Genesis seeks to make SC the next Hollywood

Photo contributed by Genesis Creative Genesis Creative shoots on location in Winnsboro.

When Cliff Springs was growing up around Charleston, he wanted to make movies. He didn't want to be a movie star or celebrity. He wanted to create movies - write a script, shoot some footage, edit the results into a story. That's what he wanted to do. Right now he is real close to getting it done.

Cliff graduated from USC in 1992 and founded CQTV with Ray Christy the following year. When Christy died from lung cancer, his widow sold her share of the company to Springs in 2003. He changed the company name to Genesis Creative and began to focus on marketing and entertainment related projects.

After 16 years in the business, Genesis is working hard to make its first full length movie a reality and provide a studio that offers clients the ability to rent the tools to do their project or hand off the details to the pros at Genesis and wait for the result, and everything in between.

The current staff is not only well equipped to provide any service a client could need, it is filled with talented folks who always take their work seriously but never take working seriously. Spring claims he hires second rate comedians who intend to dedicate years working for Genesis. He is the only first rate comedian.

Art director Will Bryan played football at USC under Lou Holtz. That alone proves he has a sense of humor. His boss considers the congenial golden boy persona to be fake. "Will is sneakily crooked when it comes to office high jinks."

Editor Sherard Duvall graduated from USC in 1999 and his background as a DJ has helped him gain a foothold in the music video scene in the Midlands. Duvall has a reputation for not being able to leave the building for less than 75 minutes and has more nicknames than anyone in South Carolina. He also helped book and coordinate the talent for the Rhythm on the River concert series for the West Metro Chamber of Commerce.

John Collins is also an editor and production assistant. Collins started with Genesis as an intern and has remained there since graduation. He is also from USC. Rumor has it, he has such a vast collection of DVDs the others would have nothing to watch if he was let go.

Laurie Nicholson is a production assistant and administration assistant; which means she does all the stuff everyone else doesn't want to do. She is a fan of quotes, especially those that make no sense to anyone other than her.

Brian Rish and Les Stringer round out the team. Both are producers and USC graduates, which makes Genesis 100% Gamecocks. Stringer is known as McGyver for his ability to solve any problem that comes up with chewing gum and duct tape.

In addition to building a business, the folks at Genesis Creative are trying to establish the Palmetto State as a stand alone source for making movies. While movies such as Leatherheads and The Patriot have been filmed here, most of the staffs from those movies came from Hollywood.

By partnering with USC, Claflin, and Benedict on film and video projects, Springs hopes to build a stable of people who can do the work necessary to film movies in South Carolina without having to bring hired guns in from somewhere else. The hope is to one day having a movie made in South Carolina using personnel from within the state. That day is getting closer thanks to Genesis Creative.

For more information about Genesis Creative go to gencreative.com.