Spotting a gap in the coverage of some social issues, film and finance sophomore Ricky Wolfe wants to use film to highlight issues that many people otherwise overlook due to lack of media attention such as prison reform, body positivity and life in a split-parent household.
Wolfe is the co-founder and director of Doozy Productions, but this isn’t a one-man operation. Along with three other creatives this past summer, the 19-year-old Houston native started Doozy Productions, which films around the UNT campus, in hopes of bringing attention to less discussed social topics.
“We’re going to do our own kind of promotional video of the kind of work you can expect from us, but the whole goal is to gain exposure for the clients and gain exposure to topics that aren’t really expressed in the media often,” Wolfe said.
Right now, Doozy does online music videos, but says there is more to watch for. Using both actors and real people, Doozy has a poetic short film out. Another project in the works is related to the injustices of the prison system.
“I feel like the prison system isn’t really given that much attention,” Wolfe said. “It’s a thriller that plays on the idea of how, as someone who comes out of prison, the media and even your own family, looks at you differently.”
The content of Doozy Productions is a cooperative team effort with Wolfe at the face of the company. Wolfe, who has been described as a “good leader and director” by his fellow members, shares credit for the company with his team.
Doozy’s four-person team consists of other UNT students who provide different skills and abilities to make the videos innovative while taking on a different approach to social advocacy.
Ashley Mason, a media arts junior and Doozy’s visual aesthetics specialist, met Wolfe this past spring semester. Mason said every member of Doozy pulls their weight equally in the social commentary they produce.
“We are a unit, we are a family. It’s collectively we’re all going to be together,” Mason said. “Everyone brings in different components.”
Dylan Smith, a media arts sophomore and long-time friend to Wolfe and Martin Gallegos, a media arts junior and production lead, agreed.
“I would probably say we rely on each other more than a lot of people,” Gallegos said.
Gallegos oversees production and provides filming equipment. Smith is the marketing and financial manager for the company. The quartet collectively contribute project ideas and look to depict more overlooked issues in the future in the form of commercials, promotions and more formats.
For Mason, she would like to see and produce videos addressing young, black women and body positivity.
“The respect and wants of black girls are at the bottom. That goes for all shades, but I understand that it’s harder for girls with darker skin tones,” Mason said. “Also, it doesn’t matter what size you are because size inclusivity is important to me.”
Smith would like to spark discussion on how children and families are affected by split-parent households.
“There are moments where it’s kind of rough, so I kind of want to focus on how living in a split can negatively but also positively affect growing kids and adults,” Smith said.
As for Gallegos, he says it’s all about God.
“God gives us the ability to bring certain situations to life,” Gallegos said
A recurring point among all Doozy members is the importance of their clients. The Doozy team looks to inspire a sense of community and empowerment among the people they work with. They emphasize repeat exposure for clients and establishing a connection with them.
“I never see the reason why someone always has to lose, so our mission is to push out great, quality content on a regular basis,” Wolfe said. “And if we’re doing that, then we have opportunities for other creators to grow.”
The company is more than open to any ideas their clients may have, as they embrace diverse perspectives. That extends to the work of painters, models, actors and designers at UNT.
“Just being able to meet other people who are also trying to become part of a risky field, it feels nice knowing that me, Ricky, Martin and Ashley aren’t the only ones to get into a hard field like that,” Smith said.
With time, Doozy wants to expand beyond the Denton area and be known for showcasing unique perspectives across and beyond social media.
“Social media is such a big part of everyday life and people aren’t seeing themselves in media,” Mason said. “So, I would like to highlight that in whatever I’m a part of.”
Feature Image: Sophomore film and finance double major Ricky Wolfe stands in front of the Union on Sept. 18, 2019. Image by Meredith Holser