Lauren Maya Davis

Unaffiliated

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
I started directing music videos and fashion films, for EMI and Universal, before going to film school to study cinematography.

How did you get into directing?
I went to art school in London, specialized in motion design, and immersed myself in experimental work by Saul Bass, David Lynch, Bill Henson and Lynne Ramsay. I worked as a director in London and then with celebrated film directors and cinematographers in Los Angeles before going to film school to study cinematography at AFI. There, I was able to develop my own visual language, alongside the technical aspects of filmmaking for both short and long form, with a visual-eye for immersive poetry and big world sci-fi VFX capabilities which includes a project on The Volume at NantStudios.

What is your most recent project?
Songbirds, which has been lucky to receive a few festival awards including a bronze at Ciclope Festival. The project was shot in the Mississippi Delta where I was based for 3 months. We cast 400 children, scouted every corner of Mississippi’s beautiful and terrifying textured terrain and through this process a very special project came to life. The film is exhibiting at several museums next year.

What is the best part of being a director?
Having a creative vision for screen, then taking on the challenge of executing that visual and emotional world the best you can, which often requires expanding you and your team’s skills and capabilities. It can be a thrilling process, as you’re continually stretching your scope of ideas and skill for the next project.

What is the worst part of being a director?
Having to be good at a lot of things to then be able to express and execute your ideas fully and hope the work touches and moves a wider audience in some way (and simultaneously not have a heart attack).

What is your current career focus: commercials and branded content, television, movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre–comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.?
I’m currently filming a dramatic short and prepping a feature with IP attached. Beyond that, I’m inspired equally by visual poetry and big world sci-fi sets, their societal themes and thematic motifs, so I’m focused on bringing these elements together across TV shows and commercials to explore new perspectives and unique visual storytelling.

Have you a mentor and if so, who is that person (or persons) and what has been the lesson learned from that mentoring which resonates with you?
Yes, there’s a few talented filmmakers who’ve been a huge grounding support, I’m very grateful for their generosity of time and shared wisdom. Always try to tell stories in a unique way, use the poetry of the piece or moment, to translate the feeling and elevate the frame. Play with cinematic syntax, fragments can be more exciting. Be present with the camera inside the scene so you can follow the emotion, you have to tune in which also means tuning out, to create from your core.

Who is your favorite director and why?
These creators always inspire me — Lynne Ramsay, Tarko, Barry Jenkins, Bradford Young (DP) – for their poetry. Denis Villeneuve, Ridley Scott, David Fincher, Greig Fraser (DP) – for their imagination and ability to conjure big worlds.

What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content?

• Films – The Batman, Bladerunner 2049, Arrival, Ratcatcher, Moonlight and Killing Them Softly.
• TV Shows – Mandalorian, The Witcher, Big Little Lies, True Detective and Euphoria.
• Brands – Apple, PlayStation.

Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I’m a dual US/UK national. I took my first flight when I was 3 weeks old, and my first solo flight when I was 5y/o (I cried all the way, but survived my training for early independence). Travel and adventure have been a part of my families DNA, a grandfather based in Nigeria and maternal family in Uruguay, and some of my most cherished memories are from deep corners of Thailand, Mexico and Brazil. I’ve always thrived immersing myself in different cultures and people, listening to their stories, so alongside film, maybe I’ll delve further into Anthropology one day.

Have you had occasion to bring your storytelling/directorial talent to bear in the Metaverse, tapping into the potential of AR, VR, AI, NFTs and/or experiential fare? If so, tell us about that work and what lessons you have taken away from the experience?
I worked on a project filmed on a LED volume at Nantstudios and I would love to film here more in the future. The volume technology pushes the edges for translating imagined worlds and has produced incredible projects.

Contact

Website: www.laurenmayadavis.com