Red Velvet
Danielle Gibson, Director & Writer
Red Velvet is a highly stylized dramatic comedy that highlights the magic of self acceptance. It follows an Afro Latina woman’s pursuit of societal acceptance when she does not feel fully embraced within the Black and Latino communities.
Director’s Statement
It is a thematic based film that uses ice cream and color as metaphors for race and self identity. The characters talk about the validity and desirability of various flavors, similar to how women of color can be harshly criticized or inappropriately fetishized. By the end, Aviva realizes that her self worth must be self sustained and that she is not ‘two halves,’ but instead a ‘blended’ whole. As an Afro Latina I grew up feeling like I didn’t completely fit into the Black or Latino community and that in order to fit in, I’d have to pick a side to identify as. But that simply is not possible since both ‘sides’ are an inherent part of who I am. I have an immense pride in that and in understanding who I am and how I identify myself. I want to reflect that in this short.
Writer & Director
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Danielle Gibson
Producer
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Shu Sugarman Chang
The Crew
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Haobo Yang
Director of Photography
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Yi Roy Yang
Editor
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Angel Anqi Gu
1st Assistant Director
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Cindy Xin
1st Assistant Director
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Helen Bell
Production Designer
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Melissa Zhuang
Art Director
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Tim K. Johnson
Composer
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Gabe Braden
Casting Director
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Quinn Foster
Choreographer
The Cast
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Taylor Leighanne
as Aviva Ardor
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Isaac Andrade
as Ike
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JC Henning
as Receptionist
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Magaly Castellanos
as Cecelia
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BK Phillips
as Steve
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Rafaela Garcia
as Louisa
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Jenny Nwene
as Brittney
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Deanna Acevedo
as Hair Dresser #1
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Lindsay Dantes
as Hair Dresser #2
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Ryan Murtha
as Customer #2
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Alesha Gilliam
as Nail Tech #1
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Angelica Mackey
as Nail Tech #2
Other works that have influenced the style of Red Velvet include the black comedy short The Saddest Boy in the World by Jamie Travis, for its tone, tempo, and production design; Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing for its liveliness, boldness, and swag in illustrating its strong themes; and Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwigs Frances Ha for its unique character definition. Red Velvet also utilizes a touch of magical realism which visualizes the emotional undertones of a given situation, like how Ike and Aviva have an unspoken attraction that is illustrated by how they find a song only they can hear, or when Aviva feels grey in a black and white room that was once in color. I want this film to touch on the hard reality that Afro Latinos face whilst keeping a levity to it through quick pacing, color indication, humor, and visualization of black girl magic through magical realism.
Collaborating is Caring
I’m always excited to work with new people. Shoot me a message and we’ll get to planning.