Gloria 19

The idea for GLORIA 19 came during the summer 2021. A friend asked if I would write and direct an original scene for her acting reel. I’d been watching a lot of science fiction and I noticed there were no black female leads at the time. I decided, for my friend’s 2-minute reel, I’d give the world a black female science fiction hero. The fully produced scene ended with a cliffhanger. For the next year, friends and people who saw that original Gloria 19 reel would ask, “So, what happened next?” I decided to find out.

GLORIA 19 is a proof of concept for a television show. I wanted this series to explore what it means to be human. I felt making the protagonist a clone who was owned by a misguided corporation would be an interesting way to do this. Gloria 19 lives in a world where clones are a product. She’s been taught to be willing to die for the sake of saving “natural born” humans. Her world is turned upside down when she’s faced with her own selfhood and realizes that valuing her life could actually save the world. I also wanted to view ideas of intimate bonds and how they express our human nature. Gloria’s interactions with Vincent scratch the surface of this theme.

GLORIA 19 intentionally asks more questions than it answers. The hope is after entertaining the audience, they might look back and reflect on the freedoms they experience and their humanity. I also hoped leaving questions might build a demand for more episodes. Maicy’s (Gloria 19) performance in rehearsals and on camera really informed me on how I would edit and shoot everything else. This entire series was shot with a $800 budget. I called in favors from local talented friends. What I lacked in finance I tried to make up for in story, my directing my actors, and other creative choices.