Resilient music & film director [Des Gray](https://www.instagram.com/_desgray/?hl=en) is a true visionary whose artistic concepts know no bounds. Growing up in Haiti under impoverished circumstances, she displayed great resilience in her ambitions and pursuits, first working at the BET Network before starting her own female-led production company [Foreign Made Films](https://www.foreignmadefilms.com/) that boasts influential clients such as Future, Young Thug, The Migos, Lil Baby, Chris Brown, and Young Jeezy. The Atlanta-based artist’s fame rose to a global scale after the music video she produced for [“Do Better”](https://youtu.be/UnYni1SIXUw) by Lil Donald surpassed 60 million views on Youtube. Gray has recently been the first Black woman signed to [Eif Rivera’s](https://www.instagram.com/eifrivera/?hl=en) agency, a notorious hip hop music video director and filmmaker. On top of all of these achievements, Gray directed Davido’s recent Jimmy Kimmel [performance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDl6ztgRyzc), turning around production and filming in less than 24 hours. Gray’s most recent visual just dropped for [“Can’t Be”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFECS8v_Qa8) by Renni Rucci.
_FLAUNT_ had the opportunity to chat with Gray about some of her favorite career moments, struggles she went through to get to where she is, and her advice to any young women looking to make the jump into directing and film production.
* * *
**Can you tell me about your experience growing up in Haiti?**
I grew up very poor and my family didn’t have money. We lived in those little hut homes and I grew up on this island, so it was very difficult. I didn’t have access to television, toys, games, things that a lot of kids in America have access to. I had to grow up so fast and become an adult when I was 5 years old.
**When did you first realize your interest in film and music?**
Since I was a kid in Haiti, not having access to a lot of the things kids have access to, you start playing with your imagination. You start hearing different sounds, the speaker box in the neighborhood, and I would see lights coming from the television of nice homes. I knew not having access to anything and creating what I wanted to see is when my passion grew. I started working in film and music when I moved to America, when I was 12. I knew I wanted to go to college to pursue a career in filmmaking so I went to Alabama State and majored in Theatre Arts. I started my internship at Sony Music to learn from the music side of the business and how artists work and how the marketing department and promotion works. At BET I started learning about doing production for all of the award shows, and I met Akon. We had a good chemistry and over the years he was a great mentor. He introduced me to different directors, and I ended up moving to Atlanta from Miami.
**What was the first music video that you directed?**
The first music video I directed was an independent artist, Lil Donald. His video is at 60 million views. I recently received my gold plaque for his music video. I’ve gotten so many emails about the video because the topic was domestic violence, it was called “Do Better,” and it’s about uplifting women and leaving a situation when it’s not right. It spoke to me because growing up as a kid, all I saw was domestic violence in many aspects of my life. I wanted to touch everybody, including those of the same sex.
**What’s been the hardest part of going into an industry that’s male-dominated?**
It’s been very difficult for me, but now it’s getting better. In the beginning, I directed a music video for Future called “Never Stop.” Future reached out to me to do the music video but because I’m a woman the label automatically put another man and said “you guys are gonna direct this together.” I go through that a lot as a female director, and artists reach out to me because I have personal connections with them. Once artists trust you with their vision, you can bring it to life. So my relationship with artists always comes first, but being in a male-dominated industry, they don’t like that. They’ll be like “Well why do the artists like you?” So my job is extra hard, but I’m excited because I am finally getting the respect I want as a woman. Eif Rivera who has done music videos with Cardi B and DJ Khaled just signed me as his first female director, and I’m looking forward to having a male in my life who can lead and guide me to the right path.
**What advice would you give young women in general who are trying to make it in that industry?**
The first thing I would tell them is that you have to have a thick skin. You can’t allow anybody to get in the way of your vision, because your vision comes first. If you allow someone to come in front of that, you’re not gonna live up to your full potential and serve your purpose. You have to believe in yourself and go after your vision.
**What’s the process when you create a visual?**
I like to feel the vibe, and I have to like the music first. It takes me 3 days to catch a vibe because in my imagination I’m always thinking about how to create something from what the artist is saying but from my perspective. Once I’m in the zone with that, I talk to the artist, and then from there I start creating the picture. When you have artists that want to be involved with art that’s always a good thing, but artists start trusting you can bring their vision to life.
**What has been one of your favorite visuals that you’ve directed?**
I directed a video for Davido featuring Young Thug and Chris Brown that’s coming out in early April. I was like wow I’m in a room with three big artists, and I’m like that’s amazing. It was so intense because we had 48 hours to bring the video to life, because the artist was flying in from Lagos. It’s called “Shopping Spree,” and the video is epic. It was shot in quarantine, and I had to find a company to do the COVID testing on site. We shot it at an arts school, and everything was smooth, it was the best. I wanted to recreate memories in the video, where it was positive, and I wanted to bring entertainment inside of that arts school. Quarantine helped me with my creative process, so I can sit down and be in my head, and not rushed. It made me think outside of the box and it challenged me to think deeply.
**What led to the creation of your production company, Foreign Made Films?**
I worked with nothing but foreigners, and I’m a foreigner. So when I did “Do Better,” I noticed everyone was speaking different languages. I noticed how beautiful and powerful it was that everyone was from different walks of life. When the music video came out, I wanted everyone to know it was foreign made, so that’s how I came up with the name. I like to work with all kinds of different people to create a masterpiece.
**What do you want to explore in the future of your career?**
I want to work with Rihanna and I also want to work with Janet Jackson. Rihanna would help me explore different crazy creativity and expression and emotion. Janet Jackson would ground me and help me create something that aligns with her music. I see myself staying in directing but leaning more towards doing movies, which is the goal. Doing these music videos are an experience to build my craft so when I transition to the film world, it will be a part of my journey.
.jpg)
