Protocol Films – Entertaining Gwinnett One Film at a Time

By Traci Sanders

Richard and Hattie Diaz met in a local theater show a few years ago. They married soon after and founded Protocol Films in August 2020. The couple has been entertaining Gwinnett and surrounding communities ever since.

As CEO and co-founder, Richard serves as the imagination for the company. His film, Orange Sky, was nominated for three awards and won two awards through the Southern Horror Film Festival. He loves to encourage creativity in others. Co-founder and president Hattie is the brain of the company. Her short film, SEEN, was featured in the Summer of the South Film Festival. Both Richard and Hattie are experienced writers, directors, and actors.

Protocol Films was “created for the creative,” as it boasts on its website. Richard and Hattie’s goal is to not only produce high-quality short films, feature films, dramas, comedies, and parodies, but also professional commercials and audition tapes for fellow actors. The website provides self-taping services that are self-guided but also offers coaching to those who need a bit of assistance or insight.

At the moment, their films are shot only in Georgia locations, as the couple resides in Gwinnett County. However, they are willing to travel for projects. Richard and Hattie are proud to offer high-quality films to their community and are always open to ways of giving back. The couple donated their time and equipment to shoot a promotional video for American Immersion Theater, Atlanta Troupe, to help them expand their cause of donating clothes for local homeless citizens.

I asked Hattie where she and Richard draw inspiration for their films, and she replied, “It’s a mixture of personal experiences and creativity. Since Covid pretty much cancelled Halloween for many kids, we created a short film to show that kids could still go trick-or-treating during Covid and stay safe by following CDC guidelines. It also showed that the community is always able to help each other and support other families, even in small ways.”

When asked what they would consider their worst and best films so far, Hattie laughed and said, “We did a short film called Big Little Book of Thanks that was written, filmed, and edited within a twentyfour-hour time period. My husband said it was the worst one he has ever done and wishes it could’ve been better. Our best film, in my opinion, would be SEEN. I wrote the script, but my husband and I worked together to create this short film about suicide awareness. We’re really proud of it.”

Some of Hattie’s celebrity heroes are Jennifer Aniston, Ryan Reynolds, and Sandra Bullock. Richard’s celebrity influences are J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Zemeckis. However, Hattie mentioned that her entire family is full of real-life heroes who have been supporting her journey since she was two. Her brother, Ian, filmed their latest piece, Kidnapped, set to release this year. The film was Hattie’s concept, but a friend of Hattie’s, Micaela Dee, wrote the script. Hattie’s mother, Candy Cole, has been a constant support in her career. Richard’s son, Indiana, is a recently established YouTuber who streams himself playing video games, and who has been acting since the age of six.

Richard and Hattie share a love of everything film-related and truly enjoy telling stories through their work. “Everyone has a story to tell,” Hattie said, “whether they come from astounding dreams or breathtaking life experiences. Stories are what keep this world a magical place

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