Love Letters and Layups

Yo, welcome to the first blog post. I love when people do cool stuff like this on their own pages and I find it. I also think this is going to be super fun recounting and telling stories here about the shoots that I’ve been apart of.

It’s currently 12:10 am, I’m listening to a dark fantasy playlist, and I’m 1 week away from releasing my first movie. I’m still working on it. The last things I have to do are small, but many. Sound, cuts, visual fixes, but it’s in great shape. I am talking with my close collaborators about the film’s themes and if I should cross certain lines. Although I’ve had those conversations with them constantly throughout the making of the film, I think our work lives on within us and beyond.

One of those close collaborators is Prince, and the short film we made in college together. He has an incredible article which I’ll link here that tells you all about him, but I’m going to tell you from my perspective. Prince has a strong confidence about him. He is a leader by example, always stepping into the unknown with a smile on his face. He’s also an adept student of his craft. He pushes onwards bravely, habitually, to learn more about the world and himself. To this, I relate to him. We are both sons of immigrant parents, and although we come from different cultures, have taken an attitude of exploration towards life. It was only fate’s knowledge that we would meet in college… which we would both leave soon for different reasons.

I left school after 2 years of studying. Initially I wanted to move to New York when I was 18. My parents told me I was too young. Although I had a strong fire within me, I trusted that they had my best interest at heart. I ached to leave school, every class felt like I was ahead and already knew what was being taught; however, I gained a strong basis of understanding film which I still use to this day. It was worth it, yet I still felt ready to leap. Before I did though, I met Prince. Almost as if we were phantoms in each others’ lives already, anime protagonists of our own stories, we had heard each others’ names. I only remember seeing him briefly outside of an African fashion event, he put on these futuristic shades before walking right past me. Later I had seen him acting in a short called “Turkey On Rye” and he was good. He had popular presence. In my own way, I had that too with the tech side of the film students. I figured we’d cross paths at one point, but he had already made his leap. Prince transferred to Howard University in DC.

It was during this era, before I made my move to New York, that we’d gotten connected. We then proceeded to make our first short film together. This short film would go on to inspire many creatives at Howard, even being used in presentations as the standard of achievement. As I said before, our work lives on within us and beyond. So how did we actually do the thing?

We made it in 6 hours. Lightning speed.

Technically it took me another 4 hours to edit, but our key was trust in each other. I’d gotten to Prince’s apartment at night and I spotted a copy of A24’s Moonlight on his living room table. My mom had bought me the same book. It’s a large copy of the script, as well as 24 frames from the movie. After I saw that I knew we had a common thread. He then showed me a couple of small videos on Instagram and played me the song he wanted to use on YouTube. I grabbed a paper and pen and drew about 4 storyboard before we both agreed “let’s just start.” From there we had a back and forth of shots. I suggested one thing, he rolled with it and suggested another within the frame. Then vice-versa, I would ask him what shot he wanted to do, to which he replied “I see the camera over me in the bed.” We rigged it up and I told him he should scream. We did 2 takes because, you know.. apartment complex LOL. We went the whole night like this, furiously quick, lightning in a bottle I call it. From apartment to basketball court to The Yard (a historic area for Howard’s campus and the black fraternities), Prince introduced me to his world and his story.

Sidebar: Funny enough, that night he had an injured toe and I suggested that we use it. It ended up becoming a powerful metaphor involved in telling the story of him leaving sports to pursue the arts.

From a technical standpoint, I knew less than I do now making that film, yet it still resonates strongly today. I didn’t shoot in log, we had 2 lights, my 1’ tube and his c-stand, and it was my first time ever using Prince’s Sony A7IV. I also had not met Filip yet, another story for another time, who had taught me more about color and grading. I had made this work with less than I have today, something I think Prince and I always remember in our current productions. We also have carried forth tradition with him showing me films, music, inspiration before every shoot. We’ve improved it as well. He gathers the whole crew and everyone watches together. It’s a way to tap into our collective subconscious. Another new tradition is to pray with everyone, God and prayer is important in both of our lives. Spirituality, being in tune with goodness. He always does his best to treat people right, respect their time, and make our efforts worth it. I think that also comes back to our first time working together and the respect and trust that we held for each other, we hold for everyone that joins our crew.

Although we did have somewhat of a rocky start. After filming and editing this short, we had a spat about payment, expectations, etc. We were both just beginning our careers and figuring out who gets paid what and who gets credit for— you get the point. I’d also begun to talk to him about my bolder ideas. This was the beginnings of my first movie “Guests Is The Title For Now.” When you start an idea, it’s a kernel and it needs nurturing. I couldn’t really explain this kernel, for it was the seed of my experience. 20 years, packed in tightly, and it would eventually grow and flourish into something incredibly beautiful. I knew I had it inside me, and I was keen on manifesting it.

Prince and I had a loooong car conversation, about 3 hours, where I had talked to him about my ideas. They were mainly centered around race. Yup. It was one of those. We talked honestly and I don’t recall it ending well. For the next 6 months we wouldn’t speak.

I moved to New York at 20 years old.

After coming into contact with an incredibly wild industry, tough, and humbling, I had reached my halfway point. I had already left my first apartment, living on my own for the first time as well, and was about to move out of my second. I got more answers though. I exposed myself to new people, new ideas, new perspectives, and called into question my own. I wanted to know more about this seed I was watering, so I ventured out. Explored. And then I got tired. I had experienced a lot being on my own, away from my friends and family. I wanted to go home. Then Prince called. I remember I was in the kitchen, soon to be empty, it was a cloudy but sunny day. Light poured in from the window. He had said to me “Hey, I think I actually love you bro!” WHAT?!

Was I hearing this right? He continued “Yeah, I was thinking back to our conversation, and I’m an actor, but I’m more than an actor. Since I was a kid I was very in tune with reading people’s feelings and feeling their energy. I didn’t feel any malice from you. And you know I’m a big guy, so I could’ve easily gotten angry, but you still spoke honestly with me, and I really value that!”

“Wow, thank you.” Is probably what I said or something close to it. I didn’t really know what to say, I was genuinely surprised (happily). Do I say “I love you too,” back? I don’t know. Hard to say there, but eventually we got there. 1 year later we’ve become close partners working to build our careers together. I’d always heard from people that you meet your best friends in college, or your creative collaborators, but never could I have guessed that he was going to be like a brother to me.

Prince if you’re reading this I love you brother, I’m always thankful for you and your constant inspiration, encouragement, and recognition. I know that relationships of all kinds get tough, so when the next hurdle comes, we can read this and come back to our tradition, respect, and lightning.

-Alex