frey hoffman – against the grain
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photo by steed media service
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Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Freydesign Productions
Filmmaker Frey Hoffman sees the big picture in whatever project he
undertakes. The Columbia College graduate started Freydesign
Productions in 1997 and has produced or directed communications for E!
Network, Prevent Child Abuse America, The Screen Actors Guild and a
wide range of individuals and organizations. His passion for his craft
and its end result has captured the attention of the likes of
platinum-selling artists like Kanye West, Common and Grammy
Award-winning poet Malik Yusef. Hoffman shot Yusef’s music video
“Wouldn’t You Like to Ride,” featuring West and Common. Save
determination, it’s that kind of talent and support that inevitably led
to Hoffman winning the coveted IFP/Chicago Production Fund for his
independent short film based on one of Yusef’s poems, “Hollywood
Jerome.”
The idea for the adaptation began after Hoffman saw
Yusef’s performance of the poem on the “Channel Zero” series on public
access station CAN TV. Hoffman knew it was the makings of something
special. “I saw the video and I said, ‘Man, this is a film waiting to
happen,'” he says, adding that he collaborated with Yusef on the
amazing script, which tells the story of a 14-year-old South Side gang
member who idolizes classic Hollywood gangsters. The teen meets a
tragic end when he eventually gets caught in a police standoff.
The duo hopes to work on making a full feature film of “Hollywood
Jerome.” Surely, such an accomplishment will lead to more success for
both artists. – tony binns
For more information, visit www.hollywoodjerome.com.
