Known as the “Olivia Pope of Entertainment” for her keen ability to connect people and brands, Milan Zoe certainly has grounds to boast as the young entrepreneur making money moves in Hollywood. The New York native recently stopped by the Sentinel to share with us her vision as a young entrepreneur, content creator and film producer in the entertainment industry.
Currently the owner of her own production company, Liform Film-N-Sound, Zoe has produced content for brands such as BET and its Genius Talks platform, The Shade Room as well as music videos for celebrities such as Kenny Lattimore and Tisha Campbell-Martin.
Zoe first made her mark in entertainment by working in public relations and journalism, where she has represented and interviewed quite a few celebrities, public figures and major brands. A graduate of Howard University, Zoe eventually transitioned from public relations to producing, citing the process it truly takes to transform brands. “I know you understand the vision, but I need you to further understand and invest in the process,” Zoe says of her experience in public relations.
Eventually, Zoe says she found that there was a greater need for telling stories behind the scenes and that producing content was the vehicle through which she could do so. Zoe says the moment she knew she wanted to be a producer came after watching an episode of “Project Green Light,” where actor Matt Damon made claims that diversity wasn’t needed behind the camera in order to reflect diversity in front of the camera. “That was a monumental moment for me. I understood that that was how the majority of the world felt. That was very prevalent based on a lot of the media that was being put out.”
Zoe likens the process of producing to giving birth, noting the preparation and sustenance it takes to see a vision through to the end. “You’re with it from the point of its conception to the point where you give it to the world. It’s your baby, and how it comes out is based on how you nurture it, how you care for it. It’s yours and you love it and you’re sensitive about it and you hope the world loves it to,” Zoe declared.
Zoe says it’s critical for her to highlight the perspectives of Black people in the way we really see our lives and circumstances. “What’s not always true is our perspective, how we felt about it, how we want those stories told, how we want them being remembered,” she said.
As a result, Zo started her latest initiative, #ChangingtheNarrative, a platform she says inspires people to “raise the status of our culture through art and media cultivation.” Zoe says she wants to encourage artists and content creators to tell their own stories. “The dispersion of their art determines their own legacies,” Zoe stated.
We also asked Zoe about what advice she could provide to aspiring filmmakers, producers and content creators. Her answer was simple: quality. Zoe says there’s been an oversaturation of content, but creators have to get back to producing quality content in order to be set apart. “I’m all for taking the resources you have and making things happen, but my suggestion would just be very careful about what it is that you’re putting out and what you’re putting your name on and what you’re standing behind,” Zoe says. Zoe also says it’s important learn the business behind the craft. “There’s a business behind the art as well and it’s key to have that to really be impactful,” she declared.
Zoe says it is her goal to continue to use her art as a form of activism. In an exclusive announcement, Zoe revealed that she’d now be accepting content for review in hopes of producing new projects for selected artists. If you have a project you’re passionate about and would like to share it with Zoe for a possible production opportunity, follow her Instagram @MissMilanZoe or visit her website at www.milanzoe.com. To see the exclusive footage from our interview, please visit www.lasentinel.net.
