Chicago-based producer Ramone Hulet joins the 2020 edition of Reel Chicago Black List, an annual celebration of African-American creativity published during Black History Month.
The Reel Chicago Black List includes Global Mixx founder Mary Datcher, McDonald’s US Marketing Director Lizette Williams, and filmmaker Rhyan LaMarr. To view the archives, click here.
Ramone Hulet is a freelance creative film producer in Chicago. He has produced content with brands like Nike, H&M and FedEx, to name just a few, and worked with Chicago locals like Chance, Vic Mensa, Valee and Lupe Fiasco. He has also served as personal assistant to Hilary Swank, and Nia DaCosta on Jordan Peele’s Candyman reboot.
Ramone’s roots are in creativity: his mother was a singer and his great grandfather was a prominent Memphis photographer in the 1900s.
Ramone also has an affinity for technology. He loves to take things a part and put them back together. He believes there is a creative solution to every problem and a common thread that pulls us all together.
Currently, his focus is on branded and short form scripted content.
PRODUCED BY RAMONE HULET
BIG MOUF’BO | CAPITOL HILL – RHYTHM AND FLOW
Meet Ramone Hulet
What did you originally want to be when you grow up?
When I was growing up, I was constantly taking electronics apart or bringing home strays. I was sure that I would either be an engineer or work with animals. Unfortunately, I could never put those electronics back together, and I didn’t really get along with cats.
How did you get into film and television?
I developed my interest in the film / television industry when my mom bought me a camera in middle school. I enjoyed seeing people’s responses to what I’d made. I’ve always had trouble with speech and communicating, so when I discovered video it was a game changer. By the time I was 18, I had become the producer of a local television show and in college, I landed an internship that set me up to where I am now.
Who were your mentors?
I’ve had a lot of people influence my career, and life but my most influential mentor was my mother. She didn’t know anything about film/television but she showed me what hard work looked like and she gave me the tools to do anything that I needed to do.
What is your greatest achievement?
If you ask my mother, she’d say my biggest achievement was working with Lupe Fiasco as I’ve always admired him. My friends would say it was working with Jordan Peele and Nia DaCosta on Candyman, but my biggest achievement isn’t who/what I’ve worked on.
My biggest achievement is recognizing that some situations require “fish”, and some situations require “birds”. It may sound silly, but I’ve seen a lot of “fish” spend their energy try to be “birds” and then beat themselves up because they didn’t sprout feathers. I’ve learned that cultivating your natural gifts gets you much further than trying to make yourself into something that you’re not. “Fish” can do anything “birds” can do, it just may not look the same.
I am a type-A Pisces-Virgo-Libra and my biggest achievement is not fighting my own gifts, but working with all that makes me up (my strengths and weakness) to bring my full self to all of my work.
What is your greatest disappointment?
Like many creators, I am my biggest critic. That was the biggest obstacle in my way. My biggest disappointment is not getting out of my own way sooner. I am grateful now to have found a balance between critique and construction.
Name your biggest peeves?
I hate to see people take other people for granted, and not respect their time or their experience. My biggest pet peeve is seeing people not know their worth and other people taking advantage of it.
What are your predictions for the film and television industries over the next decade?
I think the film and television industry is changing dramatically and rapidly. Companies, brands and creators need more content as more and more media platforms are being discovered. They want quicker and faster products. My prediction is that this is that this momentum will only increase. The media industry today is drastically different than it was even 5 years ago. My hope is that people will adapt with the change instead of fighting against it. Which also means that people need to know, now more than ever, why they do things the way the do, and be sure of themselves. So, as they adapt they know what traits to keep and which ones need to evolve.
Name a job you had that would surprise people.
I was a camp counselor for kids 4+ at an interactive camp that let kids “create their own day”. Which is as exhausting as it sounds. I was the in-residence filmmaker and was responsible for generating all the video content.
What famous actor plays you in your life story?
Michael B. Jordan. He likes anime and is a Pisces too, so we’re pretty much the same as is…
What do you wish you had more time to do?
If I think about it, I can wish for more time studying while I was younger, more time with friends and family, and more time cultivating relationships. What I’ve learned is that everything happens at the right time, and I choose to spend the time I have in front of me instead of lamenting on the time that is already behind me.
What drives you to create?
I’m driven because I’ve been privileged to do the thing that I always dreamed of and it would be irresponsible not to do that thing to the highest caliber.
