MARC ANTHONY THOMPSON
(a.k.a. “The Chocolate Genius”) MUSICIAN, SEGMENT REPORTER AND COMPOSER FOR COLORVISION

Q: What would you say was your strongest influence in making the music for COLORVISION?

A: The only thing that I went into [COLORVISION] with was the knowledge that it needed a certain pace. That was really my only influence — energy. I knew that in the world of television you don’t have a lot of time to get your point across.

Q: You mentioned working with Marc Henry Johnson before — what were those projects?

A: We did something 10 years ago. Marc invited me on another program that he produced called NY Love Letters. And then he came on board very early for A Huey P. Newton Story when it was in the theater. He was very influential in getting the funding to get it onto film. It was a long process. The show ran for about 500 shows or five years and Marc was there. So I got to know him that way.

Q: What do you think is the natural evolution for COLORVISION — will there be a season two? And if so, what would you like to see the series explore down the road?

A: I would love for COLORVISION to have a series two because, first of all, there are not that many outlets for young directors, particularly directors of color. I’d like for people who don’t necessarily have a voice to get involved. I’d also like to cover issues that might not usually come into your living room. I’d like it to be global in scope — you know, reflect the spectrum, all the colors. The invasion of Iraq happened when we were doing the Puerto Rican Day Parade, and that brought in an element of national crèche with the flag. So sometimes you can’t tell where history’s going to lead things. You have to stay on top of issues that are relevant.

Q: What are you working on now that COLORVISION has wrapped up?

A: I’m working on a film right now for HBO. It’s a beautiful story about six individuals and a day in their life working at a Brooklyn diner. They think the diner’s going to be sold because the neighborhood’s becoming gentrified. This story came along at a perfect time. Some of the material relates to me on a personal level.

At the same time, I’m working on another movie called Brother to Brother that Marc Henry is involved in It’s about the Harlem renaissance and the core group of artists who created the magazine Fire. It was pretty ahead of it’s time. It was published in 1926, and talks about gay issues and the Black community. So it’s a pretty important part of history that not a lot of people know about. I’m excited to be doing that. And at the same time, I’m working on the next Chocolate Genius record. We don’t start recording until August.