Hollywood might have taken a COVID-19 pause for much of 2020, but the pandemic didn’t slow down local writer and director Karlton Clay. Instead, the year catapulted him into new territory with two full length feature films released last year.
“I never saw myself going into film,” said Clay, 35, who started creating the Internet-based series called “College Daze” when he was a student at Georgia State University in 2006.
Over the last 15 years, he has created multiple award-winning series including “The Lyons Den” which premiered in 2012 and is still running, “KARMA” which aired from 2014-2017, “Lovers Lane” which ran from 2015-2019; and “Color Blind” which ran from 2015-2017.
His series currently in production include “Bondage” and “BrothAhood,” which both started in 2017, “EX-Factor” which started in 2016 and “Peace Be Steel” which began in 2019.
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Clay has entered several of his web series into contests; one of the wins at a web awards show in Miami garnered him a distribution deal through Maverick Movies. The company is responsible for distributing Clay’s “Sweet Mahogany” series, which was turned into a feature-length film, and his new comedy romance, “Reindeer Games.” Both of these films are available on several streaming networks including Amazon Prime, VUDU, Fandango NOW and Tubi. The holiday film, “Reindeer Games” has been on additional platforms including Crackle, IMDbTV, Roku TV and Plex.
Clay describes “Reindeer Games” as a “Hallmark/Lifetime” type of Christmas romance.
Clay is gaining momentum with the films and has four additional movies that will be released in the first half of 2021. “Sweet Mahogany 2” premieres on Feb. 23, with “Redemption For Easter” in March, “My Brother’s Keeper,” in April and “SistAHood” in May.
“This has increased my drive,” said Clay.
He plans to continue working on his series, and by the spring, he will film his 400th episode. A few of his series will come to an end including “The Lyons Den,” “Peace Be Steel” and “EX-Factor.” He’s also working on a new full-length feature called “The Assistant,” which will be shot in Charlotte, N.C., and Augusta this month.
Not only did he release the two films in 2020, but he brought in a few awards for some of his current work. “My Life,” which is one of his newest series, won “best LGBTQ web series” at the 2020 Urban Mediamakers Festival in Atlanta, and his “Peace Be Steel” won the 2020 Asia Web Awards for best ensemble cast in a drama. Clay was named the 2020 Greater Augusta Arts Council Artist of the Year.
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While Clay has used different vehicles over the years, one thing hasn’t changed. Clay has always been a storyteller at heart.
His early stories were presented as plays. A 2004 graduate of John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, he wrote his first play “Leukemia and Me” the year he graduated about his battle with the disease as a 15-year-old. And he hasn’t stopped. Over the next eight years, he’d write seven additional plays. He’s also made short films and has published VPN Magazine.
“I tell stories because it is truly a God-given gift, and I do not feel complete if I’m not using my gift,” he said.
To learn more about Clay and his productions, visit his website, www.thevpntv.com.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
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