point, having so much access to the industry and the people within the industry.
Because like, and you know, when you actually look at your resume, you've been working with the folks for a long time, but as you were saying, you do still feel very DIY So can you talk to me a bit about that intersection for you?
TT the Artist: Yeah. So there's a lot to unpack there. And I wanna start with what you were saying about this whole idea about, you know, the compromise or the things that have to take place to get things to the next level.
Because let's be clear, you know, what you don't know when you start is, you know, you're starting, you might have a group of people that you know, the foundational space have been helping. Everybody's been working hard. But you haven't yet even been introduced to even more talent, you know, that can help elevate.
And so often, when you're starting out, you're working with what you got.
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: And some people will grow with you and then some people won't. And that's just the harsh truths of it all. So one of the things that I think is important out the gate, going back to just these ideas of establishing, You know, contracts and agreements is when you're in the beginning phase of something, it's good to have more. So like letters of interest or you can say, depending on what role that person played, like if you guys both came to the table with idea, an idea that y'all built together, then you guys kind of share ownership of that IP that intellectual property.
So you guys should already have an agreement together. Like, hey, whatever happens with this, I'm a 50% shareholder, you're a 50% shareholder of whatever income resources since we came into this together.
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: Now someone like me who came in and I straight up just started paying people, you know, you can, you own that IP a hundred percent and whoever you decide to do business with, like if they come in and wanna give you money, if somebody says, hey, we wanna give you an extra a hundred thousand dollars and we want to become also a shareholder, make our money back plus a return, then you're able to negotiate some sort of like royalty split on the IP.
So wherever that project goes, that company will get their whatever percentage you guys agreed to prior, before the deal even came in. Right?
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: So it's important to note that when you're crossing over into more of the mainstream, platforms and things, they have certain criteria that even your DIY buddies may not be ready for professionally.
Brandon Nick: Ooh.
TT the Artist: Different types of deadlines, different type of workload you're working on. Sometimes the network is coming with their team already.
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: So they're not hiring you and your team. They might just be hiring you as the director or you as the producer. Like going back to what I was saying earlier, it's that waiting game and sometimes you're waiting on the next Lee Daniels or the next Tyler Perry or the next
Brandon Nick: Issa
TT the Artist: Lena
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: You are waiting on them to see you. Even though they might already see you. But they're artists themselves too, trying to figure out what their next bag is going to be. So, there's a lot of personalization that takes place. You gotta remember, people are still people and they're still trying to survive.
Especially with all the hits that Hollywood has been taking. You know, you're thinking, ah, how I'm going do this? Nobody sees me. I just want the opportunity and the access. But the access truly comes when you do the work and you go for yourself. You make those goals yourself. I had Dark City. I funded Dark City myself with a grant.
Dark City's actually my first debut feature film. Mm-hmm. Dark City: Beneath the Beat and it's a musical doc about Baltimore Club music and dance culture. But when I first did that, I didn't, have no film school experience. I just knew I had a vision. I said. We need to tell the story about Baltimore that uplifts this community, show the arts that are coming outta here.
And the talent. Because as a person who was living and working in Baltimore, I felt like there was a ceiling. I felt like a lot of people didn't see us. 'Cause we are not like a major music hub. Like New York or Atlanta or Miami or LA. So, but we had culture, you know, and I was like, people need to know what's going on in Baltimore.
And I mean, I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I do feel that film has impacted the musical landscape. Which is why now you're seeing Jersey Club, Baltimore Club, TikTok Virology. I don't know, I can't prove it, but I can say between the time Dark City came out and it was released on Netflix for two years, TikTok had a booming surge and also
mainstream music world.
Had a booming surge. I even had a surge because Chloe Bailey, the artist, Chloe Bailey, her first debut single sampled one of my club records that was featured in the film.
And she got her first platinum solo record off of sampling little me, a Baltimore club music dance artist.
Brandon Nick: And how beautiful of a, like, not to interrupt you, but just like, how beautiful of just like, you know, the stepping stone, not even the stepping stones, but like the ripple, right?
It's like the drop in the ocean of like, I made this project and the ripples and the waves that it became. So like now you have this beautiful plaque sitting behind you because somebody sampled something, because you made something, because you did something, because you had an idea. And like all of that coming from honoring your voice, is really beautiful.
