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NAACP+ Inside The Industry

NAACP+ Inside The Industry

By: NAACP+
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Inside the Industry is a one-on-one interview podcast that pulls back the curtain on the entertainment business by spotlighting the people who shape it. Through candid, in-depth conversations, each episode explores individual career journeys, current projects, and the realities of working behind—and in front of—the spotlight. The podcast aims to demystify the industry while celebrating creativity, strategy, and the many paths to success.© 2026 Art Career Success Economics Education
Episodes
  • 50+ Shows. No Film School. How Tony McCuin Became One of TV's Most Powerful Live Directors

    50+ Shows. No Film School. How Tony McCuin Became One of TV's Most Powerful Live Directors
    Jun 17 2026
    Most people have watched the NAACP Image Awards for years without knowing his name. Tony McCuin is the director who makes it all happen — and in this episode, he finally steps out from behind the camera. In this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industry, host Ariana Drummond sits down with an award-winning live television director, Tony McCuin — the man behind the NAACP Image Awards, Password with Keke Palmer, Big Brother, the Super Bowl, BET's Celebration of Gospel, Soul Train Awards, and over 50 major productions — for one of the most behind-the-scenes conversations we've ever had. Tony breaks down: → What a live TV director actually does during a telecast while the show is happening in real time → Why the NAACP Image Awards "just hit different" and how he shoots it almost entirely in the round → The night Whitney Houston walked out, and he couldn't take the camera off her — not for a single reaction shot → What it felt like to be the first Black man directing Password — TV history in real time → How Big Brother taught him to let the audience pick the shots they wanted to see → The Deon Cole and Leslie Jones moment that went viral — and how he set it up in advance → His philosophy on protecting your talent – no matter what → Why he treats every act like its own separate little show → How he went from South Central to public access cable to the Super Bowl without ever going to college → "Pray Rich" — his spiritual philosophy that has carried him through 40+ years in television → The team of angels around him that keeps him going This is the episode for every aspiring director, camera operator, and behind-the-camera creative who has ever wondered what it really looks like to command a live set. ️ Host: Ariana Drummond, NAACP Director of Talent & Media Relations Guest: Tony McCuin — NAACP Image Awards, Password, Big Brother, Super Bowl, BET Celebration of Gospel, Soul Train Awards New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe so you never miss one. ️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3iny4YTd9NfUBB51aWOpYr?si=a5a8e1df47ba4084 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naacp-inside-the-industry/id1894940807 Watch the full playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaaTUaaxeh-IBd36D0P3FzFcu17Ij2S4T&si=nge5yZhBmU8SIZ9D Learn more about NAACP+: https://linktr.ee/NAACPPlus Follow Tony McCuin: https://www.instagram.com/tonymccuin/ Follow Ariana Drummond: https://www.instagram.com/arianad_pr/ #InsideTheIndustry #NAACPPlus #TonyMcCuin #LiveTV #NaacpImageAwards #BlackDirectors #BehindTheCamera #Password #BigBrother #WhitneyHouston #ArianaDrummond #BlackCreatives #TVDirector #EntertainmentIndustry #BlackExcellence Chapters (00:00:00) - Rule number one: protect the talent(00:00:31) - Welcome to Inside the Industry(00:01:26) - What it feels like to be powerful and invisible(00:02:05) - Why the Image Awards shoot in the round(00:03:17) - How you build a reputation behind the camera(00:04:46) - How Tony got hired for the NAACP Image Awards(00:05:55) - Directing Password with Keke Palmer and Jimmy Fallon(00:08:32) - The overwhelming feeling of seeing your name on screen(00:09:44) - Imposter syndrome? His answer might surprise you(00:11:41) - Decompressing after a live show — and thanking God first(00:12:44) - Advice for creatives dealing with burnout(00:13:28) - What happens when your confidence starts to wane on set(00:15:15) - What a director is actually doing during a live telecast(00:16:12) - The most chaotic moments he's ever had to direct live(00:17:22) - How to read and react when comedians go off script(00:18:55) - How he surveys the room before every show(00:20:26) - When things fall apart on live TV — and how to stay calm(00:21:53) - How does someone become a live television director?(00:23:12) - Why there is no simulation for live directing(00:24:13) - Trust your heart — his message to Black creatives(00:25:04) - Password vs Big Brother — which show he loves most(00:26:23) - How Big Brother changed his directing style forever(00:28:08) - Why being a Black director in these spaces matters(00:29:44) - Gospel shoots differently — and why Black camera operators knew not to put the camera down(00:30:50) - Mastering every genre of television without film school(00:32:01) - His mentor Pamela Fryman and the sitcom training that changed everything(00:33:34) - How 80s music videos live in his directing brain(00:34:53) - Directing Whitney Houston's last performance(00:38:05) - The moment he couldn't take the camera off her(00:39:43) - The year after — directing Kelly Price's Whitney Houston tribute(00:41:45) - Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, and why he puts on headsets(00:43:08) - How live TV has changed and how he's evolved with it(00:44:48) - Cutting everything tight from the first show(00:45:37) - Black directors behind the camera — what's changed and what hasn't(00:46:36) - Inviting young Black PAs into the ...
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    55 mins
  • Algee Smith: From Broke in LA to Euphoria, Jamie Foxx & Owning His Music

