After writing (along with Keenen Ivory Wayans), producing, directing, and starring in his first film "Hollywood Shuffle", Robert Townsend had attained near-cult status among independent filmmakers due to his dedication to that film—a project which caused him to max out all his credit cards and spend nearly $100,000 of his own money raised through savings and various acting jobs in order to produce the film. When writing Townsend's first studio film "The Five Heartbeats", Townsend and Wayans kept comedy an important aspect of the film, but also explored complex characters in a more dramatic way.