And I love that you brought up, Dark City because that is a really good segue 'cause I wanted to ask. I mean, and granted you already spoke about it a bit, but, so, I don't know if this is so much a question anymore, but, more, maybe more an affirmation. I found out about it because of, Marquis Revlon, 'cause we are friends.
TT the Artist: Oh yeah, Marquis.
Brandon Nick: So it was just like, I was like, and then knowing that Deniim and Bishme as well are also both from Baltimore, right?
TT the Artist: Yes.
Brandon Nick: Like, I love the, space that you hold for Baltimore and your art. Right. because as you said, Baltimore is a very, overlooked, hub of just so much rich culture.
TT the Artist: I feel like, you know, once you're in Baltimore, you've lived there. Like you, like I have a whole diff different respect and I also see how hard people try. And I also see their environments. I also see how they don't get the opportunities and it, so that is in the fabric of my work. Like I'm always try to create a bridge between, connecting talent out of Baltimore to the work that I do. So there's always gonna be Baltimore representation. One of my number one producers, music producers, I work with Mighty Mark is like my guy. We've now, we're now a decade in of just constant collaboration, making money together, making music together,
Brandon Nick: And I am grateful for the space that you hold as a artist because you are so intentional about like amplifying voices, right? Like both in DENIM and in Dark City. I think that is beautiful. And like all of the other work that you will do from here. So I do want to transition, because like I follow you on Instagram and I see you post often, about these things. And, it actually even says it in your, Instagram profile that you are an AI auteur.
TT the Artist: Yes.
Brandon Nick: So can you, before I get into like the nitty gritty and like the politics and the thoughts of it all, can you talk to me about how you got into, how you got into using AI and film and like how you even learned?
TT the Artist: Well, I mean, about a year ago, I'd say last year, you know, I started seeing a lot more AI creators, people making really cool stuff, and I couldn't, I was like, is this photography? Is this graphic design? I started reaching out to other AI creators and started talking to them about their process and like exactly what they do. Some just willingly were sharing information because we really didn't know where this thing was going, you know? And then I saw very quickly, I started to see, now when the video started happening, I was like, okay, there's something really cool about this because one, I'm one of those people where I'm always, when I'm putting treatments together, trying to find reference images and things to help bring my ideas to life.
But a lot of times it's hard. You know what I mean? And so what the AI started out was a way for me to create mood boards and like treatments that showed more of what I was seeing in my head.
Brandon Nick: Yeah. 'cause sometimes we actually don't have, like, sound like sometimes we don't have like, reference images to pull from 'cause we are literally like creating some, oftentimes the first iteration of any idea that we have within the like queer and trans space. So I understand that.
TT the Artist: Yeah. So that's why when people talk about, oh, it's training and stealing, off of artist's work. Well, what do you think a creative director does when they put a mood board together and then you go do a photo shoot?
You literally just looked at Dave La Chappelle's Lil Kim photo shoot and decided, oh, I'm gonna put a monogram all over my body too and be nude. Or you looked at some photographer or some artists is like, did you looked at Jeff Koons and or Basquiat and decided I'm gonna paint like this?
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: We already are AI built in terms of humans.
We see things, we train our eyes, and then our hands create. Now, when it comes to AI too, people don't realize like it's already embedded in every aspect of our lives, from our phones to our computers, to the algorithms that we watch when we're just doing day-to-day stuff, like watching Netflix.
And I think people need to differentiate, you know, when you see what they call AI slop or just stuff that's there for just consumption brain rot. It's different from like the actual AI art community that's using the tools to, you know, make our, you know, they're using AI tools to do operations and surgeries. Like, you know, it's here, it's not going anywhere. And that's what made me kind of make this shift.
Another thing that we have no control over as everyday working people, the issues around the environment. These are things that your direction should be towards the billionaires and trillionaires who create these things and don't do it in the most eco-friendly way. That's where the direction should be. Not the average person who's just trying to use the tools to make a living for themselves, because we wanna be able to live and have a job at the end of the day.
As an artist, you know, this is just a part of the game. You have to start to train yourself to understand where the new tech is going. Otherwise, you're gonna be left behind. And your work doesn't have to be consumed by just AI. You use these things to enhance your workflow. So to me it just becomes another paintbrush, like another tool.
