Biyografi
Des Gray is a visual storyteller who's built her reputation as a force in music video production. Born in Haiti, she wasn't exposed to her first TV until she spotted one through her neighbor's window. The light that glinted in her eyes in that pivotal moment during her childhood is the same spark that inspires her work in TV and film today. A graduate of Alabama State University, Gray received her bachelor's degree in Theatre Studies. After graduating, she worked as an awards show production assistant for BET, where she first began exploring and learning the craft of production. After her stint at the network, she founded her own production and film company Foreign Made Films and made her directorial debut in 2018 for Lil Donald's "Do Better" video which gained a massive 70 million plus views. Since then, she's produced and directed videos for a bevy of global hitmakers, including Davido, Chris Brown, Young Thug, Lil Baby, Rick Ross, Future, Russ, Toosii and Jeezy. The only Haitian American woman director in the music industry, her music videos have amassed billions of views worldwide. But her success as a video director hasn't confined her versatility behind the screen. In 2020, she produced the short film "Stricken," a project sponsored by the Beats by Dre Black Futures initiative. And in 2021 she displayed her directorial chops when she helmed Lil Baby's Hustle campaign powered by Rockstar Energy Drinks and both of Davido's Jimmy Kimmel Live! and BBC Radio performances. One of the most sought-after music video directors, Gray has used her expertise as a visual artist to pivot into film. She's poised to release her debut short film, "Mixed Girl," a project she produced, directed, and co-wrote based on a biracial girl named Ashlynn torn between dual identities. The film explores race, class, and addiction through the plight of Ashlynn who was raised by her small-town, white mother suffering from alcoholism and moves in with her estranged African American father, James, after he finds out about her troubled path. "Mixed Girl" masterfully bridges the gap between two opposing worlds and displays the nuance of identity and trauma as James seeks to help Ashlynn overcome her troubled childhood. Slated to showcase the film at film festivals throughout the country, gray plans to continue using her unique perspective to illuminate screens all over the world.
