Private Project

Selling Soul

Menthol cigarettes have been specifically marketed particularly to brown and black communities by tobacco companies and for some are more accessible than fresh food. However, the same companies have sponsored and supported powerful black organizations and movements.

In “Selling Soul” we seek to explore this complicated dynamic by exaggerating the reality of food, alcohol, and tobacco ads of the 60s/70s - some of the first ads to portray black people as synonymous with “cool” but not unlike today.

  • Jared Malik Royal
    Director
  • Jared Malik Royal
    Writer
  • Steve McCord
    DP
  • Stacy Mann
    Producer
  • CJ Udoye
    Key Cast
  • Consulate Wilson
    Key Cast
  • Darren Griffin
    Key Cast
  • Sanetra Longno
    Key Cast
  • Cesar Fiasco
    1st AC
  • Susan Weiss
    Set Designer
  • Haley Erickson
    Wardrobe
  • Daniela Campos
    PA
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Documentary, Anti Advertisement, PSA, Art Film
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 14, 2019
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • https://theythat.org/thereisenoughforeveryone
    Houston, TX
    United States
    June 14, 2019
Director Biography - Jared Malik Royal

Jared Malik Royal is a Texas-based director and visual artist focused on creating work that expresses raw experiences through a lens of subtle surrealism.

With a background in marketing and brand development, he strategically approaches projects with precise detail and swift execution.

His collaborations with brands, agencies, and creatives include highly evocative and alluring imagery. He hopes to continue challenging conventional ideas of visual storytelling through diverse collaboration and fearless exploration.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a Black person in America, I’ve seen many family members and peers fall victim to unhealthy lifestyles often stemming from the legacy of slavery and racism that extends
to advertising even today.

This piece serves as an anti-advertisement - An honest and blunt expression of my experience as a Director and to reflect the stark historical reality of black communities are presented, treated, and affected by the media.

It’s important to always challenge, question, and push
The boundaries of what we understand about the world around us. This film serves as a way for us to reframe our understanding of what we believe to be true.