Life & Work with Derek Talib of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Talib.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My best friend and myself founded i71Movies in 2016 here in Columbus Ohio. We had appeared as “preferred extras” working through Angela Boehm casting here in Ohio. Angela’s company cast extra talent in all the major films done here in Ohio from the recent Superman to Captain America the Winter Soldier. Through those earlier castings we were able to get really good information from not only the main cast members we worked with, but also the directors of these large projects about starting our own production company. We worked on several projects that have received awards and got international release as well as streaming platform.

We have since partnered with an executive producer who also runs a production and media studio out of Florida called Jumpoff Entertainment, with Mr. Rishard Brown. We have also added a third company called Risk Taker films and together we are 3 diversity owned production companies and are currently aligning for a slate of films for 2026 and 2027. This will be our first time working with budgets in the seven figure films. Two of them we were set to do years ago and did not do because we knew they needed the right budget to support the vision. Working with Rishard and his team we have found financial footing not just four our projects, but all the companies across the board. So far our slate includes A Wicked Breed, A Violent World, Big Dawg University, Son’s of Midnight, and a host of other projects.

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?
It is never a smooth road. We had to deal with people that we thought were allies and found that not to be the case. We had to deal with family health issues and crisis. These obstacles only made us stronger. Jose, Rishard, and myself are men of faith and we keep our hands folded, heads down and knees bent. Our source is our Lord and saviour so in times of darkness we leaned on his word and each other.

I71Movies and JumpOff Media (as it is now called) are pioneering a collaborative effort to add a place for diversity in the front office and screen. The biggest struggle for indie film is always money, which investors need to learn that adding a named actor does not always equal box office return. There are some very popular movies and shows that are not front loaded with star power. There are a ton of talented indie actors and crew out there with great vision for this medium of art. You have to find like minded individuals to create with you and put a quality project out there for public consumption.

Our teams put the projects first and put ego’s aside to what is best for the art and the business. We want to assure we have a path back to pay our investors. We are also working with a team solely for indie producers, directors and actors where we all take ownership of the project and reap financial profits or rewards based upon its success. This is a challenge that is a fun one for us all.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
With filmmaking the industry has changed and is changing rapidly. The old Hollywood studio model is not as successful as creatives now finding their own voice through other mediums. Right now there are over 1000 streaming platforms worldwide if you include video on demand, live t.v. streaming, sports streaming services, niche platforms, educational service providers and around 200 or so for film and original content. There has never before been a more opportune time to create your story or bring your ideas to life. Get a team together and instead of doing 48 hour projects create feature films or shows. I never understood why a team of creators jump in a 48 hour project or some contest just to do a short when they can put that team to a feature. Create product so you have something to market. You can always improve on it, but there are so many places that need good content make your own and put your team together and commit to finishing a project. Then put together a plan as to get it seen even if it is youtube to get a following and people behind your vision or your work. You can learn and get better and better. i71movies and Jumpoffentertainment/Jumpoffmedia are always looking for new talent in front of or behind the camera. We look for artist and people with a vision. This is a demanding field, but it is so rewarding when you are done and have that final product completed.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
There are going to be times when nobody believes in you but yourself or you closest inner circle. You have to have that faith that when everything is going wrong that is not the end of your story. I want to talk to you about faith and how you have to have that foundation because when things go wrong that may be the only thing holding you together. There have been rough roadblocks in our path to do any of this from a loved one falling ill to financial distress to betrayal from people you thought were for you. Jose, Rishard and myself had to rally the troops and set a time to pray together for guidance. We all started looking back on the troubles we faced and how much those troubles taught us things to move us forward in this industry. Rishard is part of a stronger larger team of men who come together to worship and it grounds him in not only his faith, but gives him the necessary patience to move forward.

We found that the people who left our inner circle were quickly replaced by people that shared the same vision and drive that we have and have built our teams back to better than full strength. We have found out on this journey God replace things he takes away. I stopped putting a question mark where God puts a period. We are armed for our final push before giving birth to our dream. Film and television is not a easy career choice, but I can say that if you have the drive, faith and staying power you dreams will follow your passion. Quitting gets you nothing keep grinding.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://i71movies.com
• Instagram: i71moviesllc
• Youtube: @i71moviesmedia