    Algee Smith: From Broke in LA to Euphoria, Jamie Foxx & Owning His Music
    Jun 10 2026
    Algee Smith has never played it safe — and this conversation proves exactly why that's his superpower. From sleeping on a friend's couch in North Hollywood, surviving on El Pollo Loco and 7-Eleven Slurpees, to booking the New Edition Story AND Detroit in the same month — Algee's journey is one of radical faith, relentless study, and a refusal to shrink. In this episode of NAACP+ Inside the Industry, host Ariana Drummond sits down with the actor, recording artist, and NAACP Image Award nominee to talk craft, ownership, representation, and what it really takes to build a career across two industries. In this episode, we unpack: → How Algee chooses roles — and why the script always comes first → Working with Jamie Foxx on Netflix's Fight for 84 and what he learned watching Jamie set the tone on set with a boombox → The story behind his EP Love Lost — the breakup, the healing, and why men needed to hear it → Flying from Atlanta to Connecticut just to track down clearance for a sample on 'Spiraling.' → What it felt like to book New Edition and Detroit while broke and days away from flying home → How playing both a Black Panther and a cop forced him to wrestle with his own identity → His tribute to late co-star James Van Der Beek and the gems shared in an RV between scenes → The real difference between working on Black-led sets versus majority-white productions → Why ownership is legacy — and why he's never signing another deal without equity → Practical advice on contracts, AI, community building, and protecting your peace in Hollywood Subscribe to NAACP+ Inside the Industry: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaaTUaaxeh-IBd36D0P3FzFcu17Ij2S4T ️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3iny4YTd9NfUBB51aWOpYr?si=8657ebed5b5049ed&nd=1&dlsi=316fca0df52b4a1e Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naacp-inside-the-industry/id1894940807 Follow Algee Smith: https://www.instagram.com/itsalgee/ https://youtube.com/@itsalgee?si=se6LrU3mfdh-2oxu Follow Ariana Drummond: https://www.instagram.com/arianad_pr/ Learn more about NAACP+: https://linktr.ee/NAACPPlus Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/naacpplus/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Cold Open: Jamie Foxx Sets the Tone(00:00:37) - Introducing Algee Smith(00:01:24) - Choosing Roles That Speak to You(00:02:40) - Who Is Algee Off Camera?(00:03:34) - Tribute to James Van Der Beek & Filming The Gates(00:05:19) - What The Gates Says About the Black Experience(00:07:26) - Playing a Cop in American Blue After Playing a Black Panther(00:08:58) - NAACP Image Nomination & Balancing Music and Acting(00:10:28) - Fight for 84: The Netflix Boxing Film With Jamie Foxx(00:12:04) - The Responsibility of Playing Real People(00:14:28) - Growing Up in Michigan, Moving to Atlanta, and Early Influences(00:16:07) - What His Parents Taught Him About Business(00:17:21) - Making Love Lost as an Independent Artist(00:19:04) - The Wild Story Behind 'Spiraling' and the Sample Clearance Chase(00:21:17) - His Sound and Identity as an Artist(00:22:47) - What Music Gives Him That Acting Doesn't(00:24:32) - What Ownership Means to Him(00:25:34) - Building a Music Career in Today's Industry(00:27:02) - Advice for Breaking Into Entertainment(00:28:54) - The Actor-Musician Perception Problem(00:30:47) - Preparing for the New Edition Story in 30 Days(00:31:55) - The Couch-Surfing, Broke-in-LA Origin Story(00:34:59) - What the NAACP Image Nomination Meant to Him(00:35:34) - The Importance of Relationships in the Industry(00:37:17) - Representation On and Off Screen(00:39:12) - The Difference Between Black-Led and Other Sets(00:41:10) - Euphoria: What He Knew and What He Didn't(00:43:04) - How He Protects His Spirit on Heavy Roles(00:44:56) - What Hollywood Should Have Told Him Earlier(00:46:27) - Navigating AI and the Changing Landscape(00:47:41) - What Keeps Him Motivated in the Valleys(00:48:41) - Contract Advice for Artists Starting Out(00:50:40) - His Favorite Career Moment (It's Right Now)(00:51:47) - Legacy: What He Wants to Leave Behind(00:53:24) - Inside the Industry Bag Game(00:55:30) - Wrap-Up
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    56 mins
  • Hollywood's Top Publicist Reveals What It Really Takes to Make Stars | Shannon Barr