You know, even when procreate came out, I as a person who physically paints and draws, and I actually have a degree in fine arts, you know, it's a bachelor's. So I was always funny when I do AI, if people are like, it is AI, where's the real art? I mean, well you just gave me a million views off of an AI video.
Whereas I posted a video, a documentary I did for Alicia Keys, a hundred, 500 views. So real question is turn the mirror around people. Look at what you're engaging into. You're not even supporting the real art that you claim you want to see. So that's just my own personal experiences and you could just go down my social media and see all the things that I post that are like me on, set me on production, this and that. And how much more of my AI content gets more views.
And also, again, with everything. Black people are always left out of the conversation when things start developing, and so. You know, the white community, they already have capitalized off of AI. They're the ones getting the budgets. They're the ones getting these amazing opportunities, the brand deals.
And so I saw how there was no black people, or not enough black people being represented in the space. And I'm like, well, why can't we have some of that piece of that pie? And so I was like, when they start looking for AI directors, I'm gonna be first in line baby.
Brandon Nick: I mean no shade. 'cause I'm like, if I, if there was ever a world where someone is like, I need somebody who, is like an AI aficionado, it's givin' oh, you need to hit up TT the artists, baby. They got the ones and twos.
TT the Artist: Thank you.
Brandon Nick: Like, I will say for me, and thank you for sharing all of that. I don't know if I'm the like, best suited person to like really engage in like a full conversation around like AI and the arts. And I'm saying this as a person who is an artist. Right. But I think for me, like I, I, even with everything that you said I, like, I, I still struggle with, with my relationship to AI as an artist. I'll name it that way.
Words are not always my thing. And I think you can tell that from listening to me. Right? I, see the ways that like, AI and like Chat GPT can be can be beneficial to artists, both creatively and administratively. Right. But I think like. my current practice has been, like, hey, draft me a killer tweet, like a really dope tweet about, insert title because like for me it's like, I'll use you, but like I, I'm still very much nervous about feeding you my information.
A more practical example, 'cause I mentioned that I'm working on dirty* a documentary around HIV. And just like knowing, how nuanced and delicate, the, and I'm not saying delicate in a sense of weakness, but just knowing, just like how nuanced and fragile and delicate, like the community of folks living with HIV, how they can be, and also wanting to treat this project with the most care.
It was like, Hey, Chad, GPT, I'm working on a documentary about. And then I actually put in like a placeholder. It's like I'm working on a documentary about diabetes or STIs or something like that. Can you draft me like, a outreach an outreach letter, stuff like that. So for me it's just like, I'm gonna give you something and then I'm gonna take that and then, you know, you know, zhush it up. Give me the skeleton, I'm gonna take it as zhush it up.
I think you and Rashaad Newsome, 'cause I think both of y'all have like done work, and the, and which is all, which is also interesting because like I, you know, DENIM and Assembly both were at NewFest Pride. And so like I think y'all are doing, y'all are showcasing-- granted DENIM isn't necessarily AI, but I know you do a lot of work in the AI space, so let me correct myself. But I think between the two of you being able to see this is actually what, like AI can do.
But I do think that, you know, much like, you know, when HD cameras or like, you know, HD was a thing and like how now because HD cameras were a thing, you gotta make new TVs, you gotta make new memory cards.
You got like, so I'm also interested in. Right, right. So I'm also interested in seeing like how the component of AI changes or like, you know, continues to build technology in that way. I'll be quiet. 'cause it looks like you have a thought.
TT the Artist: Yeah. Well, yeah. My thought around it is. You know, what's the difference when an artist decides, I'm gonna paint exactly like Basquiat? Like, he can't, they can't get consent from Basquiat or even all these pop artists that do Andy Warhol style prints. He, Andy Warhol created a whole style of art, who, actually, Andy Warhol stole a lot from artists. Let's be clear. Andy Warhol a lot of white male artists during those times, those really, you know, refining times in art were stealing, they were stealing from women artists.
When women artists couldn't even be in art museums, you know?
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: And I think that a lot of people don't think about that. They just think AI, oh, you know, you're scraping from things and creating this. But everything does come from somewhere. Even if you, like I said, I'm a trained painter. I, you know, but I still have inspiration.
