Baltimore filmmaker looks to make jump to big screen

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Aug 11, 2006 by S. Ann Johnson

Bryan Grasshopper Robinson leaped into the independent film industry in 2001 after participating in a filmmakers contest at the Creative Alliance in Baltimore. Since then, the innovative insect has created Grasshopper Philms, an independent film company that produces on-screen art with a small budget but an infinite dream.

Robinson, 27, wrote, directed and edited his first feature film Passers By, a romance that premiered June 30 at the Creative Alliance, for roughly $4,000. He keeps production costs low by hiring unpaid talent, yet his crew receives sporadic stipends as a token of his appreciation.

[Grasshopper Philms] is a non-union, nonprofit, independent [company], so my thing was to get everyone to do it for free, Robinson said. Everyone who participated in the creation of 'Passers By' became instant family, yet even your brother who takes you to get your haircut across town is going to want gas money every once in a while.

Though budgeting becomes difficult without an accountant, shooting a film certainly consumes a lot of paychecks, if you have a job; a lot of gas money, if you have a car; and a lot of missed meals, said Robinson, a Baltimore City resident.

If I had a lump sum of money for a film, I could do a lot of things, he added. All I had was a script and an idea.

Swift execution is also a method Grasshopper uses to shrink costs. While some filmmakers take as long as four years to develop a script, Robinson completed Passers By in just one.

The time it takes to make a film all depends on your grind. I go to a lot of salons and networking type of things and hear filmmakers ask, 'How long did it take you to make this film?' And someone will say, 'Well, it took three production years, four years to develop a script and then we did a lot of casting, so I'd say it took about seven years to finish this film,' he said.

On the contrary, Grasshopper's tale is often, Yo, I had this sick story. I casted these people; they came; we did it; and it was good - in a year, Robinson said. It's all about your vision. If you want to take four years to write a script, it's going to take you a long time to finish the film. But if you want it done, it's going to get done.

Day job

Realizing that a steady income is also needed to fund his film initiatives, Robinson works as a paraprofessional for the special education department at Harlem Park Middle School. Teachers and students alike refer to him as Grasshopper, a nickname given to him as a youth.

At 18 years old, Robinson and a group of friends were playing basketball in an alley when they heard gunshots.

Everybody started running. I jumped over the fence, and a friend of mine named 'Cheese' - real name George - said, 'Hey, you jump over the fence like a grasshopper,' and ever since then that name kind of caught on and it's been with me ever since, he said.

Though assisting children is rewarding, Robinson admits that his job is not where he is supposed to be. Grasshopper says he belongs on the big screen. A former animation student and Baltimore City Community College marketing major, Robinson believes he possesses the artistic vision and business savvy necessary to take Grasshopper Philms to the next level.

Robinson licensed his first short film to Simmons Lathan Media Group in California in 2002-2003.

I thought I was going to get rich off that little film, he said, but it was an Internet promotion thing. So basically you will bring in [a percentage] of any sales [Simmons Lathan Media Group] makes over the Internet.

While in Los Angeles promoting Passers By earlier this summer, Robinson noticed that networking is everything in California as opposed to Baltimore, where people will respect what you're doing from a distance but won't try to build you higher, he said I do believe that if I took my [dedication] to California, it could be better [for business], he added.

Taking part in local film festivals is a sure way to receive local exposure. In fact, Grasshopper Philms has participated in the John Hopkins Film Festival and the Creative Alliance 48-Hour Film Festival where its films placed in the Top 10 Go-Getters category two consecutive years. However, recognition is not what Grasshopper hops after.

I'm not looking for recognition in the things I'm doing; I'm just doing it because I love it. Getting into films is an expression of my art [form], so recognition is going to come regardless, he said.

Robinson's films began as one-man, unscripted comedies. He has since moved into drama, romance and animation. Regardless of genre, every effort is made to capture a real-life undertone in each film, said Robinson, who already has begun casting for his upcoming action flick Preparations for a Murder.

Grasshopper, who once struggled with channeling his creativity from thoughts to actions, made a New Year's resolution in 2005 to be more business oriented.

Since then, Robinson has coordinated the first annual Urban to Suburban Film Festival where filmmakers of various races and ages rocked to hip hop and viewed an assortment of films. Robinson is gearing up for the second annual festival. It's a very diverse film festival, he added.