Daequan Winbush
Biography
My name is Daequan Winbush, and I am the founder, CEO, director, and writer at ShadowForge Media. But this is not just a title for me—it’s my life’s work and dream. I’m an African American screenwriter and director, originally from Dorchester, MA, but raised by my mother in Manchester, NH. While my path to filmmaking has been unconventional, it’s been defined by personal struggles, resilience, and a passion for creating worlds that allow me to escape my own reality.
I can trace my inspiration back to my late uncle, Comilus Pope, and my love for performing started early. Even as a child, I would entertain my family by dancing and creating skits. However, life didn’t take it easy on me. I was homeless. I slept in rooming houses surrounded by drug addicts. There were nights when I would sleep under random people’s kitchen tables, not knowing where my next meal would come from or where I would sleep that night. That experience shaped who I am today and inspired my storytelling. It was difficult, but I learned to survive and use my imagination to create my own version of the world. That world was a place I could escape to, a world full of characters with happier, richer, and more fulfilled lives than my own. And that brought me a sense of joy.
At 16, I moved out of my mother’s house after learning I was going to be a father. I dropped out of high school as a junior and took a job at Taco Bell. Looking back, I feel like that moment was the beginning of my life going off track, but I also know that it’s a story for another time. What I do know is that writing and creating became my refuge. I would spend hours daydreaming about fake lives—characters who lived in better places, had more money, and were happier than I was. It allowed me to escape and find peace within myself. That’s when I began writing everything I thought down on paper. I developed a habit of using my life in my scripts—transforming my own pain and struggles into something creative.
For example, in Terror Don't Sleep, the character Carson has extreme sleep terrors and sleep paralysis, which is something I’ve been battling since I was a child. I’ve had sleep paralysis as long as I can remember, and in 2015, I started experiencing sleep terrors. I put those struggles into Carson's character because I wanted to express what it felt like to be trapped in that fear. In Elliot: The Iron Mask, Elliot is 6'5”, just like me. His life is filled with extreme struggles and battles, but even though his experiences may seem more intense than mine, I know that my life—my experiences—walked for Elliot’s life to run. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve survived house fires, almost drowned, been in multiple car accidents, and endured molestation by family members. My life hasn’t been easy, but I’ve used it as fuel for my passion to create stories that resonate with others.
I once tried to go to Full Sail University to study filmmaking, but unfortunately, that didn’t work out. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and study everything I could about scriptwriting and filmmaking on my own. I watched everything, read every book, and learned from the best. I found my idols in Tyler Perry and Kevin Hart, but it was Tyler Perry who had the most profound impact on me. I saw him when he was just starting out—when he spent his last dime to create a play that would change his life. I watched his plays on TV with my mother and nana in Massachusetts, and from that moment, I knew I had to follow his path. Tyler wrote, directed, and produced every one of his movies and TV shows. That kind of self-reliance and dedication inspired me to do the same. I vowed I would never work for anyone. I would follow my dreams, be successful at it, and make sure my family would never have to worry about a meal or a bill again.
But it hasn’t been easy. Growing up, I always struggled with communication. I was raised by a single mother. My father had been arrested and locked away since I was just 2 or 3 years old. I was a big kid—standing 5’11” in middle school. But no one cared. No coach in football or basketball cared to train me. I was just thrown onto the field or court, and I embarrassed myself because I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t have support at home. My mother didn’t come to any of my games, so I quit every sport I tried. I wanted to be the kid who made it big and bought my mom a house, but she never believed it was possible, and I didn’t have the support I needed to make it happen.
But through all the pain, I found my voice in writing. I faced extreme social anxiety, constantly afraid of stuttering or saying the wrong thing. But my passion for storytelling kept me going. Writing gave me the courage to express myself, to give my experiences a voice. I might not have been able to communicate easily with others, but through my stories, I could speak.
Today, I am proud of everything I have built, and I’m determined to continue creating stories that can inspire others who have faced the kind of struggles I’ve known. ShadowForge Media is my all, and it is my legacy. My current project is Elliot: The Iron Mask, a film I am passionate about and dedicated to making a reality. It is the culmination of everything I’ve learned and everything I’ve gone through. I know I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’ll keep fighting for my dreams, and I’ll never stop telling stories that matter.
This is all I have. This is all I’ve ever had.
Highlights
- Founder & CEO of ShadowForge Media LLC
- Creator of IPs across sports, streaming, film, kids’ media, and wellness tech
- Writer/Director of developing feature Elliot: The Iron Mask
- Story themes: resilience, family, survival, transformation
Contact
Media & opportunities: shadowforgemedia@gmail.com
Learn more about the studio: ShadowForge Media