"Everyone's a Little Bit Racist."

An Interview with Dwayne Smith, creator of True Colors on Crackle.com

by Brian Rothe

Can you please tell us a bit about your background and how you got started writing for the web?

I'm a professional screenwriter.  I've sold original scripts and have done rewrites for companies like Warner Bros, Lionsgate, Intermedia, Gold Circle, etc.  Lonely Girl 15 hired me to help map out their entire second season.  That was my first job writing for the web.  I loved the first season of that show.  It was a great experience working for them.  Really opened my eyes to the potential of original web content.

In your opinion, how does internet content compare to content created for television or film?

Well it's much shorter.  That's the first obvious difference.  Acceptable episode lengths can be as brief as one minute each.  That makes it possible for almost anyone to create their own program.  I think at the beginning quality standards were pretty loose, but that seems to be changing now.  I'm seeing some stuff produced for the web with really high production value.  Like True Colors for instance.

Do you think web space allows more freedom for creative minds?  If so, why?

I definitely do believe that the web allows more creative freedom.  Television requires more money and marketing.  That means no one's really willing to take a chance on radically different ideas.  The web is wide open.  You could roll out of bed with a crazy idea, throw it up on YouTube by lunch, and read your feedback over dinner.  There's nothing even close to that kind of freedom on television or in film.  That's what makes the web so exciting to me.

What challenges do you face when writing specifically for the internet?

Keeping it brief but still entertaining. Coming up with ideas that stand out from the crowd and keep your audience coming back for more. Everybody and their mother has a vlog now. What makes mine special? What’s my hook?

How did you come up with the concept for “True Colors”?

I’ve always found racial humor interesting. Race is a sensitive subject but people seem to enjoy laughing at our differences. Many of our most famous comedians made their careers talking about race. Richard Pryor is just one example.

I’ve also always had a great interest in hidden camera shows. I watch them all. I own every episode of Candid Camera. Hidden camera gags are mini social experiments that reveal something about human nature, but most shows just go after the easy laugh.

I thought… wouldn’t it be cool to combine both - racial humor and mini social experiments. Only, we wouldn’t just stop at the laugh, we’d take it a step further and try to really get into hearts and minds of our subjects in regards to their feelings about race.

 

 

What can we expect from “True Colors”? Will it be just like candid camera but with a racial spin? Does the show simply poke fun at racial stereotypes, or is there a greater message that it’s supposed to convey?

There’s a great song in the musical Avenue Q - Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist. There’s a line that goes… “Doesn’t mean we go around committing hate crimes.” That’s the message of True Colors. Everyone’s a little bit racist. That doesn’t make us bad people; that just makes us human. Let’s just laugh at our differences and move on. There are much bigger problems in the world.

How do you execute production of a series like “True Colors”? You must’ve come across some people who had really strong opinions about what you’re doing - did you shoot anything that might be too edgy for even the internet? 

Some people were bothered by it, for sure, but by far most people loved the idea. The crew was mixed ethnically and it was great to see everyone laughing at this stuff together.

Too edgy for the internet? It’s hard to imagine what that would be. We did a lot of very edgy stuff. Crossed a lot of lines. For example, one bit involves an actor in blackface.

How do you evaluate your audience when you’ve created a show for the web? Can people post comments? If so, do you look at those comments and modify the format of the show to cater to them?

People will be able to post comments and I look forward to reading them. The entire first season of the show is complete so any modifications inspired by viewer comments would have to come in the second season. There’s been some talk about letting the audience submit ideas for gags.

If sites like YouTube give everyone an outlet for creativity, what advice would you give to someone who wants to get started in new media? How does that person find a voice and reach people?

Go with something you’re passionate about. An idea or subject you love more than anyone else. No matter how crazy or odd it is. That personal passion will make your show honest and unique and give you an edge. I believe audiences will pick up on that.

What other projects do you have coming down the line?

I am planning another hidden camera project. I can’t say much except, when it comes to hidden camera, nothing has been done like it before. People are going to be surprised.

What are some of your favorite online videos right now? Is there anything, other than “True Colors,” that we should be watching?

One show that I’m really into right now is David Faustino’s show Star-ving on Crackle. That show is hilarious. When it comes to comedy David is fearless.

Thank you, Dwayne!

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TRUE COLORS on Crackle.com

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