Like, I, like am drawn to certain styles and movements and art. So that trickles into my work and then I try to find my own voice. And I think AI is like that when you're really in the AI art community. Not just, again, the AI slop or just making stuff or the virality thing. you start to find your own style.
And approach. And then you start to find ways to make this thing your art. It is a new art media. Yeah. Let's, I'm gonna just say that it is a new art media and I think it's going to find its way more into art galleries.
Even real art can have its damages on the world. I mean, we're not talking about what it takes to make oil paint,
Brandon Nick: Tea
TT the Artist: or the terpenoid turpentine that actually cleans the brushes. Or where do those brushes go when you're done with them? Are they washing up on the shores of Ghana too? Like it's the selective outrage for me. And also people need to start using a little more common sense because we're talking about art stores that are using paper. You know, how many trees die from that? I don't know. Yeah, you tell me acrylic, these are actually cancer causing agents. Yeah. Are you gonna get cancer from painting?
So it's funny to me how people be so up in Aurora about, of course, AI and environment, which that sucks. But me, you, our, we have no control over that because we're not the billionaires and trillionaires.
So I just-
Brandon Nick: Tea the problem is bigger than us.
TT the Artist: Yeah. I encourage people to redirect the energy. If you really wanna be about this life and be a activist. AI is not the problem. It's the people, it's the power, the hands that the it's in. That's the problem because they're the ones that's quickly mass producing and taking up land and space that's impacting our communities.
So you're not mad at AI. You're actually mad at the trillionaires and billionaires who are creating these factories and creating these data centers that are soaking up the, with the water and all that. That's who you're really mad at. Yeah. So if you really wanna be an activist around it, you need to go after those corporate giants over there.
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: Leave the little people, the access to the things that are helping them pay their bills by groceries. Get some sort of like piece of the American pie so that they can survive. And that's just my take. You know what I mean? It might be a hot one.
Brandon Nick: Yeah. Look, it's given T but not TT.
TT the Artist: Exactly.
Brandon Nick: I know that was corny, but, okay.
So still on the topic of AI, but like less about the politics of it all because I also named that like so much of the conversation around AI, the intersection of AI and art, especially in TV and film is the like, should it, shouldn't it? But I am concerned about the process. what are the, and it's current iteration, right?
What are its advantages? What are its challenges and drawbacks?
TT the Artist: What your process, the process is still the same. You get production and post-production. Your pre-production with ai or looks more like, you know, getting your mood boys together, getting the tone, color treatment, all that together.
You get, photos, inspiration. You know, depending on what you're doing, like if it's an animation, you might want a Pixar style, right? So you are gonna find stuff that is in the lane of what you're trying to do texture wise and story wise. You have to write your scripts out. You know, some people, they don't know how to write scripts, so ChatGPT is definitely a place you can go to, to generalize your idea and for, to get some sort of outline or whatever.
And then you, my thing is I think you should always go in and carve into it. It's like taking clay, you know, shaping it so that it feels as authentic as it can feel coming from you.
And so then you go into the production phase, and that's when you start to generate. And so there's a lot of apps out here where you can generate just from text prompts to make videos and images, or you can take actual, stuff that you've created.
Now here's the thing, and this is where I think people need to understand. You can use AI just to create a sound that you need for a film you're editing.
Brandon Nick: Oh wow. I didn't even know that was a possibility.
TT the Artist: Yes. So you can actually, like, you know, on when I did my horror film, there were sounds that I needed that I didn't, couldn't, you know, you either gotta subscribe to a sound library, you know, even with some of the subscription, even some of the subscription based platforms, the sounds wasn't giving what I was looking for. So you have platforms like 11 Labs where you can go in and you could type right away, thunder sounds and a cat meowing, and it'll generate that and it's royalty free.
So you don't have to go through all the licensing issues that you would normally have to go through if you had a subscription. And you don't gotta worry about any of that. And that's big for independent artists because we don't always have the overhead to cover all these expenses. It takes just a long time, just amount of time for me to do a painting.
Like I would do a AI film or AI graphic. Like I did a recent one that went viral, where I used Erykah Badu as one of my inspirations.
Brandon Nick: I saw that.
