By Annette Arceneaux
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Robinson’s day begins working for the HBO show “The Deuce” as an assistant to the writers and producers, where she will edit scripts, plan meetings and plan the internship program.
She enjoys her job, but once the clock strikes five, Robinson works on a personal project that will fulfill one of her bigger dreams.
Robinson is a budding writer who has been encouraged by writers and executives at HBO to take her own screenplay, called “3 Blind Mice,” to Netflix, HBO and Starz next fall.
“We’re really hoping for Netflix because their demographic reaches our target audience,” Robinson said. “I am not sure how hard presenting to Netflix will be, but as of now, I haven’t found much difficulty.”
The show is modeled after Black-focused sitcoms from the 1990s that try to send positive messages in each episode.
“It’s basically a 90’s old school feel, mixed with the millennial generation,” Robinson said. “I came up with the idea because I felt like this narrative was something that a lot of people could relate to.”
The show’s premise is about a young African-American woman who spent most of her life in predominately white schools until she’s expelled from Yale. The student then attends a historically Black university, where she experiences culture shock until her two roommates help her face life.
The story’s narrative was inspired by her mother, Noni Robinson.
Imani Robinson was born when Noni Robinson was 19 and attending Lincoln University, a historically black college, in 1993. Noni Robinson said her group of friends helped her succeed in school by alternating babysitting shifts during classes.
“She grew up on the college campus and then of course she grew close with my friends because they helped me raise her,” Noni Robinson said. “Really it’s a story about friendship and being out of college so that’s what ‘3 Blind Mice’ is about.”
Noni Robinson raised Imani as a single mother. Noni said she has always been supportive of Imani’s dreams, especially throughout the project’s process where Noni says she plays many roles beyond mother, like agent and manager.
“Imani has always had big dreams, since I would say, 8 years old and she hasn’t given up,” Noni Robinson said. “She put in the work and she’s always been really diligent. So, I have to support her dreams and ‘3 Blind Mice’ because she started writing it a long time ago and it just morphed into what it is today.”
To move forward with her project, Imani Robinson created an online Indiegogo campaign to help her fundraise the production process of “3 Blind Mice.” In addition, Imani hosted a fundraising evening that offered donors quality time to get to know the project and its writer. With the fundraising campaign and evening, Imani raised $20,000.
Imani Robinson attended high school at the Baltimore School for the Arts. Noni said the school has been supportive of “3 Blind Mice,” always posting about it and attending her events.
After high school, Imani Robinson attended the California Institute of Art for acting. A few years later she went to UCLA to study screenwriting, something she will continue when she and Noni move to California in the fall of 2018 after the pilot is filmed.
Currently, Imani Robinson is working with producer Ayana Parker Lee to address the pre-production phase of the project, which requires scouting film locations and hiring a full crew to start filming the 20-minute pilot.
Robinson and Parker Lee first met when they were in high school in the theatre department. It wasn’t until recently that the two connected over Parker Lee’s Instagram post that informed her followers that she was looking to collaborate with fellow up-and-coming artists. The two shared their work and both agreed that they would be a good fit for the project.
“I read over the story and it was a story that I could really get behind, that I believe in and that I am very passionate about telling,” Parker Lee said.
“3 Blind Mice” is set to start filming in August, and it will take about a week, Robinson said. Robinson and Parker Lee are keen that the show take place in Baltimore or in the area. Robinson said her ideal locations for the university settings are Howard University or Coppin State University.
“Baltimore is a beautiful place with a lot of dynamic characters and a dynamic environment in general,” Parker Lee said. “The area ties into the story, so we want to make sure the area is authentic.”
Robinson said that she feels confident about her project and believes in it fully, because she wants to share something positive with her generation that hasn’t been done before.
“She’s very humble, she’s a nice person and she loves people, so I think that’s important especially in this industry for people who are trying to go far,” Noni Robinson said. “There are people that are not so nice and not so humble and I think this is why she’s been blessed.”