    Hollywood's Top Publicist Reveals What It Really Takes to Make Stars | Shannon Barr
    Jun 3 2026

    What does it actually take to shape the careers of Hollywood's biggest stars — and survive the chaos behind the scenes? Veteran publicist Shannon Barr pulls back the curtain on 20+ years in entertainment PR, from her early days at ICM to managing crises at 3 am, losing client John Singleton, and what it really costs to get the press you deserve.

    In this episode, Shannon covers:

    → How she got her start — and the friend named Caprice who changed everything

    → The toxic ICM boss she finally quit on (out loud, by accident)

    → Why braids cost her job opportunities and the racism she faced climbing Hollywood's ladder

    → What publicists actually do during a celebrity crisis (yes, the Will Smith slap comes up)

    → Why PR is a marathon, not a sprint — and what that means for your career

    → The real cost of hiring a publicist and why boutique pricing matters

    → Her 20-year relationship with Kenya Moore and why she fell in love with her instantly

    → The deeply emotional story of losing John Singleton and writing his final statement

    → How she represented Damson Idris, Isaiah John, and Malcolm Mays as emerging talent

    → What she wants her legacy to be as a star maker

    ️ Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3iny4YTd9NfUBB51aWOpYr?si=8657ebed5b5049ed&nd=1&dlsi=316fca0df52b4a1e

    Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naacp-inside-the-industry/id1894940807

    Watch the full playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaaTUaaxeh-IBd36D0P3FzFcu17Ij2S4T

    Learn more about NAACP+: https://linktr.ee/NAACPPlus

    Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/naacpplus/

    Follow Shannon Barr: https://www.instagram.com/sbarr06/?hl=en

    Follow Ariana Drummond: https://www.instagram.com/arianad_pr/

    Chapters
    • (00:00:00) - PR Is a Marathon: Opening Quote
    • (00:00:23) - Introducing Shannon Barr
    • (00:01:11) - Shannon's Origin Story: Wanting to Make Stars at Age 8
    • (00:02:56) - Shout Out to Caprice: The Internship That Started It All
    • (00:04:00) - Landing at ICM and the Worst Boss in Hollywood
    • (00:07:10) - The Moment She Quit Out Loud
    • (00:08:45) - Staying On to Find a Replacement — and Getting Paid
    • (00:10:25) - Finding a Mentor She Still Loves
    • (00:11:40) - How Braids Cost Her a Job
    • (00:13:00) - Starting a Talent Department From Scratch
    • (00:14:03) - Barriers Black Professionals Still Face in PR
    • (00:16:00) - Building Lasting Success: Only Taking Clients She Believes In
    • (00:17:10) - The Poet, the Publishing House, and Letting Someone Out of a Contract
    • (00:19:20) - Why Having a Publicist Only Matters When You Have the Right Project
    • (00:21:00) - What Publicists Actually Cost and Why It Matters
    • (00:22:09) - ow Low-Balling Destroys the Industry
    • (00:24:10) - What Happens Behind the Scenes During a Celebrity Crisis
    • (00:25:12) - The Will Smith Slap and the Group Chat
    • (00:27:10) - Why Some Celebrities Survive Scandal and Others Don't
    • (00:29:30) - The Me Too Attempt on Her Client — and How She Killed the Story
    • (00:30:41) - Why She Doesn't Represent Influencers
    • (00:33:15) - Influencers at Premieres and Why Publicists Stopped Pitching Them
    • (00:34:44) - Remembering John Singleton
    • (00:39:58) - The Emotional Side of Being a Publicist
    • (00:40:20) - Balancing Professionalism and Humanity
    • (00:42:24) - The Legacy Shannon Wants to Leave
    • (00:43:13) - Inside Your Industry Bag Game
    • (00:43:55) - Closing Thoughts from Ariana
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    45 mins
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