TT the Artist: She's a supporter, she shared it and everything. And, that took hours.
Brandon Nick: Yeah?
TT the Artist: That was probably like a eight hour reel, just for 30 seconds of animation.
Brandon Nick: Like eight hours of work for a 30-second reel.
TT the Artist: Yeah. And then after production, you go to post. So you still gotta edit. Sometimes you still gotta color grade, sometimes you gotta do sound design, transitions. And so,
Brandon Nick: So for, so in using the Erykah Badu reel as an example, what we saw wasn't like, like, speaking in drafts, what the pla- what the AI spit out isn't directly, isn't necessarily directly what we saw on the thing? There was still some level of work that you had to do on the back end before you uploaded it?
TT the Artist: Oh yeah. That, that, that was, I was,
Brandon Nick: 'Cause I also do have this like very, I guess premature and immature assumption that it's just like, you know, it's like,
TT the Artist: Oh, that AI just made that, no.
Brandon Nick: You know, from, mouth to post.
TT the Artist: Yeah. You have to actually train your AI to even come get to that level.
Brandon Nick: Wow.
TT the Artist: Right. So that starts with you and what you see. But the other thing is, that's that one reel you're seeing, out of maybe a thousand frames. Looking and regenerating and editing your frames till you get to an image that you then move into the video generation process. And then you gotta prompt that to make sure you get the output that you want. Because there's some really wonky stuff, which is why I started this kind of short series on YouTube called AI Drops, and it kind of goes behind the scenes to like the stuff that didn't make the cut.
Brandon Nick: Ooh.
TT the Artist: So you kind of see, like, I did it with my film Mud. So you kind of hear from the
actor, the AI actor, Jake, and you hear what him talking about, how as an AI actor you don't have control over emotions. And that's, you know, you understand how people,
Brandon Nick: I'm screaming.
TT the Artist: You know how that's controversial. But, so we showed like all the weird stuff that happens when you generate. So like one, one frame for example, could take up to 20 generations.
Brandon Nick: Wow.
TT the Artist: And so that the other downside is the expense. It's very expensive. Which is another thing why I'm pushing to be that-
Brandon Nick: Like time or money?
TT the Artist: Money, money. I'm pushing to be that Black creator. Like I want all the free, brand partnership I can get and money because it is expensive and I wanna continue to see and push how I can use it.
I've even used it to create my own green screen, VFX transitions that I can't physically do or find. Because working with a VFX artist, I'm gonna probably have to pay anywhere from 5K and up. The type of VFX I like, I don't have that.
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: But should I just not try to learn something or do it myself?
And I've done After Effects too, so sometimes I'm even taking the into After Effects as the bones and adding. So that's why I say it's really just a tool that is used. And I say some people, some of it's great where you could just get something, but it's usually... 0% of the time you're getting the results you want the first go around.
So it is time consuming. It is money consuming. I tell you right now, I, one AI membership to get the premium features for the Google is $250 a month. Just to give you some numbers.
Brandon Nick: Geez.
TT the Artist: Sora two, premium Sora in ChatGPT is $200 a month. So that's another thing that I feel is so crazy because if you think about all the people using these apps, yeah, even if you're, even if you're using it for free or doing a $20 plan, these tech people are getting rich and rich and rich and richer off of us.
That's why I'm gonna get my piece of the pie because I'm like, well if they're making all this money, I can at least benefit off of the stuff that they're doing and using.
Brandon Nick: Yeah. It's actually given for folks who want to know or learn more about AI, hit up TT.
TT, look, I'm manifesting, I don't even know if this is already a thing.
Look, if you have planned on doing this, but it's given, make sure y'all follow TT 'cause in 2026, she is offering tutorials and workshops on how to best use AI and all the things. I mean, 'cause I, and I'm saying that to say that like, while the conversation around a, and I'm saying this also to transition us out. But while the conversation around AI is very polarizing, I don't think anybody can deny that AI is here to stay right? So it's like we need to, at some point, we as a people, we as a people, we as a people, right? Sorry, not married folks, but the sissy folks, the queer folks. We as a people need to, also learn to what you were saying earlier about like how to get on this train that is actually moving. So we do not get left behind.
