Brandon “Dice DaVinci” Boutte Reflects on Helping “Meet the Blacks Starring Mike Epps” Make Millions
Houston creative Brandon “Dice DaVinci” Boutte is documenting the extensive promotional work he contributed to the 2016 comedy Meet the Blacks starring Mike Epps. According to Boutte, he created a majority of the film’s promotional content outside of its official trailer, helping build public awareness and excitement surrounding the project and its release.
Boutte’s contribution extended beyond simply sharing existing advertisements. He says he personally created promotional material that helped introduce the movie, its cast and its comedic identity to audiences, mostly used on the casts social media to promote the film to millions of people. His and Deon Taylor’s work supported the film’s visibility while demonstrating the multimedia skills that would later shape his career as a filmmaker, producer and founder of EIRAM Productions.
His involvement is also reflected in the film’s credits and on IMDb, the Internet Movie Database, where he is credited for his work on Meet the Blacks as a behind-the-scenes camera operator and editor. The listing provides an independent public record connecting Boutte to the production.
Boutte also recalls receiving a personal telephone call from director Deon Taylor acknowledging the importance of his contribution.
“We made $9 million. We couldn’t have done it without you. Just calling to say thank you, Dice.” -Deon Taylor
The film ultimately grossed MORE than $9 million, making it a commercial success relative to its reported production budget.
Years later, Boutte believes it is important to preserve an accurate public record of his creative work. His decision to tell the story is not about taking credit away from the cast, filmmakers or other members of the campaign. It is about ensuring that his own documented contributions are not erased or minimized when the history of Meet the Blacks is discussed.
“People will not always tell your story when you are not in the room,” Boutte says. Sometimes you have to document what you contributed and make sure the record reflects the work you actually did.”
His experience with Meet the Blacks, Deon Taylor, and Mike Epps remains an important chapter in his development as a promotional creator and filmmaker—and a reminder that behind every successful entertainment project are creatives whose work deserves recognition.
Boutte is now preparing to introduce Behind the Lens, the first series will be a 13-episode project featuring an inside look at the making of Meet the Blacks directed by Deon Taylor. Drawing from behind-the-scenes material captured during the production, the series will offer audiences a closer look at the cast, crew, creative process and moments that helped bring the film to life.
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