Film Courage: What was it that made you want to do a feature film? Why were you ready, what was it two years ago?
Adisa, Filmmaker: Time was getting away from me and that was my dream. I didn’t want to get away from my dream of being a director and so I just hunkered down and did whatever it took. That was my mantra. I just decided I’m going to do whatever it takes and I’m going to confront myself at every corner and look at my weaknesses and I’m going to make my weaknesses into strengths.
So then I just started to write and write and write. Then I hooked up with another collaborator/writer Steven Palmer Peterson and he wrote SKIN IN THE GAME.
Film Courage: So were you almost emulating Spike Lee, getting up at 6:00 a.m. [mentioning earlier in the interview that he loves Spike Lee’s work ethic]?
Adisa: I was getting up at 6:00 a.m. Even right now, it takes a lot to be a filmmaker and I think those that make it there is probably more determination and persistence versus talent a lot of times. I mean you don’t want to take that for granted, you want to be talented. I think it’s really about persistence and determination and how much you’re willing to sacrifice in some cases. Because in some cases you may not be eating. You may be eating Top Ramen or taking some least attractive job because it allows more time to write.
I made that decision and you’re not leaning on other people. In other words the responsibility for your life and becoming a filmmaker is yours. It doesn’t belong to your wife or your partners or your boyfriend or your mother or your father. It’s not about them sponsoring you or giving you a cushion or saying Okay, you go ahead and write. I’m going to go ahead and pay your rent for the next couple of months. So it was about taking complete responsibility for my dream and what I wanted to make happen and what that looked like. So if it meant working all day and writing all night, that’s what I did…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
WATCH ‘SKIN IN THE GAME’ TRAILER
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