And I think knowing that there are Black folks, that there are Black queer folks who are also already a part of this conversation and already in this space. Yeah, just being able to like you, you being a vessel and a leverage and a, sorry I keep hitting the mic. You being a
vessel and a leverage and a guide for folks I think will be very, helpful.
And again, thank you for sharing all of this with me. 'cause it was very insightful. I do-
TT the Artist: And just to add, you know what else is polarizing? What else is polarizing is the opportunity gap for people of color. What else is polarizing? Is the continuation of us being marginalized. What else is polarizing? Is being a woman and not getting equal play.
Especially if you're a WNBA player. What else is polarizing? Is that the richer keep getting rich. And we as everyday people still have to figure it out.
Brandon Nick: Tea.
TT the Artist: That's tea. Like just so y'all know.
Brandon Nick: No, and right!
TT the Artist: You're not mad at the AI. You're really mad at the tech billionaires who have the power and they're not doing it in a way that is protecting our environment or our safety. So those are the real people I think, that they should get active around.
Brandon Nick: Okay. So, as I said earlier and knowing that this is called Film Festival Friends, we met at NewFest. We were in NewFest twice this year, which is also, I think really great.
So, yeah. Talk to me a bit about your NewFest experience and your festival experience.
TT the Artist: Well, I just, I felt like the NewFest, the Black Mixtape, experience was different from NewFest, the film festival that happened later this year. I think it was. It's so different when you're in a room full of people of color
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: Who are in the film space. Even the projects feel more vibrant to me. And the commu the network, itself, and the community. It feels like everybody understands each other. I was also inspired by the work that I saw and it was nice and refreshing to see quality work by other people of color, other queer people of color.
And I think that they have something really special. I would love to see that thing continue to grow.
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: Because it is truly, you know, important that we position ourselves as far, even the festival, you know, the festivals, they position themselves to platform queer artists. Specifically queer artists of color, because we are the culture and we are literally like the innovators and trailblazers that are shaping this industry today.
Brandon Nick: So DENIM, the pilot, was like under 10 minutes. And knowing that was a, proof of concept pilot for a docu-series, I imagine that there might've been more things. And again, every time I see that mug, I'm just like, it's so pretty. I imagine that there were things that were filmed or made, that didn't make it into the pilot.
What were some things, that you shot or that you wanted to shoot that actually didn't make it into the pilot?
TT the Artist: I know with Kid Ken, we had this beautiful scene at the end. He did a whole rap, but, you know, I didn't get to show the whole thing, you know, so what I did was kind of made a short version of it Yeah.
You know, to close out his interview because of course you don't wanna drag things on. So I'm very mindful of pacing when I'm editing. With Bishme, there were some things that I, I wanna wish I had more time to add and shoot. So I wanted, we, had some film stuff that we shot on film, but we were at the end of the day and we only really had like, three hours in the studio.
So by the time we shot the interview and stuff, we only had like a one take for the film stuff. 'Cause I would've wanted a little bit more. 'Cause I wanted to add some more texture and make, give you that archival look. oh no. Oh, I meant to say there's a transitional part between Kid Ken's and Bishme's scene where I actually had to use AI because I, the thing was because they're all such separate, aesthetics approaches to storytelling. I had to find ways to kind of make it seamlessly. Go into the next space. But I didn't have that. So I had to create, an AI transitional moment.
Oh, and by the way, remember that producer I told you about that was totally trying to sabotage the film and who stole? From our production. We had a beautiful dress that BME designed and we wanted to have an actual reveal at the end of the doc series
Brandon Nick: Because Bishme was actively sewing. Yes.
TT the Artist: So the whole point was those things was gonna connect. But I was unable to shoot because she stole our dress. And we wanted, I wanted to actually show you Deniim
'Cause after she had her surgery in real life. So you got to see Deniim Yeah. In her full glam with the dress that Bishme had made. And that really,
Brandon Nick: I'm screaming.
TT the Artist: Right. Wouldn't that have been beautiful? So that butterfly scene at the end That was at the dress was made like a denim butterfly. So we would've jumped to that shot and then jumped to. The reveal of our actual girl and
Brandon Nick: See, now I wanna fight 'cause I needed that moment.
TT the Artist: Thank you! Thank you. You understand the level of calm I have to have.
Brandon Nick: Because even saying that now you are so collected and I baby, I'm seeth-- look, I'm seething for you.
