Founded in 2020 by Christine Davis, Reel Gems originally started as just a bright idea to have a production company back an original scripted comedy Christine was currently rewriting back in February of 2020. Then, she figured it would be practical to start a company to her many film ideas and other sources of content. It was only supposed to be created for that purpose.
In the beginning of March, Christine received a self-tape request from one of her talent representatives, which was due within 2 days. She needed to literally act fast. So, she called over her great friend, now business partner Darius Austin. Darius brought over a blue backdrop for her to use. However, when watching the playback of the tape, the backdrop and environment were so distracting.
Feeling just like any other actor, she began to feel unsure about where she should shoot her self-tape. From the faulty tripod and wrinkled backdrop, she wished that she had a space to shoot self-tapes as she saw fit. From that night on, they both combined their knowledge in production, acting, and business to help provide a space for actors to create their best work.
Despite feeling discouraged, Christine began the journey of entrepreneurship and started to see her company as more of a use for creatives. They spoke about the challenges actors face when trying to find a space in the city to just be inspired and be creative. They understood the needs of creatives and made a commitment to be a solution to the problem.
Darius then suggested Christine should offer a self-tape service via her company. That same night, the two brainstormed, gathered resources, and the rest was history, or rather the beautiful start to a new chapter. Reel Gems was molded into a safe haven for creatives right here in Harlem - her home town.
We are committed to giving entertainment more shine!
