The Quick Critic: Your New Entertainment Reviews & News Platform

Dallas: Hello! My name is Dallas White and I have the pleasure of interviewing the founder and CEO of The Quick Critic, a platform with the world's best three minute video and written reviews of movies and television, new releases and retro, and breaking entertainment news. Swanka, please introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today.

Swanka: My name is Swanka Burnette. Swanka is pronounced exactly like the Wonka in Willy Wonka but with an S in front. I’ve been an economic developer for 15+ years in both the private and public sectors. I also have a passion and talent for creative writing. My current full-time work is with TitanSyntel which is a manufacturing technology startup servicing the federal government. I’m their Manager of Growth and Strategy. I’m also an adjunct college professor and have been teaching undergraduate business courses part-time for over 4 years on top of my full-time work (I keep busy!). Both of my parents are African immigrants from Liberia. I was born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts but have also lived in Vermont, California, Texas, Georgia and Florida. Currently I reside in Northern Virginia; a few miles outside of Washington D.C. I received an undergraduate B.S. in Management from The University of Massachusetts-Amherst and also played on their Division I football team. Later, I would complete my MBA at Texas Tech University. I believe my career in economic development grew and thrived because of my commitment to being genuine, having an open mind, listening, learning from mistakes and leaving ego at the door. Making the effort to be the type of person people want to work with also helped.

Dallas: That is inspiring and motivating so thank you for that and congratulations. That's absolutely impressive and now, you have The Quick Critic. Describe exactly what The Quick Critic is.

Swanka: The Quick Critic is an entertainment review and news platform consisting of a website, Instagram page, Facebook page and YouTube channel. The foundation of The Quick Critic is the “World’s Best 3 Minute Reviews of Movies and TV, New and Retro.” These reviews are written reviews first and foremost but I use the written review as a script for creatively edited video reviews. I believe 110% in the strength of my writing and its ability to tell a compelling, substantive and thought-provokingly unique story in about 300 words. There are many options out there for long form reviews of 1000+ words and 10+ minute video reviews. We get it done for our readers/viewers in 3 minutes with no drop-off in quality. If Chick-fil-A can say they perfected the chicken sandwich, we can say we have the world’s best 3 minute reviews. It’s marketing, yes, but we also believe it. Soon, we’ll be adding in physical technology reviews of the latest and greatest tech such as the iPhone 12, Xbox Series X, PS5, tablets, etc. We may also add in software technology reviews (essentially, video games) but if we do so, it would be a year or two down the line. We also post breaking entertainment news such as casting announcements, movie release dates, etc. to our Instagram and Facebook pages. Ultimately, the goal I’ve set for The Quick Critic is for it to be an international entertainment brand with a following as large as IGN, WatchMojo, or ScreenJunkies.

Dallas: I have no doubt you'll become international. This is revolutionary and with my short time span, I love being able to watch or read something and move on. Why did you want to name your business, The Quick Critic?

Swanka: I chose the name Quick Critic because I truly believe that a useful and complete entertainment review of a movie or TV series can be done in three minutes. I also believe that this type of review fills a niche that isn’t currently being met. There are a few outlets doing “quick” reviews but none have our particular approach (more on that below) and none are backed by my specific style of writing and considerable business acumen/experience.

Dallas: What's the reason or reasons why you wanted to start The Quick Critic?

Swanka: We all have a talent that can impact positive change in the minds of individuals and ultimately, the world. We just need to find it and have the courage to develop and share it. My talent is writing and when I’m writing it doesn’t feel like work. The Quick Critic is my attempt to share my talent and hopefully build a career doing what I love so as the saying goes, “I wouldn’t have to work another day in my life.”

Dallas: That's the dream. Absolutely. I don't want to steer into this but I have to ask. While launching The Quick Critic only a couple months ago during the pandemic, was/is there any hurdles you had/have to overcome?

Swanka: There hasn't been many pandemic related hurdles. The added stretches at home have in fact provided more time to gestate the business idea, launch, and most importantly, write. That being said, our review content has been impacted by the pandemic in that many films and TV shows are having their release dates pushed back (Wonder Woman, Black Widow, the upcoming 007 film, and others). The lack of theaters being fully open has created the need and opportunity for the platform to lean into nostalgia and retrospective reviews of older films. Nostalgia is a strong hook and one of the advantages of retrospective reviews is being able to dive deeper into plot points and present a more thoughtful take.

Dallas: I've been watching older films myself due to the lack of new content. Do you prefer a certain genre to review over the other?

Swanka: I have favorites from all genres. My favorite type of review to write (or read) is that of movies or TV shows that have created in me a strong emotional response. My goal for each review is to share and express that emotional response with the reader. I approach each review as a bite-sized piece of prose rather than proper critique - this is what makes a quick critic review different from the many reviews out there. We are a newer platform and part of our growth strategy is to stick with reviewing new releases and older films that have a strong nostalgic hook. Looking over the platform you’ll see a lot of action, comedy, thrillers, as well as Marvel/DC Cinematic Universe films and older classic comic book films. My audience is primarily males from the ages of 25-44 and I try to give them what they want.

Dallas: With so many movie review services out there, what makes The Quick Critic stand-out from the rest? In other words, why should people choose The Quick Critic for movie reviews?

Swanka: Each review on The Quick Critic platform is an eloquently written, substantive, bite-sized piece of prose. Keeping the reviews to 300 words (give or take) forces me to be extremely thoughtful about what to cover within. I hone in on the aspects of a movie or TV show that I believe elicit an emotional response. Said another way, I include only the information I feel will be the most useful for the reader as they absorb a retrospective review for nostalgic purposes or a new release review for purposes of making the see or don’t see decision. We are all busy. I see value in a quick review that is also meaningful and thoughtful. My hope is I can create an audience for it. So far, so good.

Dallas: What's the processing time to receive a movie review? I mean, you are The 'Quick' Critic.

Swanka: The proper answer is “it varies” but I do work fast. I’ll have most of a review written in my mind (or on my iPhone if I’m watching at home) before a movie is over. A few hours later, the review will be live on my website and social media. Video reviews take a bit longer for obvious reasons. That all being said, if I am provided with a screener I’ll generally have a written review the same day with a video review (if I’m doing one) a day later. For context, the platform averages 3-5 reviews a week.

Dallas: I know lots of musicians. Would you be open to review music videos?

Swanka: I will never say never when it comes to scaling the business but my audience would be confused if I started reviewing music videos. If we got big enough to launch subsidiary/ancillary brands, I’d love to add in music (and employees to assist me with handling those duties). Lastly, music is an entirely different animal compared to movies. There are genres of music for which I simply wouldn’t be qualified to provide useful reviews simply because I don’t have any experience with them.

Dallas: If a movie buff, filmmaker, or anyone wanted to reach out, what's the best way they can get in touch with you?

Swanka: The best way to get in touch with me is by emailing me at swanka@thequickcritic.com or sending me a direct message on Instagram or Facebook. We are @realquickcritic on both platforms.