From documentary film, to news production, and commercial advertising, Senior Director of Live Action Production for EG+, Christopher Howard can handle it all.
“I will say there was an extra layer of stress from an African American leader that is separate from what leaders on average, stress about,” Howard told Barrett News Media over Zoom. “There’s just like an extra layer of something we think about. Because when you’re not used to seeing yourself in certain positions, it does create a bit of a hesitancy versus always seeing folks who look like you in a position of power.”
Howard said, “I grew up in Gainesville, Florida. I moved there when I was four. I was originally born in Washington, DC. and through some crazy situations, my mother and I had to leave [DC].” Howard and his mom moved in with his great-grandmother and uncle calling his upbringing, “A bit dysfunctional. At a certain point, my great-grandmother had a stroke when I was in third grade, and my mother at the time was on drugs. My uncle was an alcoholic, so I was an eight-year-old child dealing with the 85-year-old woman who had just had a stroke.”
Becoming his great-grandmother’s caretaker, Howard said, “I would learn from all of the health aides and nurses who would come by they would teach me how to do things.”
While Howard was her caretaker, a family friend stepped in and had a large hand in raising him.
“I wouldn’t be here talking to you in this position if it weren’t for Marion Caffey. You know, he’s been my father in every sense of the word. When I say Dad, that’s what I’m talking to.”
Howard added, “That was my childhood up until my great-grandmother passed away when I was in eighth grade, and kind of left me trying to figure out who was going to take care of me.” Howard moved back to Washington D.C. and lived with his grandfather, who owned a photography shop (the store is still family-owned today). He said of the time with his grandfather, “That’s kind of where I started learning about imagery.”
Howard moved to New York where he was on BET’s The Center as a part of The Center Crew. Once the show got canceled Howard moved to modeling “I had a few print ads in some well-known magazines like Double XL and Complex. Acting-wise, I was able to do a lot of commercial work, done soap opera work. I had a little small day role on One Life to Live.” He later added, “Somewhere around like 2010, 2011, it didn’t feel right. I started to slowly realize that I didn’t really want to be an actor.”
Caffey introduced Howard to Rita Coburn, of whom Howard said, “She has become one of the biggest staples in my life. She has really changed my life.”
Working from the bottom up again, he began as a production assistant and was quickly promoted to coordinator. He also produced video on the side.
“I would go out, shoot, practice, and would develop my own portfolio by shooting my own stuff. I started shooting a lot of food first because I was really into food.” Howard showed Coburn his reel. It was so beautiful Coburn knew she found her Director of Photography for her next project.
Together, Coburn and Howard filmed the documentary “And Still I Rise: Maya Angelo.” Howard said, “I was able to spend a couple of days with Dr. Maya Angelo in her home. That was a life-changing experience.” The pair won a Peabody for their work. After, Howard was looking for full-time work, “So I took a job working for the [New York City] Department of Corrections.”
There, he made “We Were There,” a series on the Department of Corrections’ work and efforts on and after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. “They established the telecoms for the NYPD because the antenna [for the NYPD] was on the tower that went down. They did harbor launches to help people get across because they had shut down the bridges and a tunnel.” He added, “They also handled the morgue. They dealt with the landfill like they did all the grungy stuff. And they were there on the pile, just like everyone else. But [until this series] they got little to no recognition for it.”
His efforts at the DOC brought Howard to Fox News. He said of his time there, “Everything that I was able to touch and create, there is something that’s meaningful for me and that’s what I appreciate.” Howard continued his success at Peloton before making the switch to EG+.
Of his accolades and accomplishments Howard said, “I still don’t believe it and sometimes I have imposter syndrome. I feel like am I supposed to be here?” He added on top of being an industry leader there is an extra layer of stress because of the color of his skin. “it’s like an extra layer of something that we think about. Because when you’re not used to seeing yourself in certain positions, it does create a bit of a hesitancy.” He later added, “We don’t have that same feeling because we’ve never had that held those positions long enough and wide enough for enough of us to look and feel like we deserve to be there.”
Howard believes his success is because of his tenaciousness. “I just kept wanting more. Not only did I want more, I kept filling my mind with the information that I needed to get.” Howard added, “I wanted to be an example for folks to know that if you had difficult upbringings, if you had traumatic moments in your life, use that to help. Let it shape you into being the correction.”
Working from the ground up in every facet of the media industry, Howard believes, “I have a responsibility to ensure that we’re bringing more diversity and equitable inclusion to this industry.”
This is one of the many reminders that Black History Month brings us. His advice for those who want to follow in his footsteps is simple, “Don’t make excuses, because people are always watching. Don’t allow yourself to be tricked by the laziness of others out of your purpose.” Most importantly, Howard said, “Smile. Smile a lot. Okay. People don’t realize how powerful a smile is.”
