KUAMP, a boutique creative production studio and multimedia platform company based in New York, is marking its 20th anniversary this year. The studio is a Black-owned business, founded by executive producer Antonio “Tronic” McDonald, and features a collective of creatives that work closely with clients to tell compelling and award-winning stories for multiple platforms, including television, film, radio, digital, and out-of-home.
KUAMP Founder, Antonio McDonald
The company’s name stands for “Keep Up And Make Progress”, and it encapsulates the philosophy he and his team have applied for the past 20 years. KUAMP began as McDonald's side project when he was working for a global music channel's promotion department, creating branded content straight out of college.
According to McDonald, back in the early 2000s, almost everything in media production was done internally, so he was able to gain experience in a wide variety of roles, including creative, directing, production, writing, camera operation, editing, and many others. This allowed him to wear many hats and learn various tools and tricks of the trade, with a rapid turn-around time of 2-3 weeks, delivering high-quality output despite limited budgets.
He used what knowledge he acquired and applied it to KUAMP, where he was eventually able to work with major television networks and critically acclaimed music artists, producing music videos, cooking shows, and other variety content. KUAMP’s achievements also include offering creative strategy to major tech giants, partnering with sports associations, and multiple record labels.
According to McDonald, KUAMP has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 20 years into a full-service creative production studio. They have worked with world-famous clients and going up – and sometimes winning – against the heavyweights of the advertising industry and have been fortunate enough to win several awards.
“KUAMP is composed of people coming together to collaborate and put out into the world authentic pieces that were not behind the traditional media gatekeepers as well as art that moves culture. I felt that, at the time, advertising and production was very much dominated by the powers that be. It was very tough to break in, especially as a person of color. We want to create work that we can be proud of, while retaining as much creative control. We understand both the commercial and artistic sides of the business, and we pride ourselves on being able to obtain a balance. Looking back 20 years, I feel like we've exceeded what we were dreaming for the company back then.”
McDonald was born in the US, and his family hails from St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean. He credits his family with instilling in him the values of hard work, perseverance, grit, and faith, which he believes were the keys to his success in getting KUAMP to last 20 years in the business.
“People saw my talent early on, after my mother bought me a video camera when I was a kid. While there's natural talent in the mix, I believe that KUAMP's and my success comes from hard work, perseverance, grit, and faith in God. These have served me well over the years, especially through all the challenges we faced over a 20-year period. It's always tough in the media and advertising business, but especially more so for a Black man like me. This is what I tell those in minority or underserved sectors, such as people of color, women, and LGBTQ+. The key is to keep going and have the grit to persevere through it all. Treat the difficulties as roadblocks and not insurmountable walls. If you keep your faith and you keep working hard, good things happen.”
Media contact:
Name:Antonio McDonald
Email:[email protected]
