Prince Sprauve, Chief Executive Officer, is an independent film director and founder of Revolution Studios Inc. D/B/A Told By Us Productions (a not-for-profit since 2013) & Prince Sprauve Visual LLC D/B/A Quiet On Set. TBU is a youth centered program that fosters creative expression and is designed to be a safe haven for high school students while Quiet On Set operates as a media production company allowing Sprauve to be fully independent as a film director. His new project, “Cradle” is gaining momentum and popularity. “Cradle” reveals the intricate problems that surround teenage pregnancy through the unfolding of 5 different storylines.
FMM: Share your background and how it led you to film.
I was born and raised in the Fort Green Projects in Brooklyn NY. As a teenager, I dealt with emotional problems and was getting into trouble on a regular basis. My family decided that I would have better opportunities and more structure if I were to relocate. At 17 years old, I moved to Schenectady, NY to live with my grandmother. One year later, I gave my life to God and during that time-period, I found enough strength to leave my past behind. From that point, I started working in my community and building up the people that I felt needed it the most; the people who were in poverty and dealing with generational trauma.
Even though my mother had me at the age of 15 years old, she refused to let those circumstances define her. She obtained a bachelor’s degree and spent the next 20 years teaching as a Special Education Teacher. Her accomplishments inspired me to persevere; I attribute much of my own success to having her as an example.
As I matured, I started to wonder about my life’s purpose. I felt a strong desire to help young people conquer the same problems that I had faced growing up around poverty and violence. Therefore, becoming a teacher seemed to make sense as a possible career choice. My mother advised me to take a job as a teacher’s assistant, in order to test the waters and determine if teaching was truly the best fit. At 21 one years old, I was hired as an assistant at Schenectady High School. My passion for connecting with the students led to me forming an after school program with a focus on music production.
The school district took notice of my creativity, and offered me a job as a Technical Paraprofessional in their television studio. In this role, I was responsible for producing video and audio content that would showcase the district’s accomplishments. Access to the school’s equipment allowed me to further develop and expand the afterschool program. As the program evolved, so did my video production skills. It was as if Schenectady High was my own version of film school. I started working there with the idea of becoming a teacher and instead, became a film director. (God’s Plan)
FMM: When was your first break?
In the 4th year of the afterschool program, which was known as Revolution Studios, the idea for “Fast Life” was born. What started as a concept for a music video, quickly progressed into a full-length feature film. Bringing this project to fruition required long hours, volunteers, and grassroots fundraising. With the involvement of over 120 students and 35 local organizations, we were able to raise $40,000. We premiered the film at Proctors Theater in 2013 with over 1,500 people in attendance. This accomplishment inspired me to launch a nonprofit called Told By Us (TBU Productions). TBU raised over $200,000 in order to produce my next film, “Cradle.” My experience creating and releasing “Fast Life” made me believe that anything is possible; “Cradle” solidified my identity as a director.
FMM: As an Independent Film Director, what are important issues of our day that you would like to explore in film?
My focus as a filmmaker is on the stories, myths, concepts, and culture of Black people. It is my opinion that the mass media portrays images that are inaccurate and harmful for the sake of profit. Unfortunately, many Black individuals are compliant in this agenda because they are desperate to escape poverty.
FMM: You are the Founder of Revolution Studios, Inc. What are your initiatives for 2021?
I have launched a new for-profit venture called Quiet on Set, which allows me to focus solely on developing my skills as a film director.
FMM: Tell us about your new film, Cradle. What was the inspiration?
Ultimately, I wanted to help my community. At the time, Schenectady was 2nd in the state for the highest teenage pregnancy rates. Cradle was inspired by real teenage parents that I had interviewed. We premiered the film at Proctors in 2019 with almost 1,400 people in attendance. Schenectady’s teen pregnancy rates have since dropped; it has gone from being number 2 to number 7 in the state. They currently use the film and the documentaries in the health curriculum at Schenectady High.
FMM: You created 5 different storylines for Cradle. Tell us more.
I interviewed 19 teenage parents and drew inspiration for the storylines from their experiences. We also identified key similarities in their stories: none of their parents had talked to them about sex or about birth control. They also stated that the health curriculum didn’t address issues about sex in a relatable way.
FMM: Tell us about your recent short film “Make It Home. ” What do you want people to take away from this film?
“Make It Home” is a short film, I co-directed with an artist called Jayohes. It’s a broad, accurate picture about police brutality and depicts two police officers that target minority communities with the intent to be harmful. The police department is part of a system that was designed to oppress groups of people to maintain capitalism in this country. Black people were looked at as slaves and consumers since the inception of America. We were never given a platform to thrive or to rebuild.
Cops are meant to be reactive instead of proactive, and most times they are interacting with people who are at their lowest point in life. Even though these conditions exist in our communities, it doesn’t give the officers a right to treat people like they are not human. You’re a trained officer that chose to be a police officer and your only job is to serve the people of that community, no matter their race, gender, religion, and ect.
There is a bigger conversation to be had about poverty and why these conditions exist for black people in far too many communities. We are not always innocent in police interactions, we need to take more responsibility for our actions and understand that the government was designed to oppress Black people through laws and systems. So, it is entirely up to us to unite and take control of our dollar, education, and communities.
FMM: What is your vision for 2021?
My vision for 2021 is to share my films around the world, network with the film communities in other cities and locations, build my brand as a director and to shoot meaningful and impactful projects. Most of all, I desire for God to use my films to change hearts and minds about how we see each other as people.
FMM: Please share your social media links.
Link to Cradle’s Premiere
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https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JFF05G7gcaO1VH1egnLs5sFMBVpcfHK0/view?usp=sh aring
Website: Quietonsetproductions.com
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