I don't wanna, I also don't want to agitate your spirit, but that also just sound like that would've been such a beautiful end. To just like, again, to see this transformation and to actually have like a real life reveal of Deniim in denim. Like
TT the Artist: Yes.
Brandon Nick: Fab.
TT the Artist: That was the goal.
Brandon Nick: Speaking of, no wait 'cause I would be so remiss if I didn't say this.
Literally stretch the muscle is our fucking jam! Literally, I was there with my, I was at Black queer mix tape. I was there with, my partner, one of my co producers for dirty* and, and our, and another friend of ours, baby. The next for that, for the following consecutive seven days. Every time we talked to each other it was given stretch the muscle.
TT the Artist: Stretch the muscle.
Brandon Nick: And like literally rewatching it. I was like, oh, this is just like, again, so and so gen-, and again, a lot of compet- a lot of com conflicting thoughts, 'cause I'm, 'cause I'm excited.
TT the Artist: That's gotta be release, I'm definitely gonna release that record.
Brandon Nick: Tea, no. 'cause I was like, we need the MP3. I need the MP3 so bad baby. I was rewatching the film in preparation for this. I just was like, baby, I'm just gonna keep playing the credits. 'Cause the credits is give, the stretch the muscles give me what I need. And like, and again, going back to what I was saying earlier. About how DENIM had really opened my mind, expanded my, like imagination of what is possible.
So again, thank you. 'Cause again, you gave us like Stretch the Muscle gave us our life in that theater. And just like, and you can see the excitement on my face now. 'Cause like literally when I finish this interview, I'm gonna watch it again. I want to, I want you to tell me how you arrived at that, but just know that was the moment for us.
TT the Artist: It was just really, honestly, I took the vocal from the interview that Deniim was doing and as I was, you know, I did all the sound design for the whole project. So, just me and my musician just
Brandon Nick: It's given what don't you do?
TT the Artist: Because I wanted a musical break. Yeah. So I was like, whoa. And it just worked so perfectly. 'Cause actually I had the animation first. And the audio, the interview by itself. And I did all the sound design once I had the animation. So it was kind of cool because I was, because the animator worked from the acapella of just interview.
That I cut up. And then when I got it back, I then had the visual and then I started to carve out the sounds and all of that goes with that and the interview.
So I was like, oh, we stretching the muscle, we stretching the muscle.
Brandon Nick: And like, I don't even know what that means, but I live for it.
TT the Artist: I always end up doing a song in my projects that I eventually wanna release and, you know, put on into the world. So also because that's a , that's a way to give back to the artists, you know, who are musicians or even if they're not, you know, like they can make some passive income just off fabulous song out,
Brandon Nick: Oh, yeah. That is actually really smart. I've been having a conversation with other documentary filmmakers and, you know, like traditionally, the framework is like, you don't pay your interview subjects you like, you know, you don't pay for the truth. And like, and I know like a lot of newer, documentary filmmakers have since like, you know, like we, especially queer filmmakers, it's like we, we will pay our folks because we don't believe in like, you know, taking and not giving.
And I think like what you were saying, like giving somebody, a credit on a song or even just like giving them a producer credit for the project or like, you know, paying them to like license their footage. If the, you know, are really nice ways to like, you know, compensate and reward people for their time.
TT the Artist: Right. Like we were very fortunate enough to, with the grants, we was able to pay everybody our talent, our crew, just everyone.
Brandon Nick: That is beautiful.
TT the Artist: So that was, that's one of the perks about at least having your budget up front. 'cause you could just literally write in
Brandon Nick: Yeah.
TT the Artist: You know, all the things you need to cover.
It, it, matters because. You don't wanna be put in positions where you have to compromise your art. So I feel like you wanna set yourself up, but also you wanna pay yourself as well, you know? Yeah. As creators, you forget to pay ourselves.
Brandon Nick: Thank you for naming, like being able to pay yourself. Because I, as a Capricorn, ironically, I do not. Like my 2026 goal is to be able to create resourced, right?
Like, my goal is to create resourced. And so thank you for naming that for me to like remind myself that like, bitch, you are creating this work. You actually need to be able to live.
