Part II: Stepping Beyond: Embracing Opportunities and Finding Courage with Demarcus Leflore

Life is like a movie, and every day is a new scene. You may stumble upon challenging roles and face unexpected obstacles, but remember, every great story has a hero who rises above it all. So, embrace the plot twists, enjoy the action, and ensure it's a story worth watching. Sometimes in life, we get trapped in spaces where we used to be, and so we deprive ourselves of the chance to discover more of what our eyes couldn't see at the moment and what our minds couldn't still grasp. We must therefore realize that every opportunity to grow is worth the try because, in this way, we allow ourselves to explore more of what we're capable of doing and be in spaces wherein we can contribute meaningfully. 

Moreover, we must always keep in mind that every work we do portrays who we are. Hence, despite our self-doubts, we must remain persistent and determined in what we do because everyone will receive their unique opportunities in time. However, we must recognize that no matter how skilled or accomplished we are, errors and missteps are bound to occur and that our treasured career positions could shift in just a snap. Therefore, we must learn to appreciate every chance given to us despite our shortcomings and always possess a heart of gratitude that welcomes struggles as it welcomes blessings. 

Demarcus Leflore, also known as Filmanati, is a father, digital creator, videographer, and award-winning cinematographer. Demarcus has been making videos mainly for birthday parties and weddings but is now taking a switch to make sports-related videos for Jackson State University. Demarcus is also part of a production crew wherein they document monumental football events and share the inside look at how these players surmount the highs and lows in sports to unite as one toughened community.

In this second part of our special episode with Demarcus Leflore, we will learn about the challenges he encountered when he stepped outside of music video production and embraced opportunities, along with his courage to let go and move forward. Today's episode will help us realize that though an uncertain situation causes us to doubt our abilities, we must always take the courage to see the bigger picture. Be captivated by the life of Demarcus as he continues to present us the life and struggles of a cinematographer and how he carries the weight of the camera on his shoulder as he carries it on his heart and motivation.

"A huge part about being a filmmaker is getting to tell people's story the authentic way." – Demarcus Leflore

Topics Covered:

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:00:08) Part II: An Episode with Demarcus Leflore.

(00:01:02) How can you determine your value?

(00:02:20) Understanding your actual worth.

(00:03:10) How does Demarcus treasure his being a music video producer?

(00:04:00) The challenge is to give up producing music videos.

(00:06:27) Your work portrays who you are.

(00:07:12) To go ahead and let go.

(00:08:37) Uncertainty of the future often produces self-doubt.

(00:10:46) How does Demarcus shift his perspective clouded with worries?

(00:12:12) Life is like a movie.

(00:16:11) Nobody owed us anything.

(00:17:06) The Pickle Ball Videographer Specialist

(00:18:35) No position is permanent: We can still make mistakes.

(00:19:53) How Coach Prime Production Crew treated Demarcus as a family?

(00:21:22) Appreciate your unique opportunity.               

(00:23:01) Quick Reminder: Are you enjoying this episode? Please share it, leave a five-star review, and give feedback. Go to TimeOut with the SportsDr website. https://www.drderrickthesportsdr.com/reviews/

(00:24:58) Thank God and Keep your feet on the ground.

(00:27:58) Looking forward to a year of opportunities.

(00:29:35) Demarcus' aim is to help creativity flow in JSU 

(00:35:21) The Jackson Water Crisis Documentary

(00:36:44) How Demarcus handled his first documentary production

(00:37:39) The Rolling Fork documentary

(00:38:51) Stories of hope and kindness despite the challenge

(00:41:08) Telling people's stories the authentic way.

(00:42:21) Where to connect with Demarcus Leflore

(00:43:30) Appreciation for Coach Prime

(00:45:38) Outro

Key Takeaways:  

"Value is different in each market, and the price that you charge doesn't determine your value." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"Sometimes, we don't see that we're special until somebody else comes in and says we are." – Dr. Derrick Burgess

"Music videos were the bread and butter. It will always be something that will be near and dear to my heart because I did that for seven years, and a lot of people grew closer to me with shooting music videos." – Demarcus Leflore

"Producing music videos shows how creative I could be with what I'm given in the sense of the music industry at Jackson State University." – Demarcus Leflore

"Your work portrays who you are, so be your best you." – Demarcus Leflore

"When people sit you down and have a heart-to-heart talk with you, that's when you know they care about you." – Demarcus Leflore

"Don't nobody owe me nothing? I worked my way into that situation to be in a position that I was." – Demarcus Leflore

"At any point in time, it could have been anybody else in my position, or my position could have been taken away from me because I still make mistakes that could have cost me to stop working on a coach prime documentary." – Demarcus Leflore

"I'm in a unique situation that I have to be so grateful to a lot of different people because a lot of people go to film school to learn what I'm learning, and they have a hand on what I'm doing to work with the caliber of the equipment that I'm working with." – Demarcus Leflore

"When you come back home, and people put that amount of responsibility in your hands, it feels that I get to let the people know who are the players, the playmakers, and helping us get things back situated." – Demarcus Leflore

"Appreciate the people that truly believe in you." – Demarcus Leflore

"I did a lot of adjusting and learning how to become more professional when I was just in a non-professional filming environment with rap music videos." – Demarcus Leflore

Connect with Demarcus Leflore:

Email: Filmanatiproductions@gmail.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Filmanati/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Filmanati

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demarcus-leflore-16957314a/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmanati/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@filmanatiproductions1783/

Connect with Dr. Derrick Burgess:

Website: https://www.drderrickthesportsdr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drderrickthesportsdr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimeOut.SportsDr

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrick-burgess-72047b246/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHGDu1zT4K_X6PnYELu8weg

Email: thesportsdoctr@gmail.com

This episode of TimeOut with the SportsDr. is produced by Podcast VAs Philippines - the team that helps podcasters effectively launch and manage their podcasts, so we don't have to. Record, share, and repeat! Podcast VAs PH gives me back my time, so I can focus on the core functions of my business. Need expert help with your podcast? Go to www.podcastvasph.com.