This week, Ira spoke with Kenny Shedd, former (Oakland) Raider and current filmmaker, working on “The Next Dana White.” In this episode of “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” Kenny talks about why he decided to become a filmmaker; how he spent 20 years with the San Leandro Police Department; his thoughts on the Raiders moving to Las Vegas; how he came up with the idea for “The Next Dana White,” his first feature film; how he scripted the film to emphasize the characters’ father-daughter relationship more than fight scenes; his development of Las Vegas investors; why he moved his production from the Bay area to Las Vegas; and why attention to detail is important in making movies.
Kenny Shedd, a film director/producer who grew up in Davenport, Iowa, learned the fine arts of filmmaking at the Berkeley Digital Film Institute (BDFI) in 2012. Since then, Kenny has written, produced and directed numerous short films, including: “Hidden Secrets,” “Lincoln Kennedy Kicks For Kids,” “Karma,” and “The Snake That Almost Got Me,” which is a mini-doc about NFL athletes with CTE (from brain concussions).
Prior to his filmmaking endeavor, Kenny spent 8 eight years in the NFL, playing wide receiver and special teams for the New York Jets (Drafted 5th Round), Chicago Bears, Oakland Raiders, and Washington Redskins. Kenny was also a police officer and detective in the Bay Area.
He is currently an Ambassador for the Las Vegas Raiders and makes it a point to travel across the States to take part in Speaking Forums and Q&A events, in which young people are provided with critical insight and information that will help them navigate towards a prosperous livelihood.
Leave a Reply