By Darlene Donloe
Former publicist Roz Stevenson doesn’t toot her own horn, but if
she did she could talk about any number of high-profile Hollywood films that
she worked on and helped to make a hit at the box office.
This week, the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) and the African
American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) will recognize Stevenson’s
groundbreaking role in the film industry by tooting her horn at the PAFF’s
annual Night of Tribute.
The Night of Tribute is
part of the pre-show festivities for AAFCA’s awards ceremony set to take place at
7 p.m., Fri., Jan. 31, at the Taglyan Complex, 1201 Vine Street in Hollywood.
PAFF and
AAFCA are collaborating to honor world-renowned actors, filmmakers, community leaders and artists for their
contributions in the film and entertainment industry.
Other honorees include: Jeff Clanagan of CodeBlack Enterprises (Pioneer Award), Charles Dutton (Lifetime Achievement Award), Tequan Richmond (Canada Lee Rising Star
Award) and Emayatzy Corinealdi (Beah Richards Rising Award).
Presenters include: Ava DuVernay (award-winning
director, “Middle of Nowhere,” “I Will”), Actor Isaiah Washington, Ayuko Babu
(executive director, Pan African Film Festival, Ja’Net Dubois (Emmy
Award-winning actress (“Good Times”) and co-founder of the Pan African Film
Festival), Soni Ede (publicist, Fox Home Entertainment) and journalist Sandra
Varner (Talk2SV).
Stevenson and Clanagan will receive the festival’s Trailblazer and the Pioneer awards, respectively. The Night of Tribute honors world-renowned actors, filmmakers,
community leaders and fine artists for their contributions on stage,
television, film, the arts and the community.
“These two individuals have not only excelled in their chosen
professions, but they have been game changers in an ever-changing, fickle
industry,” said Ayuko Babu, executive director of PAFF. “Both Roz and Jeff have
been groundbreakers in Hollywood, knocking down barriers and serving as mentors
for others following in their footsteps.”
Now retired, Stevenson served as the former president and CEO of
Roz Stevenson Public Relations (RSPR) in Los Angeles. She has more than 30 years of experience in the film
industry. RSPR specialized in
motion picture publicity and promotions targeting the African-American
market. Founded in June 2000 with
Universal Pictures as its main client, Stevenson’s agency made a positive
impact on the studio’s motion picture releases. In addition, she completed successful campaigns for other
studios, including Sony Pictures, Screen Gems, Paramount Pictures, 20th
Century Fox, New Line Cinemas, Fox Searchlight and HBO.
Under her leadership, RSPR served on more than 100 film projects, including American Gangster, Welcome Home Roscoe
Jenkins, Transformers, Talk to Me, Evan Almighty, Norbit, Are We Done, Yet?,
Smokin’ Aces, Pursuit of Happyness, Inside Man, and Ray – just to name a few. Prior to opening her own firm,
Stevenson served as a senior publicist at Universal Pictures, responsible for
national and local TV, radio publicity and African-American campaigns for all
motion picture releases. While at Universal,
she worked on such award-winning films and box-office hits as Erin Brockovich, The Hurricane, The Best
Man, The Mummy and Out of Sight.
I recently caught up with Stevenson to talk about her career and
her legacy.
DD: You are being feted with the Trailblazer
award. Do you consider yourself a
trailblazer?
RS:
I guess I am. I didn’t think about that. I was just doing my job. I like mentoring upcoming publicists.
I wasn’t thinking about that. I just know that when I started, the studios
weren’t doing set visits for black press. I knew studios would take sci-fi
press on sets, though.
DD: It seems like the studios don’t deem the
black press as being important.
RS: That’s the mistake they make. You have to educate
the studio and the filmmakers about sources other than Ebony Essence, BET and
Jet. They didn’t know TV One is a network. Broadcast critics didn’t know. Public relations is about how you meet all aspects of the
community. When I was doing PR, I went to all the Tastemakers. We did all of the events with people
who represent various facets of the black community. We recognized that it was
important. I was always thinking
deeper and broader about our community.
We go backward sometimes.
DD: You are being honored by the Pan African
Film Festival. What did you think
when you first found out about it?
RS: I’ve been retired for six years. I was like,
really? People are still thinking about me. It’s nice.
DD: When you started there was no internet.
RS: The internet changed the game. In 1980 there
was no internet. Then My Space became
big. They didn’t have Facebook and Twitter. It all came after I retired. If I
went back in today, I wouldn’t know how to do the social media piece. People
don’t read magazine and watch shows like they used to. It’s all about the internet.
DD: Do you feel you made a difference in the
PR/entertainment industry? In what
way?
RS: I think I made a difference in term of, when
I asked Universal (Pictures) to let me go to each major black publication and
outlet and ask them how we can better help them. The outlets said, ‘just take
our call’. To think the black press felt I was there for them was important. They
knew I said what I meant and I meant what I said. I wanted the press to feel
comfortable that they could call me. When black stars would see me, they were
proud. All they ever saw was white people. I worked with Kim Basinger and at the end of the day she was like, ‘can
you come work with us’. I took care of them. That is something that comes
natural to me, maybe because I was a wife and mother.
