Skin in the Game is a thought provoking look at what one person will do to save another. Love is a powerful motive in the world and it’s a story that always needs to be told. I interviewed the director Adisa from Skin in the Game. You can now see the film On Demand wherever it’s sold. Click HERE for more information

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Adisa and I am a film director. I’m from the Bay Area and I like to tell stories that are impactful and have social value.

What drew you to the subject of the film?

While visiting my family in Oakland for Thanksgiving in 2017, my younger sister told me that she was afraid to let her teenage daughter ride the bus, because a girl was abducted off a bus by some gorilla pimps in broad daylight. I was so taken aback by what she said that I began to look into it and found something that would rock my world and it had to do with millions of young girls and boys being exploited and trafficked for sex. I was probably like most Americans and thought trafficking only happened in third world countries, but was shocked to discover that it was happening right here in our own backyard.

I was looking for a way to tell the story when I met Jayla Baxter who is also from Oakland and was a former prostitute. She got out of “The Life” and now helps others and rescues girls from their pimps. She’s pretty bad ass and she was gracious enough to share with me how trafficking works and why so many young people fall victim to it.

What was the casting process like? What made you go with your leads?

We brought on a casting director Matthew Lessall and we spread out a large net. We ended up seeing a lot of people for the lead character Lena, but for one reason or another they were missing a certain quality that we were looking for. I had almost given up hope until a friend suggested Erica Ash and we reached out to her and not only was she great for the part, but she was open to working with us on this micro budgeted film and really going deep with the character that we created.

We also did a mini sex trafficking boot camp for all the actors to prepare them for this dark and violent world, which Jayla facilitated and it really grounded the actors into their characters and what was at stake. Most of the actors had no idea that this is really a completely different sub culture with its own set of rules and codes. Girls are groomed or seasoned to do whatever the pimp or trafficker whats them to do. Many suffer from trauma bonding or Stockholm Syndrome. They often call their pimps “Daddy’” or “Boyfriend” and are nothing but property to them to be bought and sold and done with as they see fit. It’s a world which can turn violent at any moment, especially when a girl doesn't make her money quota which can result in harsh physical abuse.

Erica captured the essence of our lead perfectly. We also went against type and had a female trafficker and cast Angélica Celaya who plated Eve and she really brought it. The Bottom Bitch who is often a woman was played by a male actor named Catfish Jean. We cast it like this because in the real world of trafficking these types exist. Money and greed is the real motivator, so in that case the exploiter can be male or female.

What got you interested in film directing?

I had just finished two years at Sonoma State University and decided to do my Junior year as an exchange student at UMASS Amherst. I drove across country with my friend and when we got to New York, I heard a lot about this new film She’s Gotta Have It. I saw it and was completely blown away. Everything about it was mind blowing to me. The voice was distinctly Black. The aesthetic, the actors and the cadences were Black. Afterword, I found out about Spike Lee and I decided right then and there that what I wanted to be was a film director. But not just any director, I also wanted to help define what Black cinema could be. I wanted to be artistically bold like Spike Lee and I wanted to tell stores that had never been told before and from a distinct Black point of view. Watching that film was a pivotally defining moment for me.

Character “Lena played by Erica Ash - Photo Credit courtesy of Production

How long did it take to produce the film in terms of pre-pro/prod/post?

We did six weeks of pre-production and shot the film in sixteen days which by all accounts is pretty fast. Howard Barish our producer did a great job of making sure we had everything we needed. With these smaller budgeted indie films you have to rely a lot on ingenuity and creativity because we don't have the big budgets for explosions and such. His company Kandoo Films was the production engine behind the film. The emphasis is usually on quality and story and we achieved both. I worked with my editor Alex Ivany who did a great job editing the film and we finished a first rough cut in six weeks. The film didn't change much after that because of the way it was written. It was a very lean script with not a lot of fat. We spent a considerable amount of time working with our composer Jeff Morrow on the score. He did a great job and it really elevates the movie. I have a sound production background, so i feel strongly about music and ambient sounds. To me, it has just as much value as the cinematography, acting, or production design.

Character “Sharon played by ELISABETH HARNOIS - Photo Credit courtesy of Production

Any fun or crazy moments on set?

There was one crazy moment where we were shooting in an area of LA called the “the jungle”. The jungle is located in South Central and notorious for gang activity. The film Training Day was shot there and no one has ever shot there before or since until we filmed there. I was going for authenticity so I really wanted to film there. We got a permit and we also spoke to Parks and Recreation since we were filming in the park. I took extra measures to get in touch with a gang liaison so we wouldn't encounter any problems. The gang liaison at the last minute told me that he couldn't be there on the day of the shot and would leave his twenty year old nephew is charge. I got a little nervous about that, but I thought it would be okay. Well, a disagreement between gangs ensued while we were filming because we had not gone through the proper channels. It didn't matter that we had a permit, the gangs ruled that area so they shut us down for thirty minutes and wouldn't let the camera’s film. It got very tense because you really don't know what’s going on and at the same time you know its serious because they’re telling the camera people to put the camera’s down. The nephew (who's riding around on an electric scooter board) kept reassuring me that it would be okay as I watched the gang members heatedly talk off to the side. In the end, I think the nephew called his uncle who was an OG and it was straightened out so we could finish shooting. My sound mixer Woody who grew up around gang members kept telling me it was a bad idea to shoot there, but I ignored him stressing that I needed authenticity. I can laugh about it now, but in that moment it was serious shit. In hindsight, I wouldn't do that again. Too much risk. Too much unnecessary drama. Too much headache.

What's next for you?

I’m writing a true story about how I went to Sierra Leone and met kids working in the diamond mines and almost died trying the save them. It’s a powerful and inspiring story about change and the human spirits ability to overcome adversity and endure.

I’m also writing and developing a limited TV series. I have the life rights to Jayla Baxter and we plan on telling her amazing story. It deals with a lot of complex trauma. I think a lot of people will be able to identify and relate to her struggles and triumphs. It’s a much more in-depth story then the feature and it's more expansive.

Fun questions

If you were stuck on an abandoned island what five items would you take with you? (no rules)

Earth, Wind and Fire and Stevie Wonder’s greatest hits CD. John Coltrane’s Love Supreme for extra measure.
An iphone with an unlimited power supply
Brother Ishmael Tetteh (Mystic of West Africa) book “Essential Life Education”.
A photo of my mother and father, two small daughters and Aimee my wife.
A video camera to record a diary of my trails and tribulations so I can make a documentary when rescued.

If you could go back in time and go exploring where would you go?

I would go to Ancient Egypt AKA Kemet. To see how they built the Pyramids and all those amazing structures with no modern equipment, no cement or bonding agent and the precision of the math to get them that exact.