GEORGIA POWER PLAYERS The Superpowers Behind GO Media Productions Wayne Overstreet and Len Gibson deliver a strong punch of industry business acumen and keen creative vision By Ca ro l Bada r acco Padge t t
W e look at projects from a few different angles,” says Atlanta-based GO Media Productions’ Co-CEO, Wayne Overstreet, when you ask him what kinds of projects he’s looking for alongside his business partner, Len Gibson. “Does it have wide market appeal, does it have what’s considered a bankable cast, is it a project we can get behind even if it doesn’t fit the boxes?” And he adds, “For us, that’s often faith and family- based projects, which are our passion.” As a production and distribution company, though, GO Media Productions produces all genres of content. And its Co-CEOs are multi-faceted. “We develop projects from a business perspective first,” as Overstreet puts it, “while always trying to maintain the creative vision.” Simply put, they are able to straddle between their love of excellent content and the necessary business maneuvers to bring that content to life—and the results speak for themselves. Most recent case in point, film For the Love of Money , starring Keri Hilson and Katt Williams and directed by Leslie Small, that debuted in theaters across the nation on Thanksgiving 2021 and is slated to be available on VOD in March 2022. The crime drama, produced by Melvin Childs Presents, is about a Brooklyn-raised, street-smart single mother, Gigi (Hilson), who has walked away from a billion dollar enterprise to follow her own path and safely raise her daughter. When an opportunity arises to make a large sum of money, her past is suddenly staring her in the face. Overstreet and Gibson serve as executive producers of the gritty drama, along with Atlanta-based actor Cedric Pendleton who also appears in the film as one of its main characters, Brian. For the Love of Money was one of seven films the GO Media Productions business partners have executive produced and produced since 2019, and they also have three streaming channels—Influencer TV, Good Life Television, and Global View TV—on the cost-conscious cable alternative TikiLIVE, a user content generated IPTV platform that offers access to premium cable and satellite channels from smart devices. Before GO Media Productions, Overstreet and Gibson spent time building up their film and TV industry strengths, learning the business inside and out. Overstreet, for instance, spent 20 years in post-produc- tion work, serving as operations manager at Atlanta’s Wolff Bros. Post for seven years, followed by another seven years there as general manager. “I started Overstreet
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Wayne Overstreet and Len Gibson
receive quality post-production, which is often the difference between having a viable opportunity for distribution or not,” Overstreet says. “And that’s also how we developed a desire to become a distribution company.” When asked what’s next for the GO Media Productions’ duo, Overstreet says, “We’re developing several projects, in- cluding films First to Orion ; Committed , written by Len Gibson; and He Who Fin- deth , written by my wife and local radio personality Ramona DeBreaux.” In addition, they’re in post-produc- tion on several other projects, including Red Winter, which was produced by At- lanta film companies Smoot Films and Supremacy Films. Still another project in post is Sluttified , a documentary about the Slutty Vegan eateries, directed by Bart Phillips, executive produced and pro- duced by the Slutty Vegan restaurants’ owner, Pinky Cole, and co-produced by GO Media Productions. In all of the superpowers’ endeavors,
Photos courtesy of GO Media Productions
Production and Post in 2014 and then joined forces with Len Gibson in 2019 to form GO (Gibson/Overstreet) Media Productions,” he notes. For his part, Gibson is a 20-year industry veteran and founder of the 16-years-strong Peachtree Village In- ternational Film Festival. “Len and I have worked together on and off for over a decade, with him having a film festival and me having post-production,” Overstreet says. “It was a natural fit.” Both partners have taken their individual love for filmmaking and combined it into a mission, of sorts. “We both have a passion for helping filmmakers, so he would often send filmmakers to me to help them
several themes run strong: Atlanta, filmmaking, growth, and strength. As Overstreet confirms, “The Atlanta mar- ket is primed for continued growth and a place amongst the leaders in the film and television industry, as well as the entertainment industry as a whole. With the ef- forts of many alongside ourselves to finance productions, we’re building a sustainable model—able to support the growth of local filmmakers and actors.” GoMedia.productions | www.tikilive.com/channel/inf luencer-tv www.tikilive.com/channel/good-life-television www.tikilive.com/channel/global-view-tv
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