Erika Hardison chats with Self Made director DeMane Davis…
DeMane Davis has an impressive career. She has worked in advertising for several years and has worked with brands such as Nike and Moët Hennessy. Davis then set her sights on making indie films that lead her to Sundance Film Festival. While there, she was able to attract a lot of attention for her projects but then nothing happened for a while. She went back to Boston and several years later, Ava DuVernay contacted her. She worked on OWN’s Queen Sugar and now with her limited series on Netflix, Self Made, which is inspired by the late Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first black millionaire, she is leaving a lasting impression and gaining more fans.
Davis talked with Flickering Myth about her career, working with Ava DuVernay and her upcoming projects.
FM: Self Made is on Netflix now, what inspired you to want to direct this series?
DD: I learned about Madam CJ Walker when I was in elementary school. We studied her during Black History month and her story stayed with me- she built a hair care and beauty empire in the late 1800s when Black people were still being lynched. How was that possible? This is a Black woman whose parents were slaves, she was orphaned at 7, married at 14, pregnant at 18 and a widow at 19. How did a single mother in that day and age dream that big and make it a reality? My mother was a single mother, she worked two jobs and went to night school. She hustled. That’s where my motivation comes from. So, when I heard a television series was in the works I had to be a part of it. I’m a person who likes to set their intentions and put it into the universe — so I mentioned this to friends. Shaz Bennett, a filmmaker and TV director, told Elle Johnson. Elle was one of the showrunners of Self Made! I had a meeting with her, the other showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois, writer Nicole Asher Jefferson and producer Eric Oberland from Spring Hill Entertainment (LeBron James’ company) and I got the job!
FM: What resources did you tap into to discover and learn more about Madam C.J. Walker?
DD: The book On Her Own Ground was written by A’Leila Bundles, Madam CJ Walker’s great-great-granddaughter, and was the blueprint for the series. Although I wasn’t in the writers’ room, Janine Sherman Barrois, Elle Johnson and Nicole Asher Jefferson worked with Ms. Bundles and used it exclusively. I bought the book and read it as soon as I knew I had a meeting with them (before I knew I had the job — again setting intent, but also– I would never give up an opportunity to learn more about this incredible woman.)
FM: What’s are some of the difficulties of directing when it comes to loosely portraying people to create inspired work?
DD: There’s always a challenge in directing a period piece from the realities of production, schedule and location to costumes, picture cars and, in this case, hair styling. Thankfully, we had an incredibly dedicated crew assembled by our brilliant line producer Lena Cordina that included location manager John Teixeira; production designer Britt Doughty, Head of Hair Department Etheline Joseph; Head of Make-Up Craig Ryan and our Director of Photography Kira Kelly. Everyone worked in concert to bring authenticity to this series.
FM: You have an advertising background, how has that helped you with producing and directing works that really move people?
DD: Being an advertising copywriter and creative director has taught me how to do extensive research, work both in and with a team, create salient concepts and convey those ideas to my team and an audience quickly. I refer to and use these skills daily on a TV set. It’s all about communication.
FM: What was that first phone call with Ava DuVernay like, how did you get on her radar?
DD: I was actually working on a freelance gig at an ad agency when Ava DuVernay slipped into my DMs. Ava was putting together the Writer’s Room for her groundbreaking series Queen Sugar (on the Oprah Winfrey Network-OWN.) Ava has changed the entire directing landscape (and the numbers) by only hiring female directors, specifically first time TV directors, on Queen Sugar. She asked me to direct two episodes of the second season and later hired me to be the producing director. In addition to producing all of season three, I directed three episodes, including the season premiere. Since then, I have directed on For The People; The Red Line for CBS, How To Get Away With Murder, Station 19 and YOU for Netflix. Queen Sugar is now in its fifth season and was recently the winner of the Television Academy Honors which recognizes programs that use the power of TV to inspire change.
FM: There’s some mixed feedback on how the character Addie who is based on Annie Turnbo Malone is presented in Self Made. How hard was is to bring to life a fictional character that’s loosely based on a real character?
DD: Addie is a composite of several characters from Madam’s life. According to Ms. Bundles, in real life, the women were friends and rivals, though the rift that caused the end of their relationship wasn’t clear. Bringing a fictional character inspired by a real character to life is quite a feat. It’s impossible to create a biopic that completely encapsulates someone’s life as well as the roles of others. In any series or film inspired by a real person, events, people, locations and even time will be condensed, modified and streamlined for the narrative and realities of production. I am hopeful that if someone watched and it motivated them to read more of Madam’s story or about any of the real characters in her life, that’s a good thing.
FM: The fashion in Self Made is really eye-catching. How difficult was it to capture this story and showcase it as a period piece?
DD: My costume designer was Antoinette Messam. I’ll never forget the first day we worked together — I was about to call “Action” and she excused herself and said, “I have to switch out one of those actors — they’re wearing a day outfit and this is a formal event.” I was thrilled to have someone on board so dedicated and engaged. Antoinette did a remarkable job of designing and building gorgeous costumes while keeping everything historically accurate and working in existing background actor wardrobe seamlessly. Sometimes the reality of getting enough pieces was a challenge but with her, at the helm, I never knew until after we wrapped!
FM: What’s next for you?
DD: I’m directing on a new Netflix series that films in New York City. Very excited as I love New York and I’ve never filmed TV there before!
FM: What’s one of the obstacles you face as a woman director?
DD: I think the biggest obstacle was not getting the opportunity to direct television until Ava DuVernay. During the 2018-2019 television season, 79% of shows had no female directors. None. In contrast, Ava has not only hired female directors for four seasons of Queen Sugar; she achieved gender parity with the crew of her new series Cherish the Day. Absolutely unheard of! I count myself fortunate every day to have been tapped by her. My goal is to create shows that do the same so this isn’t an obstacle for other female directors in the future.
FM: What historical person of interest story would you like to direct?
DD: Ms. A’Lelia Bundles’ next book is Joy Goddess of Harlem, it’s about Madam’s daughter, Lelia Walker. In the spirit of setting my intent and putting it into the universe, I’d love to direct that story!
Many thanks to DeMane Davis for taking the time for this interview.
Erika Hardison
