"A Gift" was a very experimental project. We had some ideas of what we wanted to do but it wasn’t a full production as some of the other projects that Jevon and I worked on together. The project was done by a small, intimate team at the time, which included Jevon, Patricia, Anthony and myself. We had an Airbnb rented out for a weekend and essentially filmed everything in one day. Initially, we set out to do a short scene from a different script that Jevon had written, but unfortunately, the timing didn’t work out as one of the other actors wasn’t available that weekend. Since the Airbnb was already booked, Jevon and I decided to take advantage of the weekend and create something with the minimal resources that we had available.

 

All of this essentially started because of the pandemic. This was November 2020 and Covid was still very significant at that time. We couldn’t have too many people on set, which is why we were limited to the four of us. We also felt that because of Covid, we hadn’t worked on something for a very long time, and being the artists that we are, it was important to stay artistically fit and find a way to stretch. So, as some of the restrictions started to ease up, Jevon decided to create something.

 

Playing the character was interesting. Jevon and I had gone back and forth and shared some ideas on what we wanted. Filming on the day was completely different than any perceptions or ideas that I had prior. We didn’t have a script so a lot of what I was doing was just following Jevon‘s vision and also improvising in the moment. Jevon would give me a scenario of what is happening, or what just happened before and what’s going to happen after, and I would essentially just do the scene in an improvisational style. Jevon had asked me to write a backstory which I did, and it was very useful to have that as a guide. Playing this character for me was very freeing since it allowed me to really tap into my instincts. I felt like a loose dog that just got let out of the cage. It was a different way of working and very fun to experience that part of me that just let go.

 

Filming "A Gift" during the time that we did was very special and at the time, I didn’t realize how special it was, just because of the significance of this Covid virus. We had no sense of what the future was going to be like. The subject matter of the film and the timing of it was so impactful. The film is very interpretive but in many ways, it shows the importance of mental health, which was very prominent and still is a very prominent discussion, especially amongst men. It took a lot of courage to film "A Gift" during the time that we did.

 

It’s always fun working with Dark Wolf Pictures. They are a great team that is all about creating an amazing experience for the actor and creating high-quality content for the viewers. Jevon and I have some great chemistry as we worked on several other projects together, so working with him on this project was very easy because we both understand each other very well. His vision is very specific/sharp and he knows exactly what he wants, which is so beneficial for me as an actor because I just have to surrender to what he’s trying to do.

 

The way he pieced together this film was magical. When you see the final product, you clearly see his vision and how he made me look like a great actor. I think the actor-director relationship is always very interesting. Something that always sticks out to me when I’m working with Jevon is how much he just loves filmmaking. Seeing him in his element is one of the most wonderful things to watch because he is so in it and his mind is always 10 steps ahead. Calculating things and making sure everything is perfect.

 

Overall, it was a wonderful experience and I’m super thankful that they decided to call me up again and collaborate with me on this project.