DD: Why did you want to become a PR
professional?
RS: It was something I fell into. I first
started as an actress. I didn’t know about publicity. I went to MGM looking to
be a production coordinator or manager. I ended up in the publicity department
waiting to interview for a coordinator position. God put me in the right
place. I was a good writer. I
organized parties. It was a perfect
job for me. I worked for 10 years in the biz before I fell into it.
DD: An actress? Talk about that.
RS: I came from acting workshops. I was an
extra. I was in Lady Sings The Blues,
Room 222, Marcus Welby and Emergency.
I had regular work. I thought I was going to be getting some speaking roles. I
realized this wasn’t going to make it. I went into production on the show Good Times. There was this Minority Comedy Writing Program – for Norman Lear for all of
his shows. My next plan was to go
to a studio and become a
production coordinator or manager. When I went to MGM that’s what I wanted to
do.
DD: So, what was your next move?
RS: I went to UCLA to take a course in their PR
Designation. It took me a year to finish it. Then I became an apprentice, then
a junior publicist and then a senior publicist at MGM. I voluntarily started doing black
newspapers and Jet. When I learned what publicity and marketing was, I loved
it. I used to work for the president of marketing at MGM. I told him, ‘you
don’t know much about me, but I want to be a publicist’. I took the PR course
and he made me one. I took the course in 1980 and became a publicist in 1982.
DD: What was the first movie that you did on
your own?
RS: Breakin’
was the first movie I broke by myself.
Break dancing was the craze. It came out number one at the box
office. It was a phenomenon. I saw things from a different viewpoint. I started being a go to person. They
respected my opinions.
DD: So, eventually you were cut from MGM when it
was sold to Ted Turner.
RS: I had six weeks to find a job. Two weeks
before I was let go, a president at MGM called a president at Universal and I
got the job there. I was like, ‘thank you, God.’
DD: Would you advise a young, black person to
get in the PR industry?
RS: Oh, yeah! It’s just, what it is. You have to
know how to get along with studios, white folks and black folks. Some get in
there and want to only please white folks, but not black folks. They don’t try
to get to know who the black media is.
I had a passion for it.
DD: Advice you’d give a young person just coming
into the biz? What should they
know?
RS: A lot of them have to know when you come in
with a Bachelor’s and Masters degree, it doesn’t mean anything. Make an
impression. Do what you need to do. Get coffee, take notes. Have the right
attitude. Be good at what they ask you to do before you start asking for promotions.
You have to develop relationships. Know how to write. Figure out what works for
you. Be able to get along with filmmakers, stars, your staff and the media,
everybody. It’s exciting work. Be
able to multitask. Work on one film at a time. Make them believe you’re only
working on their project.
DD:
Why did you open your own firm, Roz Stevenson Public Relations?
RS: I had it for 10 years. That was another one
of those things. I didn’t see it coming. The vice president of special markets
at Universal came to me after the Best
Man and Hurricane campaigns. She said I should do special markets. She
said, ‘Tell me what we missed.’ I brought in my proposal. She said, ‘Why not
open up your own and become our consultant?’ Then she said, ‘Universal will be
your main client.’ It took six months. This was 1999. I never saw that coming.
DD: In your 30 years in the biz, what was your
most important lesson learned?
RS: I learned what my mother always said was
true, ‘You do all you can and God will do the rest.’ I was 28 years in
publicity, 38 in the industry. You can make it in the business but it’s a lot
of work. It’s so fulfilling. I still see things on TV that I worked on that
warms my heart. It’s a wonderful
life. It’s not a joy ride. The work is hard. This is a young person’s
game.
DD: What are you most proud of in your career?
RS: I think various campaigns, but, I think it’s
Ray. Everything was perfect. Jamie (Foxx)
wanted to do everything we wanted to do. When I first saw an uncut piece, I
said Jamie Foxx is going to win an Oscar.
When we won best marketing campaign of the year from the Publicist Guild,
it was for Ray. We won for Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List and The Help.
Ray is still my favorite. Also worked on American Gangster.
DD: Why did you retire?
RS: I was tired. I was 65 years old. My mother
was sick. We had some family crisis. I wanted to be able to spend time with my
mother, who passed away two years ago and my grandchildren and some other
seniors in my family. I stay busy all the time.
DD: Your feelings about the PAFF?
RS: I go every year. There are always movies
that I want to see. I worked on the PAFF when I first started my business. It’s
a wonderful part of our community. I love it. I love the artists. It’s a part
of the King Holiday all the way through Black History Month.
DD: What do awards/honors mean to you?
RS: I think they’re nice. I never think about
people honoring me. I never
expected it. I’m glad it’s PAFF. We have history.
The 22nd annual PAFF will be held on Feb. 6-17, at the new Rave
Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza in Los Angeles.
PAFF is the grant recipient of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles
County Arts Commission. The festival thanks the generous support of the Baldwin
Hills Crenshaw Plaza and RAVE Cinemas.
For more information, visit www.PAFF.org.
