Love Barnett, along with her partner Carl Jones launched the renowned animation/marketing company Martian Blueberry to bring great ideas to life while championing diversity and inclusion in art.You had an incredible career in entertainment and advertising.
What led you to start your own casting agency when you were just 17 years old?
Well, that, that was just it was something that just kind of came upon me. I was working at a record company. They were always looking for people to put in videos. And so, they would always ask me if I know someone and then it just kind of dawned on me like, “Okay, I keep doing this. Why don’t I, you know, keep hooking people up? Why don’t I start a little business? You know this is an actual job.” So I started Much Love Productions, my own casting company. I ended up casting for a lot of music videos and extras for movies. It was really fun. I enjoyed it.
After performing in iconic videos for Kanye West, and Eminem, and on sitcoms like Martin, Smart Guy, and The Last O.G., why pursue a degree in advertising?
I don’t like being in front of the camera that much even though people say “You will be great. Do this, do this.” I have these opportunities. But I really like being behind the scenes. I really like helping people see their vision realized. That’s something that I really enjoy. So, advertising kind of just came naturally. I used to do PR as well. Advertising just seemed like a great thing, because I love being the brains behind the product. It was just something that naturally came to me.
Having worked in so many distinct aspects of the entertainment industry, which would you say is your favorite?
Hands down, it’s animation! I am where I’ve always wanted to be… I was reading this my journal from when I was younger… And I always loved animation.
Were you always interested in animation? And how did it all begin?
Yes, I was. I was an only child and a latchkey kid. So, you know, I get home from school and watch cartoons… That was always something that was very important to me. I just didn’t know anyone in animation that looked like me, so at that point, I never looked at this as a real career option. After meeting and getting to know Carl for a while, I remember wanting to create a cartoon character from the hip-hop song, Bonita Applebum, because that was a nickname people used to call me. I reached out, and he was really interested. I showed him what I had written up, and we did a mockup of it and everything.
I felt like I could not be an animator because I didn’t know how to draw. I can’t draw a stick figure (laughing). Carl was really able to help me see other avenues where I could be instrumental. It’s not always just about drawing, but it’s about knowing and being able to tell a good story.
Martian Blueberry is a remarkably interesting name. Share with us the origin.
Well, it has a lot of different meanings. First, I call Carl, The Martian. That’s the easy part. There are things called Martian Blueberries on Mars. And we also have something similar on Earth. It’s from a hematite stone. Native Americans actually used it. Our favorite meaning is ‘strange fruit’. It kind of has a few meanings to it and it’s a little deeper than just what it sounds.
What are some of the services your multimedia company offers?
Our clients share their ideas, and we bring them to life. We’re a production service. We have worked for the Lakers, First Credit Union, Megan Thee Stallion, Trippie Red, as well as the MLB as part of their celebration of the Negro League.
One of the things that I read about your company is that you guys are focused on tackling the worldwide need for diversity and inclusion. How are you going about that?
Well, Carl has been in the business for a while. And unfortunately, throughout his entire career, he’s noticed that he still has to explain our culture, our art, how we look, and the things that we do. It’s really hard to teach people how to draw you and create at the same time. Sometimes, we have to explain the noses need to be a little larger, the lips need to be a little fuller, and the hair needs to be a little kinkier. It gets draining after a while. We felt like if we had our own animation company, we would be able to alleviate some of that because we already understand the culture. For example, Megan Thee Stallion wanted us to make sure her character was honey-brown. Black people come in many shades. We look, walk, and talk differently, even among ourselves.
People don’t realize how hard that is to relay to studios that don’t understand. Some studios don’t hire enough people of color to be able to interpret or visualize that.
You are the associate producer on the animated pilot “Trap Town” starring Trippie Redd and DC Young Fly, as you mentioned. Can you tell us what that was like?
You know, DC Young Fly is hilarious. That’s definitely not going to be the last time we work with him and Trippie Redd. It was great. We were doing some other projects with him as well. I learned a lot from that project. In live action when people are acting, they’re usually in the room together and they’re able to feed off each other, but it’s not the same in animation. You have to help encourage that person to really bring out that character and get everything to mesh together. It takes a lot of practice. There’s a lot of work that goes in on the back end of that people would never think.
With your wide range of experience, what advice would you offer someone interested in following your example?
Make sure you develop thick skin and stick to your guns. Don’t allow anybody to make you deviate from your primary vision. We kind of get into this and fold and try to mold to other people’s expectations. But if you stick to your guns and there’s a reason why you’re passionate about it in the first place, you will succeed. Sometimes, you can lose that passion because there is a lot of politics in the game. So, you must develop a thick skin and stick to your guns to keep your passion flaming.
As a woman of color, what would you say has been the key to your success?
That’s a good question. I’m the key to my success. I have a unique story. I have a unique vision. It’s a really interesting question because I’ve never had anybody ask me that before. I just think my passion and desire for storytelling, the way I view the world, and my experiences are very unique. It helps me excel in this business because I see things from different angles, and I’m able to bring that into this world. A lot of times, unfortunately, we get the bad rap of having an attitude or whatever… When it’s a man who is assertive in his views, he’s strong and he knows what he wants. Sometimes when it’s a woman, she’s perceived as overbearing or emotional. It can be hard to be heard without being judged, but you have to be strong in your truth.
I got the chance to check out some of the stuff that you guys have online is really amazing.
Did you see MLB? It’s really powerful… I didn’t realize that the black women in the 1950s actually played with and against the men in the Negro League… I just thought that was really interesting that the Negro League didn’t care about your race or gender. They just wanted you to play. Being able to tell those stories was just amazing. It was a beautiful story. We wish we could have had a little longer but that was the time we were allotted. I really hope we did it justice because it was it’s such an important part of history.
Be’n Original
