Background cont:
Though
he may approach a topic from what
many consider a "black perspective,"
Tripp-Haith, a native of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, says his own "very
rich and diverse life experiences
add diversity" to his own vision.
And, that vision is founded in an
inclusive worldview.
The road to success in television,
and the entertainment industry as
a whole, is paved with talent, vision,
and "most importantly, hard work,"
says Tripp-Haith, who has served in
a wide variety of roles during his
more than 20 years in the business.
But he has always "wanted to
be on the production" end of
the business.
Producing is a "tough but rewarding"
career, says Tripp-Haith. As a producer,
concerned with bringing a production
within budget he says, he must also
be creative.
"A producer's creativity,"
says Tripp-Haith, "comes in finding
means, within often stringent budgets,
to realize a writer's vision. It's
all about the budget sometimes."
Prior to "Eve," Tripp-Haith
climbed the production ladder with
the hit series "Moesha."
The first rung was as associate producer
during the show's first season. He
moved up the ladder to co-producer
for the second season of "Moesha,"
and made it to the top of the ladder
in the third season to serve as the
show's producer for more than 85 episodes.
Tripp-Haith served as post supervisor
for "South Central' and a number
of other productions. He also did
a stint at the television station
at Howard University, one of the premier
black colleges in the nation. There
he had hoped to find a workable mix
of academe and the commercial aspects
of the industry. Tripp-Haith majored
in communications at College Point
Park College.
He began his working career with such
shows as "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"
and the pilot for "Uptown Saturday
Night."
Doors are opening for blacks in the
television industry, Tripp-Haith says.
And the mantra for anyone who wants
to be successful in the entertainment
industry is and should always be:
"Work! Work! Work! You're only
as good as your last project,"
he advises.
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