I find stories that highlight characters who have not historically had a chance to shine in Hollywood’s spotlight inspirational. As a kid, I read many books and watched many shows, but it was rare to see a Black person as the main character with a developed storyline that stretched past, influencing another character’s development.

One big inspiration for me is Jordan Peele. Peele writes and directs all his movies. His stories are all unique and amazingly thought-out stories, filled with symbolism. What I admire most is he always centers people of color in his stories. His film, Get Out, changed the horror game for many people in the film industry, and I would say that some people are trying to recreate the cultural phenomenon it brought.

Another big inspiration for me is Mike Flanagan, who wrote and directed a tv show that inspired me to direct/produce as well. The Haunting of Hill House came out in October of 2018, the weekend of my birthday. I was a senior in high school and planned on being a nurse, I had always dreamed of being in the film industry, but this show inspired me to pursue it. At face level, the show is about a haunted house, but it taught me so much about grief and the importance of family. These lessons came at such a crucial time because my grandpa died later in the month. It was directed by Mike Flanagan. The reason the show inspired me to direct is because of the sixth episode, not only is it one of the most emotional, but it has some great direction. The episode “Two Storms” is also known as the One-Shot episode. Most of the episode is filmed with no cuts, so you can tell the cast and crew had to work especially hard. When I think about the film, most of the time, I think about the community and the closeness of working on a big project. There is one moment where the father sees his children as adults, and the camera circles around him, and they have switched both the adult and child actors. It happens in five seconds with no cuts. Another reason is that the show is so much deeper than the jump scares and horror; it is all about the grief of a family and their healing.

I love watching 90 shows, and one of the shows that really touched me is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Like The Haunting of Hill House, I love how emotional it can be. The show has comedic relief and snappy comebacks that keep you interested. But sometimes, there are episodes that will make you sob. The show was known for its witty comebacks and play on words. So much so that the writer Joss Wheddon wanted to challenge himself in Season 4 by not relying on his dialogue. In the episode titled “Hush”, there is no dialogue for most of the episode. All the storytelling is done through facial expressions. Somehow the episode was still funny without the dialogue. This type of work inspires me to be a better writer and director. If I get the chance to write screenplays, I want my work to be inspiring and worth talking about.

I want to make thought provoking movies and tv like The Haunting of Hill House. I would love to have projects around the world as well because it would give me a chance to travel the world doing what I love.