Creating Boxes: Dominiquinn Supastar Makes His Dreams Reality

by Neil McGarry

Dominiquinn Supastar, founder of Dreality TV, is filmmaker, musician and artist, has worked on the music scene for years, and is now preparing to release the short film, Victim. In an Old City coffee shop, we took a few minutes to explore the creative world of this Philadelphian artist.

What is Dreality?
It’s a concept I came up with in 1998 when I decided to stop working a regular job. I was a representative for Sony PlayStation, or rather, I was an artist being a rep for Sony PlayStation. Once I left that job and worked full-time as an artist, I realized my dreams and my reality had merged in Dreality, which is a sort of multi-media indie. I want Dreality to be a place where artists can put there work out there for everyone. I ‘m loving the art of capturing motion and sound, and that I don’t have to go through a big movie studio or anything.

Let’s talk about your filmmaking. How did you get into that?
I’ve always been into media, but in 1998 I was living in Los Angeles and touring with a band (Jack Herrere) from San Francisco to Amsterdam. I had a 35mm camera, and I filmed the whole tour. I shot everything cinema verite, and at the end of the day it felt like a piece. I did go to Temple for Radio-Television-Film, but I only stayed one semester. I knew that being in RTF was what I was going to do regardless.

These days, although I do have a staff, I also have to be producer, director, boom operator, best boy…worst boy, some days. “Flic” was my first film, which I shot with six friends who also played the leads.

You’re casting for Victim and Hunk of the Month. What can you tell us about them?
Well, technically I am done Victim. I still have one more shot left to do, but it’s almost done. I don’t want to say too much about it, but it’s about a young woman running rampant around town, and the line she keeps repeating is, “I’ve seen it all…I’ve seen it all with my own eyes.” I probably release in around Halloween.

Hunk of the Month is a romantic comedy about Internet dating. I know that sounds like it’s been done before, but it has its own twist. I interviewed about 350 people while casting for that one! This movie really put me in the deep end of the swimming pool, but it’s amazing what you can do when you have to.

Is there a famous movie you wish you’d made?
The Royal Tenenbaums. It has a dry wit and dry humor and great esthetics…the colors in that movie are just insane. From the sountracks to the costume choices, it is just perfect. If I have a model movie, that’s it.

Let’s move on to the music. How would you describe the music you make?
I wouldn’t. I’m not a rapper or an R&B singer; I’m an artist. With the Internet the monikers are going by the wayside anyway. You can hear my stuff better than I can explain it to you. I did some work on The Roots’ The Tipping Point, and in Jack Herrere I worked with Jon B.

Who have been your musical influences?
Everything from Stevie Wonder to Run DMC to the Beatles to indigenous African music.

Is there any music you don't like?
This is where country music gets its honorable mention. No, there is no genre of music I don’t like…I LOVE some country music. I think it’s hard to say you don’t like a style of music. You might not like the specific artist, but the whole genre?

If you could collaborate with any musician, living or dead, who would it be?
Stephen Hawking. I know you’re thinking, “Wait, he’s not a musician.” The hell if he ain’t! I’d just put his voice on track speaking some of his theorems. We’d call it “Creating Boxes.”

I take it you like physics, then?
I LOVE physics. I’m the hippest geek on the planet. I’m just finishing A Brief History of Time.

Are you native to Philadelphia?
I’m born and raised here, although I won’t give you any dates on that.

What keeps you in Philadelphia?
I lived in L.A. for a while, but when I came back I was biking back and forth through Old City every day and I just thought, “LA’s done.” Philly feels a lot like London, and I LOVE London. I’ve been saying for years that I’m down for Europe, but life just gets in the way. Funny…for awhile, before I went to LA, there was no reason to stay, but now there’s no reason to leave. It’s a great fucking town.

Philadelphia is an artists’ colony. I want credit for saying that.