Doing Good
by Thornell
Maybe it’s my background as a Boy Scout in New York State or watching my Dad jump in wherever he was needed in our town, or Allison’s first hand experience watching the books at her father’s PS Recording Studios in Chicago – where everyone always seemed to have an open tab – which fostered our attitudes about ‘being of service’ to the creative community. The irony of cutting our teeth in the notoriously cutthroat business of Entertainment is that there’s always an opportunity to do “good” if you’re looking for it.
Our very first project as The Ovation Agency was the launch event for the now multi-award winning film “95 Never Looked So Good.” My friend Tymm Holloway had directed a wonderful short about his then 95 year old Dad. Allison and I convened in Las Vegas to produce a Premiere party during the Las Vegas Black Film Festival. Held in the Presidential Suite overlooking Las Vegas, the event exceeded anyone’s expectations. While we weren’t compensated in a traditional sense, we viewed it as an opportunity to build relationships. And also, to honor an Elder. Tymm’s father, Simeon Holloway was a member of the B1 Band. Based in North Carolina, they were the U.S. Navy’s first all-black band in 1942. We take no credit for the heart of the film, yet it was the first of other human centered opportunities to serve.
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