TT the Artist: And I like setting that precedent so that whenever people do approach and they, understand like, you know, if you want DENIM, you want something like DENIM.
Like this is what I'm spending outta my own money to make.
Brandon Nick: Okay. I have one final easy question, and then I have the exercise for us. And this question is in two parts. It is, a bit sensory. And it's a fill in the blanks. And I just need like one word from you, whatever that word is. Black queer film is...
TT the Artist: Magical.
Brandon Nick: Okay. Boots. Now close your eyes. If that word was a scene, so you said Black queer film is magical. Black queer film being magical as a scene. This, again, this is a sensory question. What does that scene look like? What does it smell like? What does it taste like, feel like, sound like? You don't need to answer all of those, but as you are in your mind, creating this world where black queer film is magical, if that was a scene, what is popping up in your imagination for you right now?
TT the Artist: Okay, so it's exterior, kind of daytime. A beautiful green garden where you're seeing all type of, all types of, fantasy, like surreal dreamlike creatures, animals, things that feel very outer worldly. And then we see, hair begin to sprout from the grounds, like a root, it grows like a tree. Forming this form, this kind of, body of a figure that has no one specific gender or shape.
It is just a form that then begins to grow all different types of, characteristics. And the world surrounding it is just breathing and pulsating and alive. So it feels very magical, very fantasy, and very dream-like.
Brandon Nick: Wow. That was, beautiful. That was, I had to close. Look, I had to close my eyes with you.
I had to close my eyes with you. 'Cause I needed to see that. I saw some, I saw a buss down going from the tree. I saw some box braids going from the, like, from the ground. It was like, that was right. Thank you for that.
It's time for a 60-Second pitch, a creative sprint designed to exercise your imagination.
Here's how it works. We've got four spin wheels with lead and supporting actors, movie genres and plot devices. I'm gonna spin the wheels and whatever fate hands us, that's your movie. You'll get 30 seconds to ideate, then 60 seconds to pitch your film idea out loud. Let's go!
Says so I'm gonna spin this wheel and the results are going to give your lead act, oh, I love that it's Queen Latifah. Oh, I love this. Wait, I'm screaming. So your lead actress is Queen Latifah, your supporting actress is Vivica a Fox. And it is a drama about an 8-year-old computer hacker. Okay.
And your 60 seconds begins now.
TT the Artist: All right, so I'm just gonna straight up call the film hack, HACK, big bold print, san-serif font, bright colors.
Actually no, we're gonna make it LED typography. Go along, go along with the computer aesthetic. Stars, Queen Latifah and Vivica A. Fox, who are two social workers who come across this young kid who's been abandoned by his drug addicted mother. The two find out that this kid is a product of his environment, but also this tech genius.
They end up both, all three, as they're trying to find him a home, he ends up staying with Vivica Fox, who realizes she needs help. So she calls in her good girl coworker, Queen Latifah. This kid has now got himself involved with some dark web violent stuff that he is now on the run to save his life. And together
Brandon Nick: 10 seconds.
TT the Artist: They find out that it was never this kid, that it was some other person, and they solved this case. Get the Feds involved, everybody goes home and they end up adopting this kid and becoming a couple.
Brandon Nick: Ooh, I love the, I love that way. That was brilliant. Like, and no shade. Like
TT the Artist: I'll thank ChatGPT for that because I've become more a better story teller, storyteller.
Brandon Nick: That is good to know.
TT the Artist: 'Cause you're just reading, because you're constantly reading.
When you're on ChatGPT, you're constantly reading. Ah, and you know, it gives you the quick route.
Brandon Nick: I see.
TT the Artist: So I know every film needs a act one, act two, act three. Yeah. At the bare minimum.
Brandon Nick: Wow.
TT the Artist: 60 seconds or 60 minutes.
Brandon Nick: Yeah. Wow. No, you ate that.
TT the Artist: At the beginning, middle and end.
Brandon Nick: You ate that. Thank you so much.
My film festival friend.
TT the Artist: Thank you.
Brandon Nick: For spending, several hours at this point, it feels like talking to me. Thank you. This
TT the Artist: Yeah.
Brandon Nick: Thank you for look. Thank you for helping me troubleshooting. No, yeah. Thank you. This was, so, so deep, insightful, and you enjoyed